Reflections on a completed job search in the public policy world.
I hope that this post is stumbled upon by people who are looking to break into the public policy world. It took me several years to secure a full-time job. I feel incredibly lucky I now have one. Here are some personal reflections on my job search. These reflections are mine and mine alone:
These pieces had a substantial influence on me. I recommend them: “Six Steps to Finding a Job with a Public Policy Degree” and “An Academic’s Guide to Getting a Non-Academic Job.”
Get good at programming in R and working with data. A solid understanding of descriptive statistics and regression techniques is likely necessary but not sufficient.
Write clearly and concisely. Eliminate jargon. Educated people who are not experts should be able to understand what you are saying. One can find many pieces that offer good writing advice. Here is one of many.
Depending on the organization, you will sometimes get catch-22 behavioral interview questions, such as “What is your weakness?” Notice that any answer to this question can be held against you. Saying that you are a perfectionist might be held against you because that is a cliche answer. Admitting a genuine weakness might be held against you because the interviewer finds the weakness concerning. Saying one has no weaknesses is a nonstarter for obvious reasons.
I generally agree with economist Tyler Cowen on the interview process. Organizations who are dedicated to finding good-fit candidates will stand out. Here is an excellent (but not definitive) sign: an interview feels more like a thoughtful, probing conversation about one’s relevant skills, experiences, and knowledge base.
If one has a PhD in a discipline that is not popularly associated with public policy, selling oneself as a job candidate becomes trickier. Some organizations will be uneasy about a candidate with a PhD that is unconventional for the public policy world. Other organizations might be neutral or positive about it. But as a job candidate, it can be difficult to know how any given organization will view a PhD that is unconventional for public policy .
Do not discuss the details of one’s doctoral research unless it is directly related to the organization’s mission. Instead, emphasize the transferable skills one acquired from completing a PhD. In my case: writing and communicating clearly, independently learning new material, identifying central arguments in books or articles, and synthesizing copious amounts of qualitative data.
Be generous in crediting people for their work, time, and advice. At the risk of sounding cliche, getting a job in the public policy world takes a village. One will build up substantial debts to people who have mentored, supported, and invested in you. It is a mistake to view critical feedback or substantive disagreement as a personal attack. Disagreement and critical feedback are opportunities to learn, sharpen, or change one’s thinking.
Treat each person you meet as an individual. Be charitable in understanding other people’s views — even if you disagree with them. Talk less and listen more.