Can you get a job in international affairs right out of college?

Yes, although it might not be easy.  Still, you don't have to go to graduate school to find a job in international affairs.  Each of the following is a direction you can take even before you get that B.A. degree.  You should consider internships or job shadowing in any of the following settings:

1. The Diplomatic corps:  The State Department offers the Foreign Service Exam every year, which is designed to screen candidates for the professional diplomatic corps, known as the Foreign Service.  Usually over 10,000 people take the written exam, of which perhaps 2,500 will pass to go the oral exam.  Examiners whittle down the final pool to the hundreds.  Secretary of State Powell recently announced an effort to hire hundreds of new Foreign Service Officers and to increase diversity in the Foreign Service, so the odds are getting better.

2. The  Peace Corps:  Although this government agency will not guarantee you placement in a specific country or region, they offer an opportunity to have two years of intensive living in another country.  Participants often drop out (it's tough work), so there are usually positions available.

3. Teaching English as a Second Language: Many Malone graduates have found this to be a great opportunity to get to China, Moldova, South Korea, Turkey, or other places and gain valuable living experience in a foreign culture.  Run by Christians, the English Language Institute in China offers you an opportunity to teach English in China and also earn a "tuition-free" Masters degree. 

4. Nongovernmental Organizations (NGOs) working overseas:  There are many Christian and other private international groups that do development and relief work, human rights advocacy, missionary support, etc.  For example, Mercy Corps, Mennonite Central Committee, Habitat for Humanity International, Bread for the World, World Relief, and World Vision.  Or the International Justice Mission,  a Christian group which seeks to liberate persons who are victims of injustices like child labor or slavery.  Check out InterAction, www.oneworld.net and www.idealist.org for more on international NGOs.

5. Interest/lobbying groups in the US: Many internationally oriented groups have a presence in New York or Washington, DC, with thousands of interest groups registered in DC.  To take just a few examples of international groups:  the National Council on US-Arab Relations,  the United Nations Association of the USA (UN-USA), Amnesty International, Transparency International, Quaker United Nations Offices,  Friends Committee on National Legislation, or business lobbying groups (e.g., American Iron and Steel Institute,  Council on Competitiveness). 

6.  Think Tanks in Washington, DC or elsewhere.  These are places devoted to studying and advocating public policies, sometimes including foreign policies.  They often need research assistants for foreign policy issues and usually take interns.  At least one small organization, the International Center for Religion and Diplomacy in Washington, DC is headed by a Christian.  For links to major think tanks doing foreign policy work click here. 

7. The  UN or other international organizations.

8. The  CIA or Defense Intelligence Agency. Contrary to cloak and dagger images from the “operational” side, most intelligence work involves thinking through problems on the “analytical” side.  You sit at a desk and try to decipher political information.  Analytical intelligence offers a chance to use your political science skills every day.

9. Join the Armed Services as an officer (including a military lawyer in the JAG corps or an intelligence officer).  As a college graduate you can usually start as a commissioned officer with a rank equivalent to second lieutenant; in other words, you have people under your command.  The military often covers student loans and will even pay for law school now or graduate school later (if part of an approved plan).   Military lawyers or intelligence officers can often have challenging, intellectually stimulating jobs.

10. Civilian national security agencies.  Check out the David L. Boren Fellowships in the National Security Education Program.  The Federal Government will help pay for graduate school on a “strategic” region or country of interest to national security, provided you pursue language study and agree to work for a national security agency for the amount of time of your fellowship.  For example, you would learn Arabic and then agree to work as an Arabic interpreter for the FBI.

11. Law enforcement.  The FBI, for example, is becoming more of a global agency than ever.

12. International business.  Large multinationals or small businesses are “going global” more than ever.

13. Journalism and communications.  With more media outlets than ever, the world needs well-informed, globally minded Christians who can communicate stories between our First World and the so-called Two-Thirds World (where the majority of people on earth live today).