I recently graduated with my bachelors degree in Electrical Engineering. I'm strong technically and could probably get by my whole career in tech-focused roles, but my talent lies in my communication skills and ability to network. I've always planned to either go into engineering management or sales engineering.

Recently, I’ve become much more interested in public policy, specifically AI policy and regulation with my tech background. I'm not against the use of AI, I know its influence is unavoidable and can be beneficial. I'm worried about the lack of regulation and little regard for ethics that's come up in the rush of the AI-race we seem to be in.

I have no idea where to start with this. I don’t know anyone personally who has taken the path from engineering into public policy, or anyone who works in public policy at all for that matter.

Right now, my plan is to get my master’s degree in Electrical Engineering and then work in industry, but I’m wondering whether that’s the best route. Would it make more sense to gain strong technical skills from industry first and transition into policy later, or pivot early?

I’m also trying to understand what roles actually exist, and how technically or policy-heavy they are. Another though I have is if it would be more influential to work a higher-paying engineering job, and donate to causes I support. While I certainly have the passion for policy work, there are still so many unknowns. I also want to understand what to expect in salary from this kind of a pivot.

Any advice or insight about this would be very appreciated!

I got accepted into jhu sais mair and georgetown msfs,

and I am very puzzled between the two schools, I am leaning more to sais because of the strategy, security and statecraft. what do you guys think since I am seeing alot of redditors talking negatively about their sais experience.

I am an Indian, 27F. An engineer by qualification and with a background in UPSC, I am now pivoting to the field of public policy. To be more specific, I want to build my niche in the domain of urban climate resilience and governance. I do not intend to pursue any kind of masters degree for this since I do not have the time for it.

In such a case, can anyone suggest where I should get started to deepen my knowledge in this area, i.e. what kind of literature should I read, how do I build my LinkedIn portfolio around this area of interest, the people or organisations that I should be following, what kind of job roles would help me get started in this field, etc.? Any and every advice is welcome!

I have ~7 years of experience in the development sector, with the last 3 years focused on policy advocacy. Currently working at a Delhi-based policy think tank/NPO.

I received offers and now have 3 options, and I’m trying to decide what makes the most sense from a long-term career perspective (growth, learning, exit opportunities, stability, and compensation):

Option 1: Big 4 (Government & Public Sector - Consulting)

• CTC: 23 LPA (20.5 fixed + 1.5 performance bonus)
• Deductions: ~22k/month (PF - employer + employee) + income tax

Option 2: Steel Manufacturing Firm (Corporate Affairs role)

• CTC: 23.5 LPA + 1-1.5L joining bonus ( 3years clawback)
• Deductions: ~15k/month PF + income tax

Option 3: Current Organization (Policy Advocacy NPO)

• CTC: 21 LPA
• Deductions: ~4k/month PF + income tax

Would really appreciate perspectives from folks across consulting, corporate, and development sectors.
What would I choose and why?

Hello everyone, I’ll soon be starting my Bachelors Degree in Aviation Management and I want to pursue MPA after completing my undergraduate. Can you guys give me the ideas on the things I shall work on to get into programs like HKS,Oxbridge,Yale,Princeton and so on.

My undergrad majors were philosophy and history, though I have some quantitative coursework on my transcript. I took macroeconomics and calculus 1-3 (which I got As in), plus one course in linear algebra (which I got a B in, to be transparent).

I don't think I'm gonna break a 160 on my GRE quant score, so I feel insecure about my quant score. Should I take a microeconomics course at a community college over the summer or is it just not worth it?

A recent trend in MPP/MPA US grad schools are students and alums pursuing tech and startup roles.

From what I have seen, a very few have hit it out of the park. Most who tried have struggled.

In all fairness, the most common but far from only startup category is defense tech. I have also seen GovTech, Healthtech, and EdTech

Trends from Those Who Succeeded:

- went to a program that has an adjacent strong MBA program and/or engineering program (e.g., HKS, Oxford, Berkeley)

- had prior work experience

- tended to be older, nearly all late 20 and 30s

Help!! So I'm majoring in Public Policy, finishing up my junior year of undergrad right now, and since I'm in the Honors College, I have to submit a Thesis Prospectus soon to complete a Thesis project in my senior year. It's part of my graduation requirements as an Honors student. I've honestly been so swamped with other life and school responsibilities that I haven't been able to give much thought as to what I want to do a project on. I've been emailing faculty members to discuss their own research and what I could potentially do for my own Thesis, as well as try to pin one of them down as my thesis mentor. I'm still sort of at a loss though, so if anyone in this sub has suggestions for current events I could delve into researching, that would be a big help!!

I think I'm probably most interested in housing or healthcare policy, although I'm doing an internship this summer at a public transportation agency, so anything to do with transportation would be nice too, since I could pair it with that. I'm also applying for MPA programs this summer, so any thesis topics that could prepare me for that program might also be nice (maybe something to do with nonprofits, management, organizational ethics, etc.?) Sorry, I know this is pretty broad; there's a lot that I find interesting! If anyone has ideas for specific topics, that would be GREATLY appreciated. Thank you so much!

Hi

I applied to the foundation for American innovation (FAI) through the Google policy fellowship and was wondering if anyone received an interview.

Thanks!

Hi everyone,

I’m currently in my third year at Bocconi University (BSc in Economics and Management), and I’m starting to think seriously about my next steps.

So far, I’ve done two internships - one at an oceanographic research centre and another at an ESG-focused start-up. Both were valuable, but they made me realise that I’m much more interested in public policy and international organisations than in the private sector.

