<p>I could really use some more insight over on this thread: <a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=356951%5B/url%5D">http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=356951</a></p>
<p>Any input would be great, especially if you work with or are knowledgable about IR.</p>
<p>I have no direct experience I can provide. However, since there is a big push toward globalization and a global economy...many believe that this perspective is necessary and many colleges are including international studies as part of their core. You may wish to actually speak with someone in the relevant department at a college that offers this major...they should be on the cutting edge of this trend. Good luck. :)</p>
<p>The demand is for LANGUAGES. If you attain fluency in several other languages, most employers aren't going to care what your major happened to be. If, on the other hand, you have a major in international relations and don't have the necessary fluency, you likely won't even be able to become a secretarial assistant or file clerk at the State Department.</p>
<p>IR is becoming a popular major because a lot of people believe that it can lead to a job with some international connections and/or travel. What that means, however, is that every year from now, for a few years, a larger number of people are going to be graduating with bachelor's degrees and looking for such jobs than there will be jobs available (and it sounds like that's already been happening).</p>
<p>In that type of situation, it's not enough to say that you have X qualifications, therefore you ought to have a good chance of gettng a job. The question is - what qualifications does the competition have? What makes you different from, hopefully better qualified than, lots of others? Do you have fluency in a language that's not so common and/or in demand? Say Arabic as opposed to Italian? If you cannot differentiate yourself from other students at the same level, neither can prospective employers. It may be, that as txinternational wrote, that no matter what, to be competitive you may have to get a Master's.</p>
<p>Arabic and Mandarin are the two languages that are recommended by top IR schools. Personally, I'd say programming is another high demand global language.</p>
<p>Besides languages, businesses and NGOs traditionally look for staff who will thrive, not whinge, in new, foreign situations. The ability to move from country to country is a unique one. The ability to adapt to extremely different circumstances is more unique still.</p>
<p>As junior year abroad has gotten more popular, I'm not sure that experience necessarily elevates a CV--particularily as most Americans tend to study and travel together.</p>
<p>There is a great in-depth CC discussion of IR in the forum "Majors'--under 'Other majors'.</p>
<p>The IR majors I've known have been headed towards law school and/or business school. I see it as something of a soft political science major, with the "science" part de-emphasized, depending on the department.</p>
<p>Back in my day, when there was no such major, someone who wanted this kind of career majored in history, poli sci, or some type of area studies, then took a test after college for admission to the State Department's diplomatic corps. I don't know anyone who had done that recently, though, or even whether it still exists. Other people I know now in their 30s often did stints in the Peace Corps (as did some of the people in my cohort) and then with NGOs.</p>
<p>World Changer, I've lived and worked overseas for some 30 years. Although I've always been involved in the private sector, I've many friends who are "official Americans" e.g. with the State or Commercer Departments or who work for NGO's. </p>
<p>In the Peace Corps they characterize their applicants as world-savers, adventurers or resume builders. If you're interested in the foreign service, NGOs or an overseas assignment with an American firm, it helps to be a little of all three. Over the years, the people who seem to be the most successful in international careers are those who are willing to take risks, have uncomplicated personal lives (e.g., have assignment will travel) and most importantly have intense curiousity about politics and culture. It also helps to have a well developed sense of humor and a mountain of patience. </p>
<p>Careers with "international" in their resumes are extremely varied. You can join the foreign service (which covers several agencies or departments and within each involves different focuses from diplomatic to to economica to administrative), you can work for an NGO (which can range from health care to politics to arts to ecology), you can work for an international firm (again in many, many areas: finance, manufacturing, marketing). </p>
<p>So in answer to your question, is the field oversaturated, I'd say it depends what you want to do and where you want to do it. Some countries and some fields are more popular than other and would be difficult to crack into, but a person with a will to travel and a sincere interest in foreign culture and politics should have a lot opportunities.</p>
<p>Your major can be anything you can possibily imagine. I know engineers, botanists, philosophers -- you name it -- who have done well in international assignments. The common thread is again intellectual curiosity and a high tolerance (or even thirst for) the weird and wonderful.</p>
<p>Language aptitude is extremely helpful, but actual fluency in a specific language is not necessarily a requirement for assignment. It is assumed that you will acquire the language on site and most often you are given language training. </p>
<p>Aptitude in lucid and precise written English doesn't hurt as well as a lot of what we do overseas is communicate with the "home office" and it doesn't matter if the home office is the State Department or Citibank. The point is that as the representative of organization or corporation you're supposed to know what's going on and be able to articulate it to those back home. (And believe me, this is sometimes a lot harder than it sounds!)</p>
<p>If you have any specific questions please let me know.</p>
<p>Due to increased exposure to world events via the internet, global travel and 24/7 news, it isn't surprising that many students are drawn to the study of 'IR'. Interestingly, IR departments appear to offer the best array of courses at the moment--IR course selection often beats out the history and poly sci course selection in depth and range. My sons looked at all three majors before settling on IR at their respective unis--because the IR course selection was more challenging and current.</p>
<p>In other words, the interest is being fanned by American (not UK) universities--to what end I'm not sure.</p>
<p>I think mini is correct, language and cultural fluence is important in this field. Accordingly it is probably important to incorporate at least one semester, preferrably two, abroad into the academic program.</p>