How easy is it to get a job in a think tank? Due to the exciting work and access to interesting and clever people, jobs in think tanks can be highly sought after – despite not always being well paid. Many think tanks are fairly small organisations with limited roles available however there is also…
Think tanks can be mysterious organisations. Even the name doesn’t give much of a clue as to what think tanks really do – are people being paid to just think all day? This failure by think tanks to communicate what they really do and what they are like as places to work is a real…
Matt Whittaker is the Chief Executive of Pro Bono Economics an independent charity and economics think tank that works with policymakers of all political parties and none, in government and in opposition, to build consensus for solutions to the challenges facing the social sector and affecting wellbeing in the UK. What is your job title?…
Jonathan Simons has worked in the policy sector in a variety of roles starting in the Civil Service through to the private sector, think tanks and charitable foundations. He is a Partner at Public First, a policy, research, opinion and strategy consultancy. What is your job title? I am a Partner and Head of the…
There are lots of good reasons to want to work in academia: research freedom, the opportunity to teach, and a community of like-minded scholars. But as a doctoral candidate or early-career postdoc researcher, you might not find those sufficiently compelling; or you might simply be put off by an academic job market where permanent or…
Imogen Watson has spent many years working in Parliament, both in the Parliamentary Research Service as well as for MPs. She has covered a range of different policy areas and currently focuses on the environment, food and rural affairs as well as culture, media and sport. What is your job title? Policy Specialist. Where do…
Work4Mp is a website dedicated to those working in the Houses of Parliament. They list all the current jobs available in Parliament. If you want to work for an MP, either as a caseworker or a researcher then this is the site to head to!
Civil Service Jobs is another great resource for those looking to start in government. The Civil Service employs thousands of policy professionals and you can usually find an interesting role in a variety of different departments.
Working in the think tank sector – once a year a network of think tanks host an online event for individuals from under-represented groups to de-mystify the world of think-tanks. They share some useful links here.