Job Description - Final Draft

 Policy Analyst

When I thought about what career fields to explore, I knew I wanted to pursue a path where I could impact and uplift others. My mentor introduced me to the Public Policy Institute of Guam at the Guam Legislature. Before this, I had no experience in government or politics. Even though I am a business administration major, I decided to give it a try. Little did I know that it would become one of my favorite internship experiences.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, a policy analyst raises public awareness of social issues. They conduct research and use their findings to propose solutions to these problems. This role carries high stakes, influencing decisions made by legislative leaders, government agencies, and the public. Regardless, the thrill of making a meaningful impact makes the job worthwhile.

As a policy analyst, three key characteristics define this role:

• Independence
• Adaptability
• Communication

Independence

As a policy analyst, independence is essential for carrying out your responsibilities. From the start of the internship, my supervisor gave me the freedom to choose any project topic. He also expected that I draft a new bill and propose a solution by the end of the internship. While it seemed daunting at first, I knew I wanted to work on mental health initiatives right from the start.

This marked the beginning of countless hours of independent research. Although I could ask my supervisor for guidance, I needed to do most of the research to become an expert on the topic. This also involved field research, including interviewing bureaucratic leaders, psychologists, and community members. 

Adaptability

Adaptability is crucial in a fast-paced environment like politics. On top of working on my policy project, I handled other legislative tasks, such as managing the front desk, scribing at meetings, and conducting research for other policies as needed. Each day was unpredictable. For example, one moment I’ll be writing a speech for a senator to present at a regional conference and then preparing to testify on a plastic bag ban. Although days could be chaotic, they were interesting and enjoyable in their own way.

Additionally, adaptability was essential for my project as well. Throughout my internship, I never knew what my final proposal would look like. Each new piece of research revealed more areas to explore. All it took was a single piece of information to change the whole trajectory of the project.

Eventually, after gathering enough information, my policy project focused on allocating $400,000 in funding for the Guam Crisis Hotline to hire full-time staff to manage calls 24/7.  This was a huge amount to ask for, but it was important since many suicide hotline calls went unanswered due to staffing shortages.

Communication

Lastly, communication was the most important skill to succeed in this internship. It was a fundamental part of the role, engaging with legislative leaders and patrons daily. Each day felt like a communications test, but beyond the daily tasks, the biggest test was still ahead of me.

Despite spending weeks on extensive research, the project’s success ultimately depended on presenting the information in a clear and compelling way. If I could not communicate properly, my hard work would be in vain.

Catering to people’s ethos, pathos, and logos would be the most effective way to have a bill and solution approved and implemented. I appealed to people’s pathos by sharing my own experience with mental health and Asian and Pacific Islander stigma. Then I transitioned to logos, presenting research from national organizations on the alarming number of unanswered hotline calls in Guam. Although it was hard to appeal to people’s ethos since I was just a student, I emphasized that younger generations often see problems older generations may overlook. Sometimes, people recognize our concerns since we will inherit these issues.

The presentation resonated with many legislators, and the bill passed within a month. The Governor of Guam reviewed the proposal and allocated $1 million towards the program – double the amount I requested!


Passive Sentences: 0

Flesch Reading Ease: 48.7

Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level: 9

Note to the Professor: Blogger messed up my formatting, so I had to fix and update it. The blog was posted on time.