Thanks for the question! I’ve seen young people be quite successful in policy careers, but I agree there are some caveats in this context. People who want to be staffers or work in think tanks should be thoughtful about how they represent themselves online. I also think early in a policy career it’s important to develop career capital and be trusted to do great work first, even if it means working with the existing policy agenda you’re assigned rather than your preferred topics.
That said, “being known” is still really important in policy. It just might involve being known to a smaller group of people who can vouch for you directly. DC runs on interpersonal relationships built on trust, potentially including people in think tanks, on the hill, etc. Publishing in policy outlets can be a one way to build up to this, as can having good conversations at events, doing outreach to learn from experts on a topic you’re researching on, etc.
Thanks for the question! I’ve seen young people be quite successful in policy careers, but I agree there are some caveats in this context. People who want to be staffers or work in think tanks should be thoughtful about how they represent themselves online. I also think early in a policy career it’s important to develop career capital and be trusted to do great work first, even if it means working with the existing policy agenda you’re assigned rather than your preferred topics.
That said, “being known” is still really important in policy. It just might involve being known to a smaller group of people who can vouch for you directly. DC runs on interpersonal relationships built on trust, potentially including people in think tanks, on the hill, etc. Publishing in policy outlets can be a one way to build up to this, as can having good conversations at events, doing outreach to learn from experts on a topic you’re researching on, etc.
https://80000hours.org/articles/the-us-ai-policy-landscape-where-to-have-the-biggest-impact/
https://80000hours.org/2025/11/our-top-tips-for-successful-networking/