What is a career in political risk?
Political risk professionals analyse threats and opportunities for businesses and individuals. This could be responding to bespoke, ad-hoc requests from clients or contributing to ongoing advice, potentially via a subscription service, providing analysis and forecasting for organisations.
While it can be difficult to find roles which are advertised as purely ‘political risk’, there are a range of roles in related areas that you could consider, for example:
- Cybersecurity
- Commercial intelligence
- Due diligence
- Risk management
Some people in the industry work for a political risk consultancy whereas others work in-house, for example in financial or professional services.
It may be your role is a generalist one or you might specialise in a geographic region, eg, EMEA, or a particular sector, eg, oil and gas.
Political risk is a small and competitive space. Most consultancies are small in size, and there are only a handful of larger firms such as Eurasia Group and Control Risks.
Where can I work, what can I do, and how can I get there?
In addition to political risk consultancies, opportunities can be found at UN agencies, big tech / large companies, think tanks, and at development / advocacy organisations working internationally.
There are also boutique consultancies and organisations specialising in areas like political risk, security, corporate intelligence, sustainability, and human rights.
In addition to an interview, a written assessment is a typical part of the recruitment process. It is important to demonstrate accuracy and attention to detail in how you write your application.
On entering political risk, it’s usual to start out in an associate, analyst or researcher position. When job searching, ‘Political risk’ might not appear in the job title so be mindful of this if using a keyword search on career pages and job sites.
Alternative job titles to ‘political risk analyst’ include:
- Associate
- Analyst / Research analyst / Junior analyst / Country risk analyst / Geopolitical risk / Intelligence analyst
- Consultant
- Associate director / Director
- Researcher / Country researcher
- Expert / Specialist
For entry level and mid-senior level roles, speculative applications are quite commonplace, and political risk is a network-based industry.
In addition to education and relevant work experience, firms will be interested to hear about your wider life skills and how you have developed these.
Many working in the industry will have started out in an adjacent sector building up useful skills and experience along the way.
Learn more about what it’s like working in political risk by reading the Prospects Political risk analyst job profile and Lawson Chase's How to get a job in political risk.
Some non-entry level roles will require three to five years of experience, or more. For these mid-senior level political risk roles, it will be expected that you will have credibility and have high-level expertise.
However, a job advert for a mid-level position at a well-known political risk firm contained this note: ‘If you feel you meet some of the requirements and can offer a unique perspective to this role, we strongly encourage you to apply—you might be the perfect fit we're looking for!’
Advantageous prior work experience is wide-ranging: it can include working in journalism, Chambers of Commerce, think tanks, international organisations, non-governmental organisations, charity work, consultancy, academia, government and politics (eg, working for an MP), commercial due diligence (eg, M & A), business-to-business commercial experience, public affairs, and strategic communications roles.
If lacking work experience, you may be able to leverage certain modules or your dissertation to show your qualitative skills, but it’s also important to have built up some understanding of markets, sectors and regulations.
When should I apply for roles in this sector?
Some graduate schemes (sometimes advertised as ‘analyst programmes’) do exist at political risk consultancies, but these are few and far between. Start searching for graduate schemes at the beginning of Autumn Term. Graduate schemes usually begin in the following September. You would typically undertake some rotations (placements) and potentially become an associate at the firm on completion.
Political risk firms who have advertised graduate schemes in recent years include Global Counsel and Control Risks.
Since political roles are competitive and sometimes go unadvertised, it is a good idea to search and apply throughout the year. Some firms – particularly boutique ones – may advertise as and when they have a need.
Other roles aimed at graduates include graduate researchers and graduate consultants.
Many firms won’t refer to themselves as political risk; instead they may describe what that do as, for example, a strategy firm or a risk advisor firm.
Insights from alumni and organisations
What skills are needed or sought after in this sector?
Advertised positions will set out the skills needed for the job vacancy.
However, if applying speculatively, it’s useful to be aware of the types of skills and experience that are generally required for political risk roles.
These can include:
- Client relationship building
- Ability to analyse complex/multifaceted issues
- Flexibility, enthusiasm and curiosity
- Flair for writing eg, when writing about a subject area, creating briefs and reports
- Understanding of the risks and opportunities for organisations and clients
- Strong interest in geopolitics and current affairs
- Verbal communication skills
- Attention to detail
- Problem-solving
- Highly organised
- Able to work under pressure
- Collaborative
- IT skills: MS Office etc
- Data analysis skills, able to collate and process data
Fluency in languages is an advantage, but this does not necessarily mean you need to have native proficiency. Check out non degree language courses at the LSE Language Centre, including Arabic, French, Spanish, Mandarin, and Russian.
Are there any key trends to be aware of in this sector?
Firstly, here are some top tips from alumni in this space:
“Be realistic about salaries and get your foot in the door (don’t discount roles based on their job title eg, junior analyst).”
“Learning a language fluently that you didn’t grow up speaking demonstrates real commitment."
“Start something that you are interested in, eg, a podcast, to distinguish yourself from other candidates.”
Some of the employers we've spoken with have had the following to add:
- There are many serious geopolitical challenges that organisations are facing including conflicts, cyberattacks, climate-related events, shifting trade policies, the advent of AI, and aging of the global population.
- To build up your knowledge, read the op-ed articles in the NY Times and the FT, as well as the basic news. Go to places where politics happens, eg, APPG meetings, and listen to current affairs podcasts. Build up some understanding of economics and political dynamics.
Other trends in this space include:
- Data science: Strong qualitative and quantitative skills can help you to stand out in applications, as these are becoming increasing important in the sector. Develop your digital skills at LSE Digital Skills Lab.
- AI: As is the case with many sectors, organisations are looking at how they can utilise and integrate AI.
Where can I find out more about working in this sector?
Interested in finding out more about a career in political risk? Here are some helpful links, including the ways LSE Careers can work with you on your journey.
LSE Careers resources
External resources
Read up on the top geopolitical and global risks of the year:
Top tips on how to network with alum in this sector:
- Networking can be crucial for those wanting to enter political risk roles. Political risk is a small, opaque industry with a limited amount of advertised internships and graduate schemes.
- LSE Careers’ Discover | Political risk events provide a good opportunity to network with employers and alumni. You might hear about a role through spontaneous conversations or through a chance meeting.
- Utilise LinkedIn to network but consider who you want to speak to first. Before reaching out, research what different people do at the company you’re interested in. Consider a personalised approach, for example: ‘Hello Mel. I love your newsletter. I like what you were saying about…’
- Why not try using the Ask an Alum tool to get advice from our alumni community.
- Take a look at the LSESU Political Risk and Investment Society (PRIS).
Research the leading political risk firms by looking at the most recent Chambers and Partners Guide.
For experienced hires, there are some specialist recruitment firms and headhunters, such as Lawson Chase and Barclay Simpson.
Identify the companies you're drawn to and look directly on their websites for opportunities. Examples include:
Also keep an eye on the CareerHub jobs board for relevant events and networking opportunities.