<p>So... what kind of job prospects are available with that?</p>
<p>i'd love to major in international relations, but my parents keep warning me that i'll end up someone's secretary. In a cubicle. poorly paid. bored.</p>
<p>nah you won't end up as someone's secretary. there's a good number of government or state department related jobs available, although the ones where the big action actually takes place (important negotiations, etc) are very competitive to get into. poorly paid?... nah, you'll get decent pay (good enough to be middle class), and a good benefits package if you work in the govt. </p>
<p>alternatively, you can apply your major towards international business related jobs, where the pay may be higher, or you can work towards global advocacy (such as with NGO's) where the pay is very low but you'll feel good for helping the world.</p>
<p>I JUST COPIED THIS OFF OF THE STATE DEPARTMENT WEBSITE..ALSO AS A MIDDLE AGED SCIENCE PROFESSIONA< HAVING LIVED OVERSEAS THESE JOBS ARE FAIRLY COMPETITIVE .....You will be much better off with a language also....dont totally discount your parents concerns --they are real</p>
<p>Education and/or Experience Grade/Step
BACHELOR'S DEGREE and no professional experience, or FP-6, Step 5* ($38,875)
No college degree and six or fewer years' professional experience. </p>
<p>Candidates with a Bachelor's degree receive one additional step for each year of professional experience. For example, a candidate with a Bachelor's degree plus five years of professional experience receives FP-6, Step 10 ($45,067). </p>
<p>Candidates without a college degree but with more than six years of professional experience receive one additional step for each year of professional experience above six years. For example, a candidate without a college degree with 11 years of professional experience receives FP-6, Step 10 ($45,067).</p>
<p>Education and/or Experience Grade/Step
MASTER'S DEGREE OR LAW DEGREE (JD), or FP-5, Step 5*** ($43,485)
Bachelor's degree and minimum of six years' professional experience, or<br>
No college degree and minimum of 12 years' professional experience.</p>
<p>it depends on what language you learn (try a somewhat obscure one that not many americans know), and what kinds of connections (networking, internships,...) you can make/get. anyways, try a military school (dont worry, not a recruitor). it would give you the oppurntunity to travel around the world, and the quasi-authority to get access to all the important people. when you retire from duty, you can use your connections to get all the sweet contracts and what nots.</p>
<p>While thinking about university, for a very long time I, too, considered I.R., or at least I.R. interfaculty with something else, especially for my interest in active politics. </p>
<p>If you're looking just for an employment, the posts above explain everything. Some important person's secretary, Journalist, etc. I suppose. There are people who have majored in IR and have careers in totally different fields.</p>
<p>But if you want to enter the real game of international politics...
One thing I'm sure about is that you will always need many connections if you want to reach the top. It's a game of prestige, charisma and human relations if you want to enter "serious" international politics. </p>
<p>There are people who have studied different things and have become states(wo-)men. It's a question of vocation. WHAT do you want to exactly reach in IR? Which party, which objectives do you want to bring to the world/the country, etc.?</p>
<p>A very recent example is Mrs. Angela Merkel.
She has a doctorate of physics and worked in quantum physics, publishing many works in chemistry and science in general.
Through contacts and interest she became involved in politics only in the last decade(s). Joins a party she's interested in, becomes minister here and there, for Environment and Reactor Safety, etc.
Today, she's [the first female] Chancellor of Germany.</p>
<p>There are many other examples, which are not necessarily students of physics and chemistry, maybe law, business, social sciences, who made it to the peak.</p>