So, you are interested in a career in International Relations and don’t know where to begin

Department of International Relations and Geography

Florida International University

So, You Are Interested In A Career In International Relations, But Don’t Know Where To Begin…

What Types of Issues Motivate You?

The first thing you have to do is figure out what issues motivate you. Is it women refugees, orphaned children or environment degradation? Do you care about halting nuclear proliferation or working to end protracted conflicts? There are thousands of topics from which to choose.

What Type of Job Suites You?

Then, you want to consider what types of jobs best fit your specific needs and skill set. Do you prefer big or small organizations? Do you see yourself standing in front of a classroom, educating lawmakers, sitting behind a desk or building schools? Are you fascinated by Latin America or the Middle East? Do you speak Urdu or Swahili? Do you work better with or without direct supervision? These are just some of the things to consider.

· Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO)[1]

Many people begin their IR careers working for NGO’s. The benefit of working for an NGO is that they generally allow young people maximum opportunity to gain valuable experiences in many aspects of IR. The downside is the salary’s can often be quite low. Duke University has a fairly comprehensive listing of NGO’s (http://billie.lib.duke.edu/pubdocs/ngo/a-e.asp). If you can, consider volunteering for a few months. Often volunteer jobs lead to full time positions.

· Private Organizations

Often overlooked are jobs with think tanks and/or foundations that support and/or coordinate IR activities. These jobs tend to be quite competitive because the salaries and benefits can be quite good. Some even include tuition for graduate school. Yahoo has a very good list of foundations; just visit: (http://dir.yahoo.com/Society_and_Culture/issues_and_causes/philanthropy/organizations/grant_making_foundations/). The following site has a good list of think tanks: http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0DXK/is_22_17/ai_68997044.

· Government Work

Working for the government can offer more security than other types of jobs. If you have a U.S. passport consider taking the U.S. Foreign Service exam (http://www.careers.state.gov/careers/fsright.html) (or perhaps the Foreign Service exam in your country) or working for a Governor or Member of Congress (http://www.house.gov/cao-hr/, www.senate.gov/employment). Many offices have IR positions. In addition, Members of Congress are keen to hire people with particular expertise from their district. Other government IR jobs to consider are working for the U.S. Intelligence Community (http://www.intelligence.gov/) or traveling overseas with the Peace Corps (http://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm).

· International/Regional Organizations (IO)

When people think of IR work, they tend to think of organizations like the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund, North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) or the World Bank. The U.S. State Department has a good—but not comprehensive—listing of IO’s (http://www.state.gov/p/io/empl/11076.htm). These large organizations often have complex hiring systems. Vacancies are listed on their individual websites and here: http://www.state.gov/p/io/rls/iva/41034.htm

The Opportunities are Endless, Just Get Started

Below are some of the best websites for IR jobs. They offer hundreds of employment opportunities and also provide valuable resources like mentorship opportunities and resume tips. Some ask you to pay a fee—but it is well worth it.

If you find an organization that you might like to work for and there are no job openings, try giving them a call. Ask to speak with the person responsible for hiring staff and discuss your interests with them. There may not be a position available today but one may be opening soon. When you call, however, make sure you are prepared. A good conversation can place you in a great position for a job with that group in the future, but a bad one can be quite damaging. Good luck!

http://www.usajobs.opm.gov/, http://www.fpa.org/jobs_contact2423/jobs_contact.htm, http://www.rcjobs.com/, http://www.reliefweb.int/vacancies/, http://www.careers.state.gov/, www.ecojobs.org,

http://www.brubach.com/, http://www.interaction.org/jobs/index.html, http://philanthropy.com/jobs/,

http://www.transitionsabroad.com/listings/work/careers/keywebsitesprofessionspecific.shtml

[1] A non-governmental organization is a non-for-profit agency not affiliated with any government or private sector entity, devoted to managing resources and implementing projects with the goal of addressing social problems.