Policy Career Guides

More than a hundred think tanks in DC aim to inform and influence policymaking through a combination of research and writing, convening stakeholders, and advocacy. --- Outline: (03:42) Think tank functions and activities (04:20) Research (05:20) Outreach and advocacy (07:12) Convening and education (08:55) The conglomerate question: Think tanks versus programs --- If you’re interested in pursuing...

More than a hundred think tanks in DC aim to inform and influence policymaking through a combination of research and writing, convening stakeholders, and advocacy. --- Outline: (00:09) Think tanks (00:24) Working at a DC think tank: why and how (00:41) 1. Why (not) work at a think tank? (00:59) 2. Think tank types & activities (01:16) 3. Think tank roles & personal fit (01:34) 4. Getting a...

Think tanks have a variety of jobs beyond pure research roles (e.g. communications, operations). This article explains the main job categories at think tanks and how to determine your personal fit. --- Outline: (00:56) Assessing your fit for think tank life (04:10) Types of teams and jobs at think tanks (06:13) Research (09:07) External affairs (10:49) Internal (12:53) Consider think tank jobs, no...

This guide helps you research and pursue federal agency roles that match your policy interests and career goals. It walks you through a practical four-stage process: brainstorming options, conducting targeted research, networking through informational interviews, and creating an action plan. --- Outline: (00:51) Step 1: Brainstorm options (07:03) Step 2: Research specific agencies and offices (08:...

States serve as "laboratories of democracy," shaping policies that affect millions while often setting precedents for federal action. This guide explains how US state governments work and advises on when and how to pursue state level roles. --- Outline: (01:26) Overview of state governments (03:26) Relationship between federal and state policy (05:35) Brief profiles on Texas and California (15:17)...

This article provides advice on how to find think tank job opportunities, which roles to apply for (including internships and fellowships), and how to improve your chances in the application process. --- Outline: (00:24) Which jobs should you apply to? (06:36) Finding specific opportunities (08:04) Internship programs (10:02) Succeeding in the application process (17:26) Relevant degrees and crede...

A political campaign is an organized effort to elect candidates to public office or pass ballot initiatives such as constitutional amendments, legislative referenda, or local ordinances. --- Outline: (02:04) Campaign types, organization, and roles (02:09) Campaign types (04:49) Primary and general election campaigns (07:44) Competitive campaigns and partisan campaign committees (10:34) Legislative...

Working in or with a multilateral organization can be a great way to tackle global challenges and advance your career, but this career path also has some important potential downsides. --- Outline: (01:45) What is multilateral governance? (04:08) The multilateral governance process (06:24) Differences between multilateral governance and national policy (08:52) Working on multilateral policy (09:42...

National labs like Los Alamos are crucial for informing government policy and advancing science and technology, particularly in national security. --- Outline: (00:37) What on Earth are FFRDCs? (05:48) Overview of FFRDCs (06:23) Types of FFRDCs (08:06) National labs: history and overview (08:11) The labs: A (very) brief history (11:27) Overview of the national labs today (16:58) Why (not) work for...

This article covers interview preparation, the scoring system, common mistakes to avoid, and what to expect during and after the interview. --- Outline: (00:10) Getting started (02:09) Preparation (02:11) Understanding the vacancy and scoring system (03:46) Strategies for effective interview preparation (06:24) Avoiding common mistakes (08:23) What to expect (09:01) Succeeding in panel interviews...

The law school admission process is highly competitive and time intensive. This article explains the process and how to strengthen your application in the most time-effective way. --- Outline: (01:12) Overview of your application (02:56) Where to focus your time and effort (08:45) Quantitative components of the application (08:49) GPA (10:56) LSAT or GRE (11:53) Comparing the LSAT and the GRE (14:...

The US intelligence community (IC) is a network of 18 government agencies and offices charged with collecting, analyzing, and delivering intelligence to senior US leaders to support national security decision-making. --- Outline: (01:21) Background on the IC (01:24) What does the IC do? (03:16) The IC's diverse types of roles and activities (04:01) Functional and regional analysts (05:50) Technica...

