aaron4848
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Posts posted by aaron4848
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PhD is usually a good look for working in think tanks. At the same time, work experience is king when you're job hunting. Do you have any?
I have been an intern in several places in my home country, but I have not worked as an official employee in the US.
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Thanks you all for the reply.
I recommend getting your foot in the door at a think tank after your MA. This serves a couple of purposes. First, it gives you valuable experience and will let you see what its like working at a think tank and experiencing the DC life. As was previously mentioned, it is highly unlikely you'll earn a senior position at a think tank without a PhD, or earning other impressive credentials, but working at a think tank for a couple years will help you see how they function (and hire) which will be valuable when planning the next steps in your career. More importantly, I think committing to a PhD program for 5 years with the goal of entering a think tank, but never having worked at one, is probably not a great choice. The time investment (and sacrificed potential earning) in getting the PhD is probably not worth it, unless you are 100% sure you know why you're getting it and that you'll be happy with the result (something I would argue is hard to know without having worked at a think tank first).
Whatever you decide, best of luck with the process!
adaptations, how difficult is it to get an entry-level job in a think tank? I have heard several people expressing a similar opinion with kaykaykay.
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Hi, I am an international student who just enrolled into the IA master program at GW and need your suggestion. If my ultimate goal is to be an East Asia expert in a DC think tank or a private consulting company like Eurasia, shall I try to get an entry-level job in a think tank or go for a PhD degree immediately after MA? If a PhD is suggested, shall I stay in DC or apply for other Top10 IA schools?
I have heard that the competition for a job in think tanks is extremely heated. Also, the job opportunity for a PhD student who does not want to work in academia is quite limited. So I am feeling a bit stressed. Shall I give up my IA plan and do something more REALISTIC like working in a private business company? I need your suggestion. Thanks.
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Hi, I am an international student who just enrolled into the IA master program at GW and need your suggestion. If my ultimate goal is to be an East Asia (especially China) expert in a DC think tank or a private consulting company like RAND and Eurasia, shall I try to get an entry-level job in a think tank or go for a PhD degree immediately after MA? If a PhD is suggested, shall I stay in DC or apply for other Top10 IA schools?
I have heard that the competition for a job in think tanks is extremely heated. Also, the job opportunity for a PhD student who does not want to work in academia is quite limited. So I am feeling a bit stressed. Shall I give up my IA plan and do something more REALISTIC? I need your suggestion. Thanks.
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I wanna know as well!
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Hi, I am an international student who is disturbed by the question that HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO BE AWAY FROM D.C.? I would like to work in a big organization on US-China economic relation policy after graduation. But I have not given up the idea of getting a PhD degree, which is the necessity for most senior positions in think tanks. Apparently, UCSD has better reputation, better faculty and better curriculum than GWU. But the location of San Diego is really a problem for internship/job. I would appreciate any suggestions. Thanks.
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got wl on financial aid. probably going to elliott gwu...
SAIS PhD Worth It?
in Government Affairs Forum
Posted · Edited by aaron4848
Hi, I am pursuing a master's degree at GW and hope to get a non-entry-level job in a DC think tank or a political risk company. I am thinking about applying for PhD at SAIS, but not sure if it is worth a five years' commitment. I will appreciate it if you could give me some suggestions. Thanks.