Horizon’s career resource reached tens of thousands of aspiring public servants in its first year
In November of 2023, we launched emergingtechpolicy.org to democratize access to knowledge about careers and opportunities in emerging technology policy.
Many talented individuals are eager to explore public service careers but face significant barriers to entry. Without insider networks or institutional knowledge, they struggle to navigate complex agency structures and obscure hiring processes. At the same time, the US government faces a pressing need for talent, particularly subject-matter experts with a deep understanding of emerging technology issues.
Emergingtechpolicy.org is Horizon’s most scalable and wide-reaching program aimed at bridging this gap. Over the past year, it has reached 40,000+ individuals at all stages of their journey to public service—from students and recent graduates, to subject-matter experts exploring policy work, to seasoned policy practitioners new to technology issues. Today, the website hosts over 100 distinct guides featuring expert advice and resources on pursuing public service careers. We’re excited to continue expanding in 2025 and beyond.
In-depth, actionable career advice
“It’s definitely the most accurate, detailed, comprehensive resource available on this topic anywhere…This is a hugely valuable resource.” — Policy Advisor in the US House of Representatives
The website features a comprehensive mix of detailed guides, curated resource lists, and first-person accounts from practitioners. It’s currently organized into five sections:
- Pathways into policy (graduate school, internships, fellowships, etc.) – advice on how to gain policy experience and get jobs for people with different backgrounds and levels of experience.
- Institutions (Congress, think tanks, executive agencies, national labs, etc.) – explanations of the structure of key policy institutions, why you might want to work in each, and how to land a job there.
- Policy areas (AI, biosecurity, civic tech, cyber, etc.) – overviews of key institutions, fellowship programs, and resources to learn about and pursue careers in specific emerging technology policy areas.
- Tips and resources (testing fit for policy, networking, security clearances, etc.) – tactical advice on how to build your experience, credentials, and network for policy work.
- Policy career profiles – spotlights of practitioners working in emerging technology policy share details about their career journey, offer advice, and highlight resources.
Since its launch a year ago, we’ve nearly doubled the amount of content on emergingtechpolicy.org to more than 250,000 words—the equivalent of a 1,000-page book. The website now includes new guides on working in multilateral governance, the US intelligence community, and political campaigning, as well as profiles on the Executive Office of the President and numerous federal agencies (e.g. DOD, HHS, DOE, State). Each guide is the product of extensive research, in-depth interviews with policy professionals, and multiple content reviews from external subject-matter experts.
Our impact to date
“Fantastic resource! I wish I had this when I was first entering the policy world.” — former White House staffer and AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellow
We are incredibly gratified to have heard back from many readers about how they have benefited from emergingtechpolicy.org. The site received 120,000 page views and reached more than 40,000 users in its first year alone, some of whom have shared their stories with us.
We’ve been heartened by how many users reported discovering policy opportunities through the website. A former machine learning researcher shared that “the post about congressional staffers got me interested in becoming a staffer, which got me interested in TechCongress!” Following their TechCongress fellowship, they remained on the Hill, now working as a policy analyst on a congressional committee.
Another user told us that, after having “pretty much given up on applying to Congress because I thought it was too late,” they came across the congressional internship guide. After seeing deadlines that remained open, they “applied that day” and secured a role. A former data scientist shared that they applied for a policy fellowship they found through our fellowship database, and now serve as an AI researcher in the US government.
Users also reported that the website motivated them to pursue policy in the first place. One former robotics researcher shared that “Horizon absolutely played a role” in their transition to policy, by “[convincing] me that it’s possible to pivot into AI policy…mostly by sharing knowledge on career paths, opportunities, [and] what I could do.” They now research AI and semiconductor policy at a DC think tank.
We would also like to thank the many supporters who have shared this resource with their colleagues, students, and mentees interested in emerging technology policy careers. One White House fellow told us: “I recently saw this shared as a resource within the government. That’s definitely an endorsement.”
Looking forward
“An incredibly useful resource for anyone in the fields of biosecurity, nuclear weapons policy, and emerging tech.” — former Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear, Chemical & Biological Defense Programs
With emergingtechpolicy.org, Horizon is committed to making policy careers more accessible through comprehensive and practical resources. In 2025, we will expand the website’s content even further and invest in product innovations (e.g. audio, video) to help users more easily find and digest the information most helpful to them. New content will include additional guides on working in policy beyond the federal level, additional agency profiles, the government contractor landscape, and job application how-tos, among many topics.
We’re also excited to explore new formats for delivering content in 2025, including through online courses, a chatbot career advisor, or a podcast.
We continuously strive to better support the needs of those interested in policy careers, particularly in emerging technology policy. We value any feedback or ideas for new content or products you have. You can share them here.
If you’re interested in supporting us in producing more public resources like this, you can consider making a gift or connecting with us.
“I am the biggest booster of emergingtechpolicy.org. Whenever anyone has a question, I direct them there. I can add 0 value beyond this website.” — DC think tank co-founder