This guide serves as a starting point for exploring careers in biosecurity policy in the executive branch. It reviews key policy areas and agency roles and highlights key considerations to inform your career planning. --- Outline: (00:09) Policy institutions (00:23) Executive branch (00:45) Congress (01:09) Think tanks (01:33) State-level policy careers (01:53) National labs and FFRDCs (02:15) Int...

This guide serves as a starting point for exploring careers in biosecurity policy in the executive branch. It reviews key policy areas and agency roles and highlights key considerations to inform your career planning. --- Outline: (01:44) What is biosecurity? (03:23) Mapping the federal biosecurity ecosystem (09:05) What agencies work on in biosecurity (09:54) COVID-19 vaccines as a case study in...

This guide is a starting point for exploring AI policy careers in the executive branch. It reviews key policy areas and agency roles and highlights key considerations to inform your career planning. --- Outline: (01:57) What is AI policy? (03:52) Mapping the federal AI ecosystem (08:03) What agencies work on in AI policy (08:52) Chip export controls as a case study in government coordination (14:1...

This page focuses on how to find and apply for full-time positions in public service, highlighting job boards and relevant resources, outlining common career paths, listing policy opportunities, and explaining how to narrow down your options. --- Outline: (00:33) Relevant resources (01:51) Job boards (03:51) Common career paths (06:51) Where to apply? (06:54) Policy opportunities in Washington DC...

Many schools offer semester in DC programs providing support for internship applications, academic credit, funding, accommodation, and networking opportunities. --- Outline: (00:41) What are semester in DC programs? (01:01) Benefits (02:59) Costs (03:30) Timing (04:02) Applications and eligibility --- If you’re interested in pursuing a career in emerging technology policy, complete our Policy Care...

Many schools offer semester in DC programs providing support for internship applications, academic credit, funding, accommodation, and networking opportunities. --- Outline: (01:31) Why apply for a policy internship? (01:59) Credentials (02:54) Networking (05:38) Learning (06:42) Testing fit (08:31) A note on partisan affiliation (08:52) How to apply (10:54) Where to apply (general internship cate...

VSFS facilitates part-time, remote semester internships with federal agencies for current students. --- Outline: (00:32) Summary (02:11) Who is eligible? (03:02) Why is this an exciting opportunity? (03:06) A wide variety of government agencies participate in VSFS (03:59) No previous government experience is required (04:22) The program is very flexible (04:40) The experience can be useful for fut...

Policy careers are highly network-driven. Networking is a learnable skill and developing a strong network helps you get valuable advice, hear of relevant job openings, be successful when you apply, and have an impact on the job. --- Outline: (00:10) Why networking matters (02:03) The networking mindset (03:58) How to start building a DC policy network (08:45) Preparing for networking conversations...

Policy careers are highly network-driven. Networking is a learnable skill and developing a strong network helps you get valuable advice, hear of relevant job openings, be successful when you apply, and have an impact on the job. --- Outline: (00:09) Tips and resources (00:25) Networking in policy (00:43) Policy skills (00:59) Security clearances (01:15) Partisan affiliation (01:32) Policy resumes...

This article outlines the application process for policy master’s degrees and provides tips to strengthen the different components of your application. --- Outline: (00:27) Summary (01:18) Application timelines (02:38) Application prerequisites (03:49) Qualitative application components (04:21) Resume (05:12) Statement of purpose and other essays (07:50) Letters of recommendation (10:26) Quantitat...

Policy work requires a diverse set of skills, depending on the specific role. This article explains which skills and traits are most essential for success in policy careers, and how to develop them. --- Outline: (01:04) Essential skills for policy work (01:29) Writing (02:52) Networking and social skills (03:38) Research skills (04:29) Public speaking (04:59) Language skills (05:27) Technical skil...

Government jobs typically require a security clearance, especially in national security. This article provides advice on how to improve your chances and speed up the future clearance process. --- Outline: (01:11) Levels of background checks and security clearances (04:23) What's the process for getting a security clearance? (07:56) What roles do you need a security clearance for? (08:35) What can...

Certain activities can tag you as partisan, like volunteering for a campaign, or donating to political candidates. This article provides advice on the potential impacts of partisan affiliations on your policy career. --- If you’re interested in pursuing a career in emerging technology policy, complete our Policy Career Interest Form , and we may be able to match you with opportunities suited to yo...