I’m currently a freshman undergrad at UCSB, and I am studying Middle East Studies. I want to go into foreign policy eventually. I was wondering if employers and grad schools in this field care about specializing in a region or being well-rounded. Should I spend more time in the Middle East to show that I am very familiar with this region and language, or should I spend summers in different places like China (I can speak Chinese), Latin America (I am very proficient in Spanish), and also a Middle Eastern country?
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If you can speak Chinese AND Arabic well, and have spent study abroad terms there (or had a summer intership there) that’d make you very sought-after. You do need to have certain skills and knowledge (ie., statistics, foreign language, history).
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Chinese & Arabic-both hard but on the plate these days.
You need working experience in government to get a job with Chinese or Arabic…language alone is not enough…
If you are just beginning the study of a Middle Eastern language as part of your major, you should spend as much time as possible in a country where that language is spoken. Otherwise, how will you attain enough proficiency in it?
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Yeah you need working experience for an employer that won’t give you a chance. Don’t bother. Gov is a joke and all about nepotism.