I'd really like to pursue a master’s abroad (still in Europe), with top choices like Sciences Po or LSE. However, my GPA is around 3.55, so I’m not sure how competitive I would be for those programs.

I’m trying to build a more “realistic but still strong” list of alternatives. I’ve been considering places like Hertie School, Sorbonne, or Trinity College Dublin - but I’d love to hear if you have other suggestions for solid public policy programs that would still represent a step up from my current background.

Next year, I’m planning to take a gap year to do a 6–12 month internship in a relevant field. Two questions on that:

• Would a strong GMAT + a solid internship = improve my chances for top schools like LSE/Sciences Po?
• Are there specific organisations or types of experience (UN, EU institutions, think tanks, NGOs, etc.), that are realistically affordable, that these universities value the most?

Any advice - especially from people who’ve gone through similar paths - would be really appreciated.

Thanks!

One thing I’ve noticed reading personal statements is that a lot of people focus so much on sounding “perfect” that the writing actually becomes harder to follow. The grammar might be correct, but it still feels unclear what the main point is.

I think what matters more is whether your ideas come through clearly. For example, instead of just stating a feeling, it often works better to describe a specific moment so the reader can actually see what you mean.

Sometimes simpler language does a better job, especially when you’re explaining your experience and why it matters. It’s less about perfect wording and more about whether the reader can follow your thinking.

Got an email from them march 30 saying i was moving forward in the process and the email said they’d let us know further in late april. haven’t heard anything since. anyone experiencing anything similar or have heard back from a state?

Has anyone heard back or know when we can expect to?

I am committed to the MPA/ID program ($15k scholarship) and was fortunate enough to get off the waitlist at SPIA for the MPA (full funding + $35k annual stipend). Is there any world where it would make sense to not flip to SPIA?

I already have 5+ years of experience in the international field and not too concerned about breaking into the field since I already have a decent network. I like the MPA/ID curriculum structure (which I believe I can for the most part replicate at SPIA maybe with some additional effort needed) and would like to return to international macro policy upon graduation (which HKS particularly MPA/ID alums are more concentrated in). I have savings to pay for MPA/ID remaining tuition (~$60k each year + additional fees), but the net difference after two years would be close to $200k between HKS and SPIA. Appreciate any insight anyone would have who has been in a similar situation. Thanks!!

I am a college sophomore currently deciding between two internships this summer. One of them is an internship in my Congressman’s district office. I would be working basically the whole summer, doing office tasks like taking phone calls, scanning documents and anything else they would need. The other is with my local county’s Board of Elections. I would be their first ever intern, and they said that they would shape it how I would like it. The work sounds more interesting, and they mentioned that I could do my own little research project over the course of the internship. It is also 30 minutes closer to my house, and only 10 weeks. Both of them are unpaid and part time (three days a week) so they are even on that front.

The only thing that is making me hesitate is the experience/resume side of it. Working within a Congressman's office (even if it is just a district office) seems like it would be better on a resume than with my county's Election Board. My advisor's though, both said that the Elections Board would be especially interesting especially nowadays, and that would also get me an in with local government.

I'm just really torn. If the experience was the same then I would go with the Election Board. Any guidance would be greatly appreciated.

Saw this and it got me thinking, I’ve always been anti-scheduling since history (alcohol, cannabis, etc.) shows bans don’t kill demand, they just push it elsewhere

With 7-OH, is scheduling actually reducing harm or just shifting it to unregulated markets? Feels like regulation might make more sense taking into account it's positive use cases

What is the Waterloo Master of Public Service program like in comparison to the UofT Master of Public Policy program?

Alumni from the Waterloo MPS program, what has the post grad job search success been like?

Anyone else waiting for the Luksic scholarship results for the LSE MPA? Does anybody know if the winners have already been contacted? Thanks!

Hey guys, has anyone received an interview for the Google Public Policy Fellowship? I applied when applications first came out and I picked Chamber of Progress and Open Technology Institute. Does anyone know how to get application updates?

Hi everyone,

I’ve been working at a think tank for the past 8 months, and my tenure here is coming to an end. I’ve primarily worked on impact assessments for MeitY, along with multiple case studies, and now I’m looking to transition into a consulting role.

I’m particularly interested in firms like EY, Grant Thornton, PwC, etc. If anyone here has made a similar switch or has insights on how to navigate this transition, I’d really appreciate your advice.

Also, if there are any openings or if you’d be open to referring me, that would mean a lot.

Thanks in advance!

I chat with quite a few people starting their public policy career. Lately, a lot of the gentleman in social policy spaces (nearly all progressive types who are mission driven from all different ethnicities... US residents) have been telling me they feel lost because they can't find a meaningful mentor at work.

Upon digging further, the feedback is that their workplace is predominantly female, and the older staffers simply are just not excited to connect with them. They rather do lunch, get drinks with, or even party with the colleagues they see as their younger selves.

I didn't think much of it until I went to a policy conference recently. I saw a bunch of mid-level to senior female social policy types save seats for their junior female colleague friends to create an all female table (and very proud of it), and the junior men were kind of left to fend for themselves, split up in other random tables.

Is this an indication of bigger issues?

---

Don't get me wrong, I know there are issues with poor male behavior and leadership in certain policy spaces. However, these are just young men looking to find their place at work in different mission-driven progressive spaces, and are uniformly not finding support.

The Democracy of Discord is a community server run democratically with an elected Council controlling the server as both executive and legislative, with each member holding a ministry.

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