FAQ

What is the selection process?

The selection process consists of two parts, screening and hiring:

  1. The screening process starts with a review of your online application for admission. Qualified applicants then participate in phone interviews and potentially in-person interviews with the Institute. After completing the Institute’s screening process and interviews, candidates move to the hiring stage of the application for admission process.
  2. During the hiring stage of the application for admission process, candidates are connected to open roles at our partner organizations. At this point, candidates interview for specific jobs with hiring managers at partner organizations. Successful candidates selected by partner organizations will receive job offers during this stage.

If you are selected and offered a job by a partner organization and accept the offer, only then are you officially admitted to the Koch Associate Program.

What makes a strong candidate?

  • Solid understanding of free-market principles.
  • Commitment to limited government and the advancement of individual liberty.
  • Typically, a minimum of a bachelor’s degree.
  • Solid academic record.
  • Zero to ten years of work experience.
  • Strong interest in learning and applying MBM® in a non-profit setting.
  • Desire to become a better and more equipped professional.
  • Demonstration of entrepreneurial thinking.

What is on the online application for admission?

You must submit the following items through our online application for admission. Also, be prepared to identify possible career paths.

  • A resume.
  • The names and contact information of three references, along with his or her relationship to you. Letters of recommendation or reference are not required.
  • How does participating in the Koch Associate Program relate to your career interests? [100 word limit]
  • What do you hope to gain by participating in the program’s professional education sessions? [100 word limit]
  • What do you see as the ideal role of government? [50 word limit]
  • Describe a specific example (current or historical) of an economic policy that aligns with your view of the ideal role of government. [100 word limit]
  • List five people or books that have influenced your philosophical or ideological thinking about the role of government. For each, explain in one sentence how each has influenced you.
  • Drawing on your academic and work-related experiences, describe a difficult work or academic project that you recently completed.  Please include what made the project difficult and how it turned out. [150 words]

 

What is the mission of the Koch Associate Program?

The Koch Associate Program is a challenging educational and career opportunity for individuals who are passionate about free-market ideas and want to become more effective at advancing economic freedom throughout their careers. The Charles Koch Institute’s aim is to develop the capabilities of each associate through the program by providing professional education, management training, and the knowledge and skills necessary to achieve his or her career potential.

How can I learn more about the program?

A great way to learn more is to connect with a recruiter. Contact one today to talk about the program and ask any questions you may have; call the Institute at 703-875-1600 or email David Thomas. Also, click here to watch a quick video on the professional education portion of the program.

Is the Koch Associate Program a job or an internship?

The Koch Associate Program is an opportunity for professional education and a full-time job. On Thursdays, the associates come together for professional education at the Charles Koch Institute. For the other four days a week, associates work in full-time positions. All associates work in positions designed for full-time employees and they are treated as such.

What is Market-Based Management®?

Like a society, a company or organization is an economic system with rules, incentives, and cultural values. Centuries of learning from all segments of society have taught us that freedom and free markets are powerful engines for generating well-being, discovery, and growth. The Market-Based Management philosophy seeks to apply these lessons to the inner workings of an organization. Find out more here.

Is the Koch Associate Program paid?

The Koch Associate Program is a professional education program and a full-time job. Associates receive a competitive wage and benefits package from their partner organization that is commensurate with work experience and education background.

What types of positions are Associates in?

Associates work in full-time roles for the duration of the program. Positions are varied and typically represent all areas within a think tank, policy institute, or non-profit organization. Positions may include: policy research and analysis, communications, marketing, public relations, new media, fundraising, measurement and analysis, management, non-profit operations, human resources, and non-partisan education.

Do I have to move to the Washington, DC area to participate in the program?

The Institute is located in Arlington, Virginia, and the all of the organizations where associates work can be found in the DC-metro area. Interested in opportunities outside DC? We also work with organizations on a nationwide level through a separate program, Liberty@Work™. Email David Thomas if you have any questions about what program would be right for you.

How many Associates are currently in the program?

The Koch Associate Program started with just thirteen associates in only seven organizations during the 2006-07 year. We have grown steadily since then, welcoming ninety associates working at more than thirty DC-based organizations into the 2012-13 program.

What academic backgrounds do candidates usually have?

Due to the varied positions available, associates come from a wide range of academic and professional backgrounds. The most common undergraduate degrees include economics, political science, communications, history, and business. However, we encourage applicants from all disciplines, including graduate studies.