Being a political analyst is one of the more hidden career pathways for students , who study politics. This post aims to delve into what exactly it is that political analysts do , what companies you can expect to work with and the pathways people have taken to obtain this role.
Political analysts primary role is to study, assess and examine issues and data.This can be on a broad spectrum of different issues including trade and regulations , human rights , threat of conflict/terrorism , economic conditions and a whole lot more.
You can expect to work in the private sector informing businesses , corporations and companies on investment decisions and risk awareness but also within the public sector with governments and NGOs having a great influence on policy making and strategy.
Due to the variety of different issues you can examine you may find that you specialise on a particular sector. Political analysts tend to focus on one of these three particular areas.
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Themes and issues - such as security and defence, conflict , human rights , crime , culture and social development
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Countries, regions or particular locations - they may provide analysis of trading patterns or risk factors in a particular region, country or province in the world,
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Industry - they may work in a particular industry like agriculture , manufacturing or finance providing analysis and consultancy.
What can I expect ?
- Use modelling tools , GIS and data analytics to calculate risk scores and relay information
- Conduct research and write reports on particular trends or arising issues in a sector or country
- Produce forecasts and predictions for policy decisions or business decisions and how this may impact development or cause potential implications.
- Collect and examine information from different sources, relating to specific industries or areas
- Read and study articles, publications from the press to maintain up-to-date knowledge of political developments.
Where can I expect to work ?
Political risk consultancies firms
- Global strategy group
- GMMB
- Precision strategies
- Storefront Political Media
- The Parkside group
- Left hook
- SKDKnickerbocker
Banks and insurance companies
Within banks and insurance companies there will be political risk divisions that will assess implications and effect of financial decisions and policy,
For example , Goldman Sachs has an analyst graduate programme which you can find below
Goldman Sachs | Student Programs - 2024 New Analyst Programme
National and regional governments
Within the civil service and in local councils there are political analyst roles that assess and analyse the implications of governmental policy.
Think tanks and research institutes
Think tanks and research institutes conduct research into a number of different issues ranging from economic to political to environmental and much more. Therefore there are many analytical roles within these institutions.Here you can find some listed below.
Development
- Institute for Development Studies
- International Institute for Environment and Development
- Overseas Development Institute
Economy
- Centre for Economic and Policy Research
Equality
- Equality and Human Rights Commission
Democratic government
- The Constitution Unit
- New Local Government Network
- Institute for Public Policy Research
International Relations and Security
- International Institute for Strategic Studies
- Royal United Services Institute
- Chatham House
I hope this post gave you a brief insight into what the job role of a political analyst entails , and the many opportunities and sectors that you can explore as an analyst. To find out more about the job role a video is attached below of an American student who became a political analyst and her pathway to get there.
