How to join RAIA? Before we get into that, let’s start with some history. In 2018, we decided that if the job market did not want us, we would have to become the job market ourselves. RAIA was built as a Gen Z cheat code to a broken system: a youth-focused think tank where students and young professionals gain the real work experience that “entry-level” positions somehow already expect you to have. Our internships run three times a year, in spring, summer and fall, take around 10 hours a week, are fully remote and, unfortunately, are still unpaid. (If you are a billionaire who would like to change that, please get in touch!)
Getting in takes three rounds. Here is how they work, and how to tell whether RAIA is for you.
Are You a RAIA Person?
Experience is not a barrier. Curiosity is the entry ticket. You will fit right in if any of these sound familiar:
- You end your Google searches with “-ai”, or simply scroll past the AI summary.
- You receive an intense stare as soon as someone says “no politics tonight!”
- You have visited a border crossing on holiday because it was historically significant.
- A few drinks in, you hear yourself say “Listen, the problems of the international system date back to…”
- You hold niche knowledge on the Mongolian Empire, the Merovingian dynasty or something equally obscure.
- You call a Wikipedia rabbit hole “research”.
- You say “it is complicated” about a conflict and then talk for forty minutes.
Still in your first or second year of university? Don’t worry. Our applicants range from first-year students to PhD candidates and young professionals, and we take that into account. If we only compared CVs, we would end up with a team of master’s and PhD students, and that is not what RAIA is about. Our mission is to give everyone an equal opportunity, so we judge every application against the applicant’s current circumstances. A first-year student has the same chance of getting in as a final-year student.
You do not have to be the loudest person in the room, either. Some of our sharpest analysts are quiet in meetings and brilliant on the page. What we do need is commitment: 10 hours a week, for the whole term. And everything you send us has to be your own work, because RAIA does not allow AI for writing or research.
How to Join RAIA: Do Your Homework
The best applications come from people who know exactly what they are signing up for. Read your position description properly, explore our articles, listen to a podcast episode or two, and reach out to current RAIA interns on LinkedIn for a chat. (An internal recommendation from RAIA members or alumni goes a long way in the first round) If something is unclear, email us. We would rather answer a question now than read a vague application later. Our guide to round one has more tips.
Round One: The Application Form
Pick one of our four teams on the internships page: Research & Analysis, Communications, Project Development or Internal. (You can apply to all four if you want) Each position links to a short form where you share your details, upload your CV and tell us anything your CV cannot. We read every application to see whether you fit the position, and our guide to round one shows you how to stand out. If there are currently no open positions, subscribe to our newsletter informing you when applications open.
Round Two: The HR Interview or the Writing Sample
The second round depends on the team you applied for.
Applicants for Communications, Project Development and Internal meet our HR team for a 30-minute conversation, usually on Zoom. We want to know that you have understood the position, that you know what RAIA is about, and that you would feel at home in our team. Here is our guide to the HR interview.
Applicants for Research & Analysis complete a writing sample instead, because analysis is what the team does every day. Here is our guide to the writing sample.
Round Three: Meeting Your Team Coordinator
The final round is a conversation with the coordinator of your team. This is where it gets personal: which skills and potential would you bring, how motivated are you, and is there a good vibe on both sides? It is also your chance to ask everything you want to know about the team’s work. Each team has its own guide:
No Ghosting, Promised
Everyone who applies hears back from us within one month, with feedback if you would like some. Ghosting applicants is for people who do not understand the the true meaning of entry-level, or of common decency.
Didn’t Make It? Try Again
I will be honest with you: getting in is competitive. We receive more applications every year, and unfortunately we can only take a small number of interns each term. If it does not work out this time, please apply again. Plenty of RAIA members got in on their second or third try, and a second application, with the feedback from the first one in mind, is often much stronger. In the meantime, read more articles, listen to more podcasts and try to immerse into the RAIA universe.
Ready? Find all open positions on our internships page. If nothing is open right now, subscribe to updates there and we will tell you when the next term begins. If you have any questions please email us.
I personally wish you the best of luck with your application!
Best,
Dario Hasenstab
Managing Director, RAIA
