<p>i was thinking something to do with a college major like international studies/affairs/relations...but ive had a bad experience with AP gov (as in, the teacher sucked so bad) so im not quite sure about that...</p>
<p>You can work for the State Department as a contractor. They have TONS of jobs available and all different types of work. My dads company arranges contracts for overseas embassy work for the State Department... he doesn't really need to travel much anymore, but he can if he wants to. His degree is in engineering management.</p>
<p>I was actually looking at consulting (specifically management consulting) the other day. It looks quite interesting, and yeah, there's more travel than you could ever want involved. Sweet.</p>
<p>Be careful what you wish for - travel often seems to entail nightmarish trips squeezed into the middle seat in the last row of coach, sitting between a talkative granny and a mom with screaming baby. Or eating junk out of an airport vending machine at 11 PM because your flight is delayed again and everything in the airport is closed... ;)</p>
<p>That's not to say business travel is all bad - once in a while you may be able to wrap up a meeting early and actually see something beyond the insides of taxis and offices. But until you reach a career status that allows unhurried travel, preferably in first class, you may find the appeal of business travel wears thin quickly.</p>
<p>If you ARE able to find a situation that lets you travel, try to take advantage of it. Sometimes by extending a trip to include a weekend, for example, you can save more than enough to pay for an extra day or two in a hotel. You get to soak up some local atmosphere, and the company saves money - win/win.</p>
<p>Sales is one career that often involves travel, although most salespeople (particularly new ones) work in a specific geographic area.</p>
<p>Technical experts in a variety of fields get to travel to help customers, supervise installations, troubleshoot problems. Willingness to travel can often help land a job, since many employees have family or personal obligations that make travel undesirable. Put "willing to travel" on your resume... :)</p>
<p>Check into the forgien service, we have identical interests and that's what I'm planning to do. I'm going to be majoring in International Realtions/Poly Sci and French. </p>
<p>I'm also interested in the Foreign Service, but I do hope you're not expecting to travel around to first world countries and bask in art and luxury; the government TELLS you where to go and I believe you have to reside in this area for two years with nine month intervals between your trips. I also hope you're prepared to spend two years in areas such as Haiti or places where terroism is prevalent. </p>
<p>I would go on, but with the help of the internet, you can find some pretty good books about the realities of the foreign service.</p>
<p>From personal experience (both of my parents work for the foreign service), I can tell you that it's not quite like that. The government doesn't tell you where to go, you bid on jobs (and cities) the last year of your term (four years is probably the usual assignment, two is also common), they're not completely random, they depend on your rank (1-8), and other parts of your situation. I don't think there's any rule regarding nine months intervals between trips back to the U.S., at least we've never been affected by it. We've never lived in a third world country or a particularly dangerous one (unless you want to count South Korea, but I doubt it), and those assignments are not usually just forced on people, and you get corresponding danger-pay and living expenses pay depending on what city you live in. I can't tell you what it was like when my parents first started, but now after some 14 years and as far back as I can remember they've taken many trips, travelled all around the continents they were in, and "basked in art and luxury." The govt pays us for trips to the States every 2 years, and another trip on the alternate years. They also pay for our apt., my school, various bills, and so on. It really is a nice job.</p>
<p>so can someone elaborate on what someone who goes into foreign service really does? do i need to be like a political junkie to be knowledgeable in my work?</p>