When you hear “pew,” you usually expect something to stink. That’s not the case with the Pew Research Center, which is a non-profit “fact tank” (not thinktank) that provides nonpartisan “information on the issues, attitudes and trends shaping America and the world.” If you know anything about thinktanks, you may be rolling your eyes at the word nonpartisan, but it’s true. Pew Research Center does not take policy positions. Still skeptical? Read their Code of Ethics. They’re all about the numbers, and they don’t care so much about making sure the numbers say what they want them to. The Pew Research Center has seven ongoing projects that focus on some fascinating subject matter. They are: Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, Project for Excellence in Journalism, Pew Internet & American Life Project, Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, Pew Hispanic Center, Pew Global Attitudes Project, and Social & Demographic Trends. If you’re still not straight on what Pew Research Center is all about, take a look at their home page – PewResearch.org – it’s full of the kind of information that the Center compiles.

Fact Over Think

If you love data, then a job at Pew Research Center in Washington, DC might be a wise career choice for you. The Pew Research Center’s Careers page is relatively sparse, but it does show that they are currently hiring for four positions. None of them are explicitly entry level, but after looking at the job descriptions more closely we were able to recognize three jobs that might be worth considering for new college grads – Web Analyst/Administrator, Pew Research Center Core Administration, Infographic Designer, Social and Demographic Trends, and Special Assistant, Pew Research Center. All of these jobs can be considered major stretches, but they require skill sets that you may have developed in college or internships, so we’re going to push you to apply for them if you think that you can cut it. The job descriptions are obscenely long, so make sure that you read them before you apply. To apply, you should send your resume and cover letter to careers@pewresearch.org. Don’t just send the same resume and cover letter that you’ve sent to other employers, though. To get one of these jobs as a new grad, you’re going to need to stand out, so you need to sell the Pew Research Center on why you have the experience (even though it hasn’t come from a full-time job) to excel in one of these positions.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

• PewResearch.org
• Jobs at the Pew Research Center
• About the Pew Research Center
• Pew Research Center’s Staff and Board
• Ethics at the Pew Research Center
• How to Use PewResearch.org
• Pew Research Center’s Projects

Which of Pew Research Center’s projects do you find most interesting?

We've identified Pew Research Center as having career opportunities in the following categories:

• administrative
• all employers
• analyst
• data
• design
• non-profit
• research
• Washington DC
• web development

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One response to “Pew Research Center”

1. Monica says:

   November 9, 2008 at 1:11 pm

   This is definitely going on my places to apply to next semester!

   Reply