What does a policy advisor do?
Policy advisors are professionals who are involved in activities related to policymaking while communicating with policy analysts about various issues. These advisors must assist policy analysts in creating policies and look at ways to implement them after they have been approved by upper management or government officials. They must analyze international and foreign policy issues so that they can devise effective advocacy and program strategies. Policy advisors must also attend congressional hearings to propose regulations and changes to existing regulations.
Policy advisor responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real policy advisor resumes:
- Manage all issues relate to high quality survey administration including training and approval/certification, performance oversight and data collection.
- Work over the phone troubleshooting wireless devices, mobile and computers including windows and macs.
- Facilitate and participate in departmental policy meetings concerning healthcare, Medicaid, social services, telemedicine, grant opportunities and budgeting.
- Construct business system infrastructure providing the pathway to grow executive, mid-management, and customer facing staff for management consulting firm.
- Serve as a principle author and key personnel on the successful $25 million DHS contract proposal.
- Provide technical advice on Medicare including, payment and reimbursement models, and statutory requirements.
Policy advisor skills and personality traits
We calculated that 10% of Policy Advisors are proficient in Public Policy, Policy Issues, and Policy Development. They’re also known for soft skills such as Time-management skills, Interpersonal skills, and Problem-solving skills.
We break down the percentage of Policy Advisors that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Public Policy, 10%
Formed collaborative relationships and negotiated with legislators, constituency groups, and administration officials to further key public policy initiatives.
- Policy Issues, 8%
Analyzed international and foreign policy issues and devised effective advocacy and program strategies.
- Policy Development, 8%
Advised Division management in organizational planning, policy development, and personnel matters.
- Policy Recommendations, 5%
Drafted responses for the OMB and Congress articulating and defending policy recommendations for the President's Global Engagement vision.
- Policy Analysis, 4%
Provide policy analysis and support to Treasury leadership on issues related to illicit finance and sanctions implementation.
- Government Officials, 4%
Negotiated bilateral assistance agreements with senior foreign government officials.
"public policy," "policy issues," and "policy development" are among the most common skills that policy advisors use at work. You can find even more policy advisor responsibilities below, including:
Time-management skills. One of the key soft skills for a policy advisor to have is time-management skills. You can see how this relates to what policy advisors do because "management analysts often work under tight deadlines and must use their time efficiently to complete projects on schedule." Additionally, a policy advisor resume shows how policy advisors use time-management skills: "produced high-quality presentations which educated 40 students on public health issues and actors in their region under a tight deadline. "
Interpersonal skills. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling policy advisor duties is interpersonal skills. The role rewards competence in this skill because "management analysts work with managers and other employees of the organizations for which they provide consulting services." According to a policy advisor resume, here's how policy advisors can utilize interpersonal skills in their job responsibilities: "provided excellent customer service using effective interpersonal and problem-solving skills. "
Problem-solving skills. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of policy advisors is problem-solving skills. This skill is critical to many everyday policy advisor duties, as "management analysts must be able to think creatively to solve clients’ problems." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "performed gap analysis and identified gaps and proposed solutions to improve u.s. financial institutions. "
Analytical skills. policy advisor responsibilities often require "analytical skills." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "management analysts must be able to interpret information and use their findings to make proposals." This resume example shows what policy advisors do with analytical skills on a typical day: "developed policy proposals for poverty alleviation based on statistical analysis of national health and census surveys. "
Communication skills. A commonly-found skill in policy advisor job descriptions, "communication skills" is essential to what policy advisors do. Policy advisor responsibilities rely on this skill because "management analysts must be able to convey information clearly in both writing and speaking." You can also see how policy advisor duties rely on communication skills in this resume example: "implement communications strategies including talking points, speeches, press releases, and other content. "
The three companies that hire the most policy advisors are:
- Google9 policy advisors jobs
- Exelon6 policy advisors jobs
- Tesla4 policy advisors jobs
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Compare different policy advisors
Policy advisor vs. Business development internship
