When we first decided to feature non-profit entry-level jobs on weekends, we saw it as a way to do some good while adding variety to the types of jobs we feature each day. We didn’t realize that an impending (possibly already happening) recession might change the outlook for college students who are in search of a first job. We can’t predict how the economy will affect entry-level hiring, but we do know that non-profit jobs can be more stable during downturns. We’re not saying that a job at a non-profit is recession proof, but the nature of a non-profit (at least a well funded one) makes them a little less sensitive to a short-term recession. One example of a well funded non-profit that is hiring aggressively at the entry-level despite the threat of recession is the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research, “a private, nonpartisan, not-for-profit institution dedicated to research and education on issues of government, politics, economics, and social welfare.”

The main activities of the American Enterprise Institute are sponsoring research and conferences and publishing books, monographs, and periodicals. By doing so, they push for a “competition of ideas” that they see to be the essence of a free society. They claim to be non-partisan, much like the Brookings Institution; however, there tends to be some debate over that. Both organizations have a similar focus, but allegedly their political leanings are opposite of each other. It’s good to know that, despite their differences, Brookings and AEI have a history of cooperation, having launched the AEI-Brookings Joint Center for Regulatory Studies as well as the AEI-Brookings Election Reform Project. You’ll certainly want to take a look at the types of research that AEI conducts before you consider applying for any of their jobs.

The reason that we see AEI as recession resistant is that they get funding from a variety of sources – donation from corporations, foundations, and individuals in addition to investment gains from their endowment. The AEI employs about 200 people in their Washington, D.C. headquarters, and it looks like they must be trying to add to that. It should be competitive, considering that they are one of the 55 best places to work in the D.C. area. Their Current Openings page lists jobs such as Marketing Assistant, Media Relations Assistant, Research Assistant (Foreign Policy, Asian Studies, Latin America and Demographics, Political Corner, Economics, Economics – Regulatory Studies, Executive Office), Editorial Assistant, Conference Assistant, and Marketing Assistant (Corporate Relations). The descriptions for the specific jobs are short, but they get the point across adequately. There’s also a listing titled Spring Graduate 2008. We’re not sure if this is a separate listing, or a reference to the jobs we just mentioned.

Their application process looks simple, and it allows you apply for multiple positions, which means that you can apply for a specific position and as a Spring Graduate 2008. The application form has some fields that are optional, depending on position, so pay attention and make sure you include all of the required information. The AEI says that they’re looking for new grads with at least a 3.6 GPA from a top school. This probably isn’t a hard and fast rule, but you better have an impressive resume if you want to get hired.

Note: On April 27th we revisited entry-level jobs at the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

• The American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research
• About the American Enterprise Institute
• Jobs at the American Enterprise Institute
• The American Enterprise Institute’s Research

On a completely different note, we’ve noticed that some of our posts aren’t publishing properly – especially on One Day, One Internship. We promise it’s not poor editing! There’s some weird gremlin that is out to get us, and we’re trying to pinpoint it. If you see something that doesn’t look right in a post, please contact us and let us know via our contact page.

We've identified American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research as having career opportunities in the following categories:

• all employers
• non-profit
• public policy
• research
• Washington DC

---

Jobs Near You

---