A political analyst tells the position’s expectations, what it takes to secure the job, what you can expect to earn and more. This is a true career story as told to ‘ DiversityJobs.com street smart’ – a collection of true work-life stories told by members of minority groups (including women) from a quality control monitor to an associate teacher, and everything in between.
What is your job title? How many years of experience do you have in that field?
I work as a political analyst for a political analysis and evaluation firm. I have worked in this position for six years.
Would you describe the things you do on a typical day?
The first thing I do when I get to my office is read different national and foreign newspapers; then I visit many news websites. Next, I prepare daily, monthly or weekly reports for different clients, focusing on quantitative and qualitative aspects.
Sometimes, I also have meetings with clients or other political analysts, especially if we need to coordinate a new client or get new specifications from clients.
What’s your ethnicity and gender? How has it hurt or helped you? If you ever experienced discrimination, how have you responded and what response worked best?
I am half Hispanic and half Japanese. I certainly don’t face discrimination in the city where I live now, and the company I work for embraces diversity. When I was a recent graduate, however, I had to move to a small town to take care of my mom (she was very sick back then), the situation was different. Once I overheard someone who had just interviewed me. The man had entered into the office of someone else and told the other person that even though they liked me, I wouldn’t get the job because I was “too short and too dark”. Of course, they would never admit they said this, they said they had simply found someone who was a better candidate.
Do you speak any language other than English? If so, how has it helped you in your job?
I speak intermediate Japanese and Spanish. I can read newspapers and websites in those languages, so of course they have helped me. Japan and the Spanish-speaking countries have a lot of influence in the U.S. therefore paying more attention to those areas is natural for me.
On a scale of 1 to 10 how would you rate your job satisfaction? What would it take to increase that rating?
I would rate it as an 8. I think that I would like more training from the company. For example, given that the importance of China’s economy is rapidly increasing, the company could invest in some Mandarin lessons for us.
What did you learn the hard way in this job and how did that happen?
I learned that, as in any other job that uses interpretation as a tool, there are people who assume that the truth is in their hands. Sometimes, they are clients, sometimes they are co-workers. The best thing to do in those cases is just to expressing your own opinion. Sometimes, however, it’s best to let go, just to keep the harmony and a healthy workplace environment. If the situation is really that bad, I think that others will notice too (including the managers).
What don’t they teach in school that would’ve been helpful to you?
More foreign languages! I think that the global economy belongs to those who are prepared to work in a global context and are prepared to compete with people from every country. Understanding a language is the first step towards understanding a a culture.
How did you get started in this line of work? If you could go back and do it differently, what would you change?
I have always liked international politics, economy and history (I have a Bachelor Degree in International Relations by the way). My parents are very active in the community and have always taken an interest in local and national politics, so I grew up with that kind of influence.
On a good day when things are going well, can you give an example of something that really makes you feel good?
It makes me feel good when other analysts congratulate me or give positive feedback about my job. It is always nice to get good comments from colleagues; people who know as much as you do -or even more- about politics, and still think that you are right!:
When nothing seems to go right, what kind of snafus do you handle and what do you dislike the most?
Sometimes, the media exaggerates the news or gives an initial version and then changes it (even prestigious newspapers and websites). As a part of my job, I sometimes write “urgent” reports based on “breaking news”, so sometimes I need to change a lot of things of the parts that I had already written, or simply delete a document and start over again. I think it is a waste of time, but at the same time I know that I need to write those reports because our clients want “instant” information and analysis.
How stressful is your job? Are you able to maintain a comfortable or healthy work-life balance?
I think it is somewhat stressful because news tend to move fast nowadays. Even when I am supposed to be eating my lunch I am constantly using my mobile to read the latest news. Sometimes, I even need to run back to my office, if something that really changes things happens.
What’s a rough salary range for the position you hold? Are you paid enough considering your responsibilities?
It depends on the company and the projects you are working on. As a matter of fact, if you happen to have close relationships with someone (I mean someone powerful) who works for a political party or the government, companies might be more interested in paying you well… sounds obscure, but they normally don’t expect you to do anything “illegal”, they just want to be closer to an “insider” and maybe try to get better information than others.
What’s the most challenging moment you’ve experienced?
It is not a specific occasion, but normally not taking sides is not easy. For example, whenever I need to deal with anything that has to do with Japan or Hispanic countries, I feel like it is harder for me to be neutral and intellectual. Yet I know that I need to leave emotions behind, which I am able to do.
What education and skills do you need to get hired and succeed in this field?
Most political analysts that I know have academic backgrounds in the following areas political science, international relations or law. There are also some economists and people with other degrees but a lot of work experience in politics.
As a skill, you need to be good at interpreting facts and “connecting the dots”. Having a good memory is excellent; enjoying reading is essential. You also need to be good with words, because you will need to prepare a lot of reports.
What would you tell a friend considering your line of work?
I would tell them that this is a very exciting field. People in the exact sciences world (such as biology and chemistry) tend to think of political analysts as just regular people who “give their opinion”. They basically think that anyone can do it, but it is not true at all! If you believe this job is easy and are interested in my line of work, run away! Better find something else.
How much vacation do you take? Is it enough?
I take 18 days, and I try to make the most of my spare time. I love being with my family and my friends, so that is what I do.
Does this job move your heart? If not, what does?
My family moves my heart. I like my job, but I don’t think that it defines my life or anything like that.
If you could write your own ticket, what would you like to be doing in five years?
I would like to work as an independent analyst and sell my services to different kinds of people and companies.
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