A business development intern is responsible for supporting the organization's goals and objectives in providing the best services to clients and ensuring a smooth flow of operations with maximum productivity and efficiency. Business development interns observe the operational processes of the department and perform duties under the supervision of a direct manager or tenured staff. They also assist with the creation of new products and services, pitching strategies to promote them in the market, develop marketing campaigns, and creating proposals for business partnership purposes. A business development intern must be detail-oriented and highly organized to support daily operations.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a policy advisor are more likely to require skills like "public policy," "policy issues," "policy development," and "policy recommendations." On the other hand, a job as a business development internship requires skills like "powerpoint," "market research," "social media marketing," and "data entry." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
Business development interns earn the highest salaries when working in the technology industry, with an average yearly salary of $36,190. On the other hand, policy advisors are paid more in the government industry with an average salary of $88,997.business development interns tend to reach lower levels of education than policy advisors. In fact, business development interns are 12.8% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 10.7% less likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Policy advisor vs. Business development consultant
The role of business consultants is to provide an analysis of a company on its business practices and make recommendations for long-term goals. This role is also connected with various duties and responsibilities, including reviewing the company's financial statements, engaging in research on how to improve the company's offers, and developing new business models. Also, business consultants are responsible for negotiating contracts as needed, initiating plans and strategies to minimize company losses and drive profits. They may also function as the company's representative in promotional events and trade associations.
Each career also uses different skills, according to real policy advisor resumes. While policy advisor responsibilities can utilize skills like "public policy," "policy issues," "policy development," and "policy recommendations," business development consultants use skills like "healthcare," "crm," "cloud," and "strategic thinking."
Business development consultants may earn a lower salary than policy advisors, but business development consultants earn the most pay in the media industry with an average salary of $95,927. On the other hand, policy advisors receive higher pay in the government industry, where they earn an average salary of $88,997.In general, business development consultants achieve lower levels of education than policy advisors. They're 8.2% less likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 10.7% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Policy advisor vs. Operations internship
Operations interns learn the management techniques on how to lead and supervise others. Interns usually gain experience by being an unpaid employee in the operational department. They should possess skills like attention to detail, excellent verbal and written communication skills, and strong phone presence. The operations internship objectives include career path exploration, work experience, skills development and refinement, and confidence buildup. The majority of the activities interns are absorbed by the company where they serve an internship.
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from policy advisor resumes include skills like "public policy," "policy issues," "policy development," and "policy recommendations," whereas an operations internship is more likely to list skills in "operations intern," "customer service," "work ethic," and "patients. "
Operations interns earn the highest salary when working in the government industry, where they receive an average salary of $40,232. Comparatively, policy advisors have the highest earning potential in the government industry, with an average salary of $88,997.Most operations interns achieve a lower degree level compared to policy advisors. For example, they're 16.8% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 11.3% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Policy advisor vs. Business developer
A business developer specializes in conducting in-depth business analysis and crafting various strategies that would not just help a business grow, but also strengthen client base and brand awareness. One of their primary responsibilities revolves around identifying areas in need of improvement. They come up with new services that will boost customer satisfaction, examining the potential for revenue and figuring out new opportunities from trends or other pre-existing programs within the company. All of this is conducted according to the vision, mission, and policies of the organization.
Even though a few skill sets overlap between policy advisors and business developers, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a policy advisor might have more use for skills like "public policy," "policy issues," "policy development," and "policy recommendations." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of business developers require skills like "healthcare," "crm," "customer service," and "work ethic. "
In general, business developers earn the most working in the manufacturing industry, with an average salary of $118,082. The highest-paying industry for a policy advisor is the government industry.The average resume of business developers showed that they earn lower levels of education compared to policy advisors. So much so that theyacirc;euro;trade;re 12.5% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree by 10.6%.Types of policy advisor
Updated January 8, 2025
