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Policy career guide

Key takeaways

  • Even in the Netherlands, there are various ways to achieve significant impact through policy.
  • In order to attain a position from where influence can be exerted and impact can be achieved, consider things such as generalistic skill sets, personal fit, career capital, a scout mindset, and biases such as scope sensitivity.
  • Cheap-testing may be a quick way to figure out where and what you would fit best.This document contains a non-exhaustive list of paths to take, potential employers, and positions to apply for.

Table of Contents
Key takeaways
Impactful policy
For whom is this career guide?
Geographical focus
Focus on ‘EA cause areas’
How was this guide created?
Alternative ways to make an impact via policy
How to use this career guide?
What is policy and why is it important?
Current state and what is most needed
Examples
Career paths
Strategies to avoid analysis paralysis
Test your fit
Strategic degree selection: Maximising your educational investment
Choosing from various options: examples
Broadening your experience
Post-graduate traineeships and other opportunities for upskilling
Leveraging existing skills for policy impact
All round advice for everyone
Other skills that could boost your profile
Employment opportunities in NL and abroad: Optimise for the long run
Making the move to Brussels and beyond
Networking and community
Job Boards
Conferences & Events
Courses & career tools
Newsletters & magazines
Podcasts
Acknowledgments
Contents
Key takeaways
Impactful policy
What is policy and why is it important?
Current state and what is most needed
Career paths
Networking and community
Acknowledgments

Impactful policy

This document explores what positive impact you could achieve working in policy, as well as how and where you can do this. Policy is a broad term, and this guide is by no means exhaustive. There are numerous opportunities to make a (significant) positive impact, even in the Netherlands!

For whom is this career guide? 

We chose the approach for this guide to serve as many people as possible. The focus of this document is on people who are in the early stages of their careers.

Geographical focus

This guide primarily targets people living in the Netherlands and on career paths in Dutch and European policy. If US policy is something that you are considering getting into, please consult this website instead. There is reason to believe that the opportunities to make the most significant positive impact lie outside of the Netherlands, or even the European Union. Yet, there may be great opportunities here.

Focus on ‘EA cause areas’

We use an identified selection of top priority causes to work on due to their potential impact, their neglectedness, and their tractability, and that the impact of certain roles has a very heavy-tailed distribution. However, this does not mean that there aren’t several other ways to achieve a positive impact. 

How was this guide created?

This guide was created with the help of various professionals belonging to the extended network of EA Netherlands. While their input and consults bear weight, their advice is not the only answer: There are multiple paths to significant impact within policy. 

Alternative ways to make an impact via policy

You can always choose other ways to make a positive difference as well, such as:

  • Campaigning, advocacy, lobbying policy work (examples here, here and for those who want to dive deep here)
  • donating to charities that focus on policy work, and 
  • raising awareness by talking about EA or important cause areas with your peers (here and here). 

Furthermore, there are various ways in which you can become a bit better and do good better at any job. 

Lastly, you can read great advice here.

How to use this career guide?

Read or listen to it from top to bottom or directly go to sections in the table of contents, or use CTRL+F to find topics (e.g. economics).

What is policy and why is it important?

As 80.000 Hours states about political and bureaucratic skills, which include policy making: 

“Governments and other powerful institutions are often crucial forces in addressing pressing global problems, and there are many positions that seem to offer a good network and a great deal of influence relative to how competitive they are. Learning to navigate and positively shape decisions in key institutions is a valuable skill set for a high-impact career. This skill set is fairly broad, which means it can potentially be a good fit for a wide variety of people. Some indications of fit are being fairly social and comfortable in a political environment.”

We understand “political and bureaucratic skills” here to entail any work in governmental sectors. However, in a broader sense, they could also include policy entrepreneurship, policy analysis in nonprofit or nongovernmental organisations, as well as methods for advocacy, campaigning, and even voting and writing letters! Working to advance, for example, the development and adoption of any high-impact policy proposals in a range of cause areas, could be a career with a high positive impact.

Keep in mind: politics and policy can be rather random and haphazard by nature. Since many variables come into play, it can be a nonlinear process to get into. However, it also makes for numerous windows of opportunity for impact.

Current state and what is most needed

Policy can cover enormous fields. When solving pressing problems, developing policies might be a great route to doing so. The role of governments cannot and should not be ignored when trying to solve the biggest, most urgent ones in the world. Huge amounts of resources flow in and out of governments yearly. One way of looking at making impactful policy is to try and optimise for those resources to be directed to the domains of the highest priority. A better allocation of those resources has the potential for huge impact. 

