Working in Public Policy: Andre's Path to NYC Government

A Career Playbook Case Study

The Role

Andre Vasilev is the Assistant Director of Economic Development at the Office of the New York City Controller. His work sits at the intersection of economist and public policy analyst.

Note: Views expressed here are Andre's own and don't represent the NYC Controller's office.

In practical terms, Andre uses information about the economy, population, and political environment to analyze and comment on laws and regulations that affect everyday New Yorkers. His specialization is economic policy—things like income and wages, employment and job quality, financial well-being, social safety net programs, and housing.

Day-to-day, this means working toward written outputs—typically public reports that do deep dives into issues. For example, his team analyzed the racial wealth gap in New York City and State, combining quantitative analysis with qualitative and historical information, then produced recommendations for what policymakers should do.

The ultimate goal: influence public policy. "You're always one of many trying to just steer the boat a little bit more in one particular direction."

The Path

Education:

• Stanford University (Economics)
• Princeton University (Master's in Public Affairs)

Andre's interest in public policy started early: "I've kind of always had an interest in public policy since I was a kid. Coming from an immigrant family—my family comes from Russia—there's maybe a little bit more detachment and outside view of social and economic institutions. You question things a little more: why does a particular political or social apparatus need to work this way?"

At its core, his why is simple: "Being interested in and wanting to help address issues of poverty, inequality, and people's well-being in the United States."

Compensation

Public policy salaries vary widely based on location and role:

Government roles often trade higher private-sector salaries for job stability, benefits, and mission-driven work. Salaries vary significantly by geography—NYC pays more than smaller cities.

What Makes Someone Good at This

1. Empathy "The level of empathy that's necessary to want to engage with communities and better the situation of people other than you and your immediate circle."

2. Inquisitiveness and structural thinking "Being able to think about our social systems from a structural perspective—to understand what are really the root causes behind any given issue. What is driving the growth of poverty in certain cities? What is driving unemployment in certain areas? Really continuing to ask why."

3. Quantitative thinking (for economic policy specifically) "That doesn't mean being really good at math or arithmetic. It means knowing how to think empirically and statistically—knowing how to separate anecdotal evidence from what is actually verifiable based on long-term data."

The Most Rewarding Part

"Anytime we get to take the analysis we've produced, the reports we've produced, and engage with external groups—community organizations, state legislators, other lawmakers—presenting to the general public. Anything that gets people to engage and you can see people's live reactions to it, see how it might help move a policy forward."

One example: Andre's team produced a report on the racial wealth gap in New York State. They not only published it publicly but sent it to legislators' offices and the governor's office as she was considering whether to sign a bill. "When you're most tangibly involved in a particular political cycle, like getting a law passed—that's the most exciting part."

There's No One Right Path

Andre emphasizes that public policy is accessible from many backgrounds:

"There's no one right background for it. There's no one right major for it. There's no one right first job for it. As long as you are interested in bettering the lives of people, it's a million ways you can kind of get into that."

Different skills can find a home in policy work:

• Press and communications
• Chief of staff for elected officials
• Community organizing
• Research and analysis
• Legislative work

"Any different skill you might have—if you are interested in working in the public sector, working in public policy, there is a way you're going to be able to apply it."

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