<p>Tufta08 (and Mamotcha)
The path from graduation to career -- fulfilling or otherwise -- is seldom direct, unless of course you choose to be a doctor, lawyer or Indian chief. Consider Hamlet, David Copperfield, The Graduate: it's quite normal for young people, and their parents, to feel that they will never find a job that they enjoy and that pays them up to whatever their personal standards are. At 17-18 you can't possibly know what's going to appeal to you in 5 or 10 years. Some do, of course, but many, many others haven't a clue. If forced to make premature career decisions, they often err. I know two personal cases one a graduate of Columbia and Chicago MBA who decided to become a chef, another a graduate of Brown and Wharton MBA who went back to school at Pratt for environmental design.</p>
<p>I strongly suggest that you pay a visit to your school career counseling center. Make an appointment. You won't be the first one who's asked these questions.</p>
<p>I don't know where you study but since it's a prestigious private university, it most likely has an active network of alums who are there to shepherd lost sheep like you. (If it's Tufts as your name suggests, relax you have friends!) Alumni/ae networking is one of the best ways to get started in the world of work.</p>
<p>There are infinite careers that are logical extensions to an IR degree, especially from a top school. The US government has thousands and thousands of people in its employ -- in Washington and all over the world. If living abroad interests you, you could consider the foreign service in the State Department, Defense or Commerce. Most likely many IR grads at your school have already taken that path.</p>
<p>Private sector jobs are less clearly defined, but again, an IR degree from a good college is a foot in the door. After you're in the hard work is up to you. Your school most likely can connect you to internships with companies and firms with which alums are affiliated. They will help you. The scope of possibility is wide. Some ideas: Citibank, Liz Claiborne, Proctor and Gamble, J. Walter Thompson, Amazon, Starbucks -- these are all billion dollar corporations with aggressive global businesses and they are full of liberal arts graduates. They have formal programs for on the job training. If after you work for a few years you feel you're missing some element of education you can always go back for that MBA, law degree, teaching certificate.</p>
<p>Most people stumble into their life's work. Sometimes it's a trial and error process. Some people succeed at business; some fail. Some are successful due to luck; most attribute it to hard work. You've chosen to study at a top university under the tutelage of the best and brightest. Take advantage of that opportunity! Expand your intellectual horizons -- wherever you end up, your education will serve you well if you know how to use it.</p>