What skills stand out on Political Researcher resumes?

I think there are some misconceptions among people about studying political science. Most political scientists are not Marxist revolutionaries brainwashing students to overthrow the capitalist order despite the popular rhetoric. There is both a normative side of political science and an empirical side of political science in our field. Both are important but have different skill sets that students are taught. The normative side deals with what is good and bad, what is right and wrong, what systems are government are best, etc. These are long-standing ideas that go back to Aristotle and are based on a philosophical approach to understanding our politics and the proper ordering of our governmental society. The empirical side of political science is driven by scientific principles that help us understand the political world through testing data-driven questions. So questions like what factors make it more probable for states to go to war, what factors explain presidential election victories and losses, what human rights practices do governments abuse the most and why, or what institutions are most important for a stable democracy are examples of some of these data-driven questions. So when we say what skills stand out, we often talk about analytical skills that allow students to make solid, logic-based, and empirically-driven arguments. Thus, political science students are taught to think about their world through a set of skills that sharpen their ability to problem-solve.

What soft skills should all Political Researchers possess?

If you are going to deal with politics and the policy world or even transfer those skills to another part of the job market, the two most important soft skills you can have, in my opinion, are people skills and communication skills. People skills matter because you need to contend with a variety of backgrounds across many divides in politics. Part of solving the problem of which policies are good and bad is to understand and listen to people in terms of how politics, policies, and ideas affect them. Listening to people is an overlooked idea in the real world, but it is an important part of politics. The farmer in a midwestern state will indeed have many things that they need in common with a suburban mother near a larger city. But it is also true that their needs and how policies affect them vary tremendously. Trying to work with people to understand their needs and wants requires patience and good people skills. The other is communication. At no other time have we seen the importance of communication than the events transpiring now under the COVID-19 pandemic. What we decide to communicate and how we communicate can have either a calming and reassuring effect, or it potentially causes mass confusion and chaos that makes people skeptical about their leadership. Communicating straightforward, empirically sound ideas and policies reassures people at all times, but especially during moments of crisis. Suppose you cannot communicate your ideas or policies well. In that case, no matter how good they are, their impact will be marginal and potentially negative.

What hard/technical skills are most important for Political Researchers?

This question gets many political scientists into deep hot water with students. My response to this type of question puts political science students back to what they were sometimes trying to avoid - math. Well, somewhat math. I emphasize courses that focus on statistics and data collection for students and complementary courses from other departments. So, we always want students to have a background in policy analysis, including research designing and statistical techniques for data collection. I also try to probe a bit deeper into what interests students - is it health policy? Or economics and politics? I might then tell students they want experience in epidemiology or health data analytics. For students interested in economics, then courses in econometrics will help. The idea behind each of these is to strengthen their data analytical skills. So, courses in math, statistics, the natural sciences, psychology, social psychology, big data analysis, and even computer programming can provide students with a nice skill set to enter into their niche area. We often have students couple their political science degrees with degrees in foreign languages, biology, economics, public health, and computer sciences. If students choose to pursue a foreign language, they should think about what context they will want to use that in the job market. If they are going to work with the public on policy issues in the United States, then Spanish would be a logical choice to study. However, suppose they will apply for a job with the State Department or the intelligence services. In that case, languages such as Urdu, Farsi, Arabic, Mandarin, Korean, and other less-studied languages in the United States may give students more of an edge in these job markets. The reality of these skills is that they reflect the highly interdisciplinary nature of politics and the transferability of the skills you learn in political science with other fields of interest.

What Political Researcher skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Volunteering in diverse settings and working with groups that emphasize social change, working on data science skills, or learning basic ideas about AI or other programs -- many free courses are available, and students can purchase certificates, if need be.

What type of skills will young Political Researchers need?

I think that political science is a good major for students who want to develop and refine a) critical thinking and writing skills, b) problem-solving abilities, and c) enhancement of oral communication abilities. As with most areas of the liberal arts, our objective is to prepare students with the skills to enter a range of positions in the work world. While many students with political science degrees go to law school and graduate school, work in public service, and education, others pursue careers in fields ranging in business, philanthropy, and the military. Certainly, this year, as it has been in recent years, will be more challenging for political science and other graduates. However, students with a solid background and experiences will be in better positions to navigate the uncertain world of employment while maintaining a focus on their original career goals.

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Political researcher skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

1 min read

Quoted experts

Robert Ostergard Ph.D.,

Robert Ostergard Ph.D.

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical political researcher skills. We ranked the top skills for political researchers based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 59.1% of political researcher resumes contained press releases as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a political researcher needs to be successful in the workplace.

List of political researcher skills to add to your resume

The most important skills for a political researcher resume and required skills for a political researcher to have include:

Press Releases

Political Campaigns

Updated January 8, 2025

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Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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