Examples

With regards to the Netherlands, great examples of impactful political and bureaucratic skills application could be Urgenda (lobbying and litigation) or the Dutch government’s work on the global UN Declaration for Future Generations. Also, by working within the Dutch Government, one could also contribute to European topics, such as the EU Digital Agenda or the EU Green Deal.

But where to begin? This guide outlines opportunities, pathways, as well as several considerations, such as the usefulness of having a theory of change for your policy career.

Career paths 

Government and policy work offer a diverse range of roles, and the skills obtained here are still in high demand elsewhere. These skills include policy and lobbying, research and development, and business and entrepreneurship. Job seekers should recognize that skills and knowledge from one field can often be applied to policy work in seemingly unrelated government departments.

Strategies to avoid analysis paralysis

Next to these, it is important to factor in the importance of networking, and sometimes sheer luck. For these reasons, it is important to avoid “analysis paralysis”. A strategy to tackle this when choosing a career path towards significant positive impact, on both the long term and the near term, could be to just choose a direction and recalibrate along the way. Simultaneously, of course you do not want to waste much time figuring out your path either. 

Test your fit

You could try the steps as outlined in this article. That could entail listening to a parliamentary debate or committee hearing, or read a publicly available policy paper and write up your own thoughts.

From our correspondents, we have gathered a few important insights, to this end. Let’s start with educational opportunities in NL.

Strategic degree selection: Maximising your educational investment

Remember to consider the following things when choosing the degrees you want to pursue: 

  • What skills does the degree provide you with?
  • At what organisations could you end up working with that degree?
  • How can you make a positive impact at those organisations?
  • What ways are there to keep on developing yourself at the organisation of your preference?
  • There is not one way to get into policy. Policy makers have a very diverse background. Some have a very broad education, others are specialists.
  • What makes you the most excited, potentially to go an extra mile (e.g. sign up for extra courses or side projects)?

Choosing from various options: examples

In general, an analytical attitude (a Scout Mindset) can serve you well, as well as thinking about our biases such as scope insensitivity. Choosing a broad field of studies could work out in your benefit, as it keeps options open and provides you with some flexibility when choosing a path if you are not entirely sure yet which way to go. 

The Netherlands has a far more egalitarian higher education system than places like the UK or the US, so university rankings are less important. However, if everything else is equal, it might be worth checking how an institute ranks globally. You could also consider the more selective University Colleges: A Liberal Arts and Sciences bachelor’s degree at a high-ranking Dutch university might be a good choice. The colleges are inspired by the Liberal Arts and Sciences programmes in the United States, with their strong emphasis on student community, and by the college structure found at, for instance, Oxford University. However, ranking may not be all they are cracked up to be, either.

Then, you could choose a more specialised graduate program, for instance one which focuses more specifically on political and bureaucratic skills such as Public Administration at Leiden University or International Relations at Amsterdam University. For a further overview of studies in the Netherlands, check this page.

However, you may also be inclined to choose a study that immediately gives you a particularly in-demand skill such as through for example Econometrics. This would provide you with data analysis skills, for example. A specialist master does not diminish your chances for finding a government job. Getting into the governmental sector from this domain could still give you a headstart in particular areas, such as technical policy work, and the earlier mentioned programs are by no means requirements.

Broadening your experience

Do note that your choice of education offers no guarantees to getting into high-impact jobs, nor is it paramount to performing better than most people in policy jobs. Also, at this stage, one can still afford to try various courses, join clubs, apply for a board position at a student association, take a student job at a startup, or become active within a political party. 

Most of what you’ll learn will be from professional practice. You can already think and act more strategically about your career, but please do not feel afraid to make mistakes. Figuring out your path can be a difficult process. For a further list of possible degrees, please check out this list for political science, for public policy and public administration, and this list for a broader set of policy-related graduate programs.

Post-graduate traineeships and other opportunities for upskilling

The aforementioned graduate degrees may connect well with, for example, the Blue Book Traineeship or Rijkstraineeship. These are generally deemed high quality government trainee programs that can connect you well with good opportunities beyond that. In these traineeships, you can truly learn what it is like to be a policy worker, how to put for example Improving Institutional Decision Making (IIDM) into practice, and to have a strategic role. Here, you may also start to figure out how to use that for causes or cause areas you find important. At this stage, it is good to keep in mind your personal fit. If you are unsure, reflect on this and perhaps do some cheap tests. 

Below are listed a few good places to start out after finishing your grad studies.

Leveraging existing skills for policy impact

An example of thinking strategically about one’s path: Solid basic (domain) knowledge and a set of generalistic, universal skills, which enable you to perform well in the role of for instance policy analyst in AI Governance or Animal Welfare at a Dutch ministry or government agency, can get you pretty far! 

