The list of careers in politics is long; the list of jobs you could apply your politics degree to is even longer. Among them, policy analyst job posts get a lot of attention. This work is engaging and challenging in equal measures, demanding strong analytical skills and close attention to detail. If those are qualities you bring to the workforce, you should consider a policy analyst career.
What You'll Do as a Policy Analyst
- You'll keep tabs on regular political events, from Westminster debates to grassroots uprisings.
- You'll set those monitored events in context with other events in your sphere of study.
- You'll use statistical analysis to render the data you study useful and actionable.
- You'll deliver informed opinions and projected outcomes to your stakeholders.
What Defines a Policy Analyst Career?
You'll find a policy analyst in Westminster halls and council offices. They work closely with government officials at every level, keeping them informed of geopolitical events and their impacts.
If you wonder why local councils should worry about political events around the globe, you only need to flash back to lorries stacked up at Dover, waiting to cross. Today's trade woes make the point even sharper.
The fact is, diplomacy and international relations skills are vital to resolving such issues. As contentions arise, when they're underway, and once they're resolved, political analysts stay busy examining current happenings from all angles. They measure the ongoing crises against past events to arm their stakeholders (the people they inform) with potential solutions.
A Policy Analyst Career in the Public Sector
Public sector work ranges from education and healthcare to civil service and His Majesty's Royal Customs (HMRC). These operations also need to know what's going on in the world, in their national and local governments, and how those events might impact them.
Again, we refer to the current trade situation to make our point. As I write this, our postal service is not accepting parcels for shipment to the United States. HMRC, the postal service, and the government must keep on top of these developments so they can steer our nation and services through this crisis. That's the work of a public-sector political analyst.
A Policy Analyst Career in the Private Sector
If the need for policy analysts in the public sector is urgent, that need is a three-alarm fire in the private sector.
Non-governmental organisations (NGOs), charities, and corporations have greater exposure to world events that could destabilise their operations.
And let's not forget the media, whose job it is to keep the population informed of world happenings.
Whether employed in the private or public sector, in government or through a charity, the competent policy analyst carries the geopolitical world in their head.
They are forever assessing happenings, putting them into context, and predicting outcomes.
The political analyst's work - to assure their stakeholders' advantage - is critical and never-ending. If you were looking for an exciting career in politics, this job is as exciting as it gets.
The Difference Between a Policy Analyst and a Political Advisor
It's not hard to confuse political advisors with political analysts. The job titles are similar and, in many ways, these professionals fulfil the same functions.
Both research, compile and analyse data, write reports, and advise stakeholders of their findings. They work in the public and private sectors, with charities, and in the halls of power. Beyond those features, these career paths are very different.
Policy advisor functions
- provide strategic guidance
- help develop and oversee campaign strategies
- deliver actionable advice
- relies on predictive analysis
Policy analyst functions
- monitor political trends
- analyse opinion polls and election results
- predict political outcomes
- relies on statistical analysis
In a sense, you might say that the policy advisor works ahead of the event curve, while the policy analyst studies those events' outcomes. The advisor strives to arrange for satisfying or desirable results; the analyst dissects those ends.
Compensation tends to range higher for political analysts than for advisors, despite both roles demanding political and statistical knowledge. In fact, the difference in pay scale is substantial (as reported on Glassdoor):
Clearly, policy analyst jobs offer greater financial advantages. They are one reason why political analysis jobs are so highly sought after, not just in the UK but around the world.
How to Be a Policy Analyst
Your pathway into this exciting career begins with choosing a suitable university degree plan. As you do, commit to at least six years of higher learning. You can get your foot in the door as a political analyst with a bachelor's degree, but that's likely as far as your career will go without further education.
What did we mean by a suitable degree? Pretty much anything politics-related works, but these degree plans are the best.
- Political science
- Political theory
- British politics
- Regional politics
- International relations
Most UK universities pair their politics offerings with another, complementary study. For instance, politics and economics, or politics and international relations. Politics and law is another fine combination to advance your career.
You might consider learning another language, such as Arabic, Mandarin, or Russian, while you master political thought.
Attending Conferences
Throughout your time at university, try your best to attend political events. Such might be council meetings, party political conferences, and those from targeted industries like defence or education.
Attending as many different types of conferences exposes you to the varied ways the political system works. You'll also discover how certain aspects affect different political sectors.
Educational conference
- discussions of new technology impacts
- debates over societal needs
- projections for improving student outcomes
Council conference
- gain insights into the policymaking process
- understand existing legislative frameworks
Defence conference
- revolve around ideology
- based on existing legislation
- hemmed in by economic constraints
Admittedly, you likely end up with more questions than answers after your first few conferences. Make note of them all and endeavour to pursue those questions, even if they don't relate to your career goals. After all, intellectual curiosity is the hallmark of the political analyst.
Attending conferences not only expands your exposure to political workings, but it boosts your networking opportunities.
Policy Analyst Internships
You should already know that book learning doesn't equal real-world experience. So, you'll need a way to transition from theoretical to practical learning. For that, political analyst internships are essential.
During your last two years at uni, start casting about for internship opportunities. If possible, aim for a position within your field of interest. For example, if you plan on a public analyst career in the public sector, search job websites for suitable postings.
Check if your university offers internship arrangements that you can take advantage of.
In monetary terms, internships don't pay very much; the bulk of their value is in the experience you gain. With that thought in mind, consider volunteering. After all, it's more valuable for you to volunteer with a concern you're interested in pursuing than to accept an internship in a sector that doesn't meet your goals.
Often, internships (and volunteering stints) pave the way to future job offers. Admittedly, this is more often the case for interns than volunteers.
Still, when it comes to deciding where to build your experience, the answer's a no-brainer. Better to seek an unpaid stint that delivers the experience you need than a paid internship that doesn't serve your career goals.
How Much Do Policy Analysts Make?
Earlier, we listed the salary for a policy analyst living in London. That's hardly enough information for you to plan your financial future - or your career path - on. Examining a range of salaries across all sectors that need policy analysis expertise gives you a much clearer picture of what you can expect, pay-wise.
This chart gives you an idea of the type of salary you might expect for various policy analyst positions across sectors. Remarkably, these ranges are comparable to the salary expectations were you to choose a diplomat's career track rather than an analyst's.
| 📰Source | 💰Low-end/year | 🤑High end/year | 💷Average/year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Glassdoor | £30 000 | £43 000 | £36 000 |
| Indeed | £30 677 | £48 386 | £39 695 |
| Jooble | £38 213 | £41 417 | £40142 |
| PayScale | £25 000 | £55 000 | £34 000 |
Policy Analyst Jobs
No guide to careers in politics would be complete without information about where you could find such jobs. These globally renowned concerns list open positions on all the main job search platforms.
- Dow Jones
- Lenovo
- Goldman Sachs
- Ministry of Housing (London)
- Impact
- Marsh Commercial
- Axis Insurance
- Protection Group International
- Kingfisher
- Samdesk
- Equiniti
- Westfield Insurance
To prepare for your future policy analyst jobs, you can study top analysts as they report on their findings. You should do so even if you attend conferences in person, as this gives you the chance to study analyses from other countries.
Reputable geopolitical analysts routinely present updates on all major media platforms.
You can get an idea of the breadth and scope of the political analysis field by listening to reputable analysts' podcasts. The best of these voices pull on threads of political events from around the globe and tie them into a concise narrative.
From there, they describe current geopolitical conditions, often before veering into predictive analysis. The former British diplomat Alastair Crooke is a sterling example of such a voice; we leave you to marvel over one of his recent assessments.
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