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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)
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. If you can, consider
volunteering for a few months. Often volunteer jobs
lead to full time positions.
Private Organization
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
click here to visit. Here is
another site with a good list of think tanks.
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 (or perhaps the
Foreign Service exam in your country) or working for
a Governor or
Member of Congress.
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 or traveling overseas
with the
Peace
Corps.
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. These large organizations
often have complex hiring systems. Vacancies are
listed on their individual websites
and here.
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! |