In the case of these domains, you could consider that regulations are increasingly coming from the EU. For this reason, you could ponder moving to Brussels at a later stage, as a larger positive impact could be made there. However, most details and instructions for, for example, legislation and law implementation that affect the Netherlands still come from the ministries in The Hague, and influencing these could also make for an impactful role. 

To name an example: The AI act is created on the EU level, but the details of this broad law and its implementation are executed by national governments. More importantly, all the instructions for the Dutch position are developed in the Hague.

Another example could be to pursue a financial bachelor’s degree with a master’s or even a minor in public administration, to have a good shot at landing a financial Rijkstraineeship. 

For an overview of possible websites where job opportunities are published, please check below. 

When considering job opportunities, ask yourself: 

  • Is this potential role politically sensitive, part of a larger more politically coloured career path (for instance as an assistant to a member of parliament)? 
  • Or is it mainly focused on executing the policy shaped earlier by politicians?
  • Do you want to take on a particular portfolio/subject area?
  • Does it build relevant career capital? 
  • Or will you make an immediate impact in this position? 

All round advice for everyone

According to the experts we interviewed, it is probably best to focus on the governmental, the executive side of things, close to centres of power. Taking agency and ownership within your own work field or task area during the traineeship can yield great results. 

For example, Maria (pseudonym) interned at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. By actively asking for projects with more responsibilities, she eventually landed a permanent position. 

Other skills that could boost your profile

Other (soft) skills that could boost your profile and help you excel (and by extension deliver greater positive impact) are:

  • Great reading comprehension and clear writing skills
  • Great presenting skills, and comfortable in front of a group.
  • Being able to prioritise between main issues and “side quests” 
  • Developing “political antennae” and “administrative sensitivity”
  • Networking and social skills
  • Learning how to ask good questions (and having the guts to ask them)
  • Collaborative skills: You will very likely be working with teams of different people
  • Coordinating and navigating between various organisations, being able to “piece the puzzle pieces together”
  • Creative thinking: being able to come up with creative solutions to problems
  • Programming and coding and an understanding of AI

Employment opportunities in NL and abroad: Optimise for the long run

Remember that the options below are nowhere near all the options available. It is encouraged to apply broadly (Aiming for 20-30 applications is perfectly fine at an early career stage). Be mindful of what provides benefits to your CV, such as volunteering for an advocacy organisation. Also, do not optimise for early career impact. As mentioned before, it will take a few years before you will have reached a level of seniority that enables you to truly do good. Optimise for the long run. The first few roles should be heavily focused on gaining career capital.

Lastly, within the world of policy and government, status can be overemphasised. Therefore, ask yourself if you are pursuing a job to benefit your reputation, or if it is truly higher in impact or career capital. Remember to apply, for instance, the ITN framework to determine if a job opportunity could truly be a way to positive impact.

Within the Dutch government

There is a wide range of possibilities within the Dutch government to focus on if you want to make a positive impact, according to our respondents:

  • To build career capital (and to make impact): “A-directies” within the Dutch government. These are larger strategy-making teams within ministries.
  • Parliament or “Tweede Kamer”: become an assistant to a Member of Parliament or do an internship at the “Kamerfractie” of a political party
  • BuZa, for instance “Digital and Hybrid Threats department”
  • BZK (internal affairs)
  • EZK (economic affairs)
  • VWS (public healthcare)
  • LNV (eg. animal welfare)
  • FIN
  • Working with a strategic planning agency such as RIVM, CPB, PBL, SEP, NVWA
  • Working with advisory bodies like WRR, NVWA, AP

There are various Rijkstraineeships, among which these:

Outside of Dutch government, or semi-governmental

This is a list of places that could also offer great opportunities for positive impact and/or gaining relevant career capital in the Netherlands, according to our respondents:

Lastly, there are a few “non-cause area-based opportunities” in fields that could still be significantly impactful, according to our respondents: 

  • Fighting disinformation
  • Safeguarding liberal democracy
  • Combating tax evasion and corruption
  • Protecting consumer rights and safety

Making the move to Brussels and beyond

There is a wide variety of impactful policy jobs in the EU. Taking a government job and developing one’s bureaucratic and political skills in the NL can be a great step towards those jobs. Here is a small list of places for opportunities:

Networking and community

Job Boards

Conferences & Events 

Courses & career tools

Newsletters & magazines

Podcasts

Acknowledgments

In gratitude for the valuable input provided by Lisa Gotoh, Thijs Jacobs, Jan-Willem van Putten, Sam Bogerd, and Robert Praas! Additionally, in appreciation of the feedback given by James Herbert and Marieke de Visscher.