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How to get a job at a think tank
Earn an advanced degree, attend events and network, and look for internship opportunities to get a job at a think tank. Working in a think tank for a few years early in your career is a good way to influence government policy for the better while gaining key skills and contacts that can help advance your career.
Steps to get a job at a think tank include:
- Earn a master's degree or higher. If you want to work at a think tank, you should study subjects like economics, PPE, social science, foreign policy, public policy, law, or commit to a thesis on a topic of interest to the think tank. Unless you have extensive experience, a bachelor's degree alone is not enough.
- Attend events put on by think tanks. Network, discuss their work, and get to know people. Try to get on the think tank's radar by writing things that impress them. Being a Research Assistant is relevant work experience, and some think tanks may hire undergraduate students as interns.
- Intern in political parties. Working as a research assistant can help you stand out from the pack as a recent graduate. These are often available to students starting in their second year of university.
In the U.S. the largest think tanks include the Brookings Institution, American Enterprise Institute (AEI), Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Council on Foreign Relations, RAND Corporation, Cato Institute, Centre for Global Development, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP), and Center for American Progress (CAP).
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