If you have applied to our Research & Analysis team, round two is where you show us what you can do. Instead of an interview, you write a short mock HOT or NOT article: the format our analysts publish every week. It is the best way for you to find out what working with us feels like, and the best way for us to see how you think. Usually you will have between 5-7 days to complete your sample an submit it to us.
What We Ask You to Write
At RAIA, we analyse individual decision-makers. Politicians make decisions that change the world, but they never make them in isolation, so we look at one leader at a time while keeping the bigger picture in view. Your writing sample does the same. We give you a topic, you choose a world leader, and you assess how their approach is working out for them.
How to Prepare
Start by reading. Go through five to ten recent HOT or NOT articles until you understand how they work: how they open, how they justify the heat level and how they move from facts to analysis. Then choose your leader carefully. We read a lot of writing samples, and the hundredth article about the same three people has a hard time standing out.
If you want to really impress us, listen to our Director’s podcast, Bursting the Western Bubble. Your instructions will point you to relevant episodes. Use the analysis where it helps you, and above all where you disagree with it. The introduction episode is also a good way to check your own biases before you start writing.
The Easiest Way Not to Get Selected
Using AI at any step of the process disqualifies you in our eyes. The RAIA R&A team strictly operates without any AI, we expect you to do the same for your writing samples. Additionally, do not ignore the formatting instructions. We mean it: the format is part of the task, because our analysts follow a house style every day. Submit a PDF, name the file exactly as instructed, put your name at the top, include the heat level in your title, stay within the word limit and add your word count at the end. Then spellcheck it, and spellcheck it again.
What Happens Next
If your writing sample convinces us, you move on to round three: a conversation with the coordinator of our Research & Analysis team. And if you have questions while you are writing, email us. We aim to reply within 24 hours.
Good luck!
Best,
Dario Hasenstab
Managing Director, RAIA
