Thinktanks - they come in all shapes and sizes. Which is a big clue that a one-size-fits-all application approach isn't a good idea, should you want to work for one.
It's a common mistake hopefuls make though, says Charlotte Rose from the New Local Government Network. In a live Q&A about working for a thinktank, she said: "People seem to approach it as if all thinktanks do the same thing - when of course this is ludicrous."
Dr Viki Johnson, from the new economics foundation, made the same point. She said: "It isn't useful to generalise thinktanks. We're a diverse bunch of organisations. Some are allied to political parties, some are independent, some are UK-focused, some are international."
So, before you even think about dusting off your CV, you've probably got the message that it's important to think about why you want to work for a particular thinktank. Tim Walker from the Independent pointed out how it's important for a young thinker to work in an area for which they feel an affinity. You should also think about why you would be the best candidate for the role, says Charlotte. If it's internships you're after, perhaps your dissertation would be relevant to a particular organisation, she says, and this is something you should highlight in applications too.
To help you get to grips with the different types of jobs on offer within thinktanks and where you'll find the best match for your skills and experience, we've assembled a panel of experts to answer your questions in a live Q&A. Experts working for a variety of organisations will be online between 1pm and 3pm on Wednesday 30 November - join them live or post your question now.
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Our panel:
Harriet Crawford is a policy researcher at the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ). In 2010, she graduated from Oxford University with a degree in Geography. Before joining the CSJ as a policy intern in February 2011, she worked for a business intelligence company in an investment bank.
Nick Seddon is deputy director of Reform, an independent thinktank based in Westminster. Before joining Reform, Nick was head of communications at Circle, an employee-owned healthcare company.
Sally Thompson is the communications director at libertarian thinktank, the Adam Smith Institute. She is responsible for communications and media relations.
David Skelton is deputy director of Policy Exchange. Prior to joining the thinktank, he worked at PA Consulting Group and was deputy director of the Parliamentary Resources Unit, a body that provides specialised research services to MPs.
Pawel Swidlicki is a researcher at Open Europe. Pawel worked in the City for a couple of years before obtaining a master's degree in Politics and International Relations.
Anastasia de Waal is deputy director and director of family & education at thinktank Civitas and chair of parenting charity Family Lives. She has a BSc and MSc in Sociology from LSE and is a qualified primary school teacher, and her work centres on research and analysis of social trends and public policy.
Gavin Hayes is general secretary of centre-left pressure group Compass. Prior to working at Compass, he was a project manager at the Institute for Citizenship and he also has worked for the thinktank Progress.
Ben Harris-Quinney is the chairman of the Bow Group. Ben holds an MSc in International Relations from LSE and a BSc in International Affairs from Science Po & IECS/EM Strasbourg. At 27 he has been involved in politics and international relations for more than 10 years, having worked on foreign policy issues for the Conservative Party in both the UK and European Parliaments.
Katherine Holdway is human resources and administration manager at IPPR, the Institute for Public Policy Research. Katherine has developed and implemented various HR strategies including IPPR's paid internship programme and a new performance management system.
