Career prospects for students of International Relations
International Relations (IR) is a very prestigious course for students of humanities. Some of the most promising students join IR at post-graduation level. Some of the best universities in India, viz. Jawaharlal Nehru University, Jadavpur University, Pondicherry University, Delhi University, Christ University, South Asian University, University of Madras, Annamalai University, etc. offer this prestigious course mainly to the Graduate students with Honours in Political Science.But many Indian students are not fully aware of career prospects available for PG students in IR. For the benefit of such students, I am mentioning the major career avanues for IR students in brief:
(a) Civil Services: Indian Civil Services Examination is open for all Graduates. However, the students of IR automatically get some benefits at the time of the interview while answering questions on international relations. Further, if a student of IR joins Indian Foreign Service, his/her academic background helps him.
(b) As Intelligence Analyst: A student of IR can also work as an intelligence specialist in armed forces and security agencies. His training helps in maintaining intelligence databases and preparation of reports on activities of various countries.
(c) As Political Analyst: A student of IR can also work in newspapers and periodicals as a political analyst.
(d) As an International Lawyer: A student of IR can deal with International Trade Law, Finance and Banking and Arbitration between countries. However, for this purpose an additional degree in Law is necessary.
(e) As a Lobbyist: A Lobbyist is a person who represents his/her organization before Government. The main role of the lobbyist is to persuade the Government to make a decision or amending previous law/rule. Many students of IR work successfully as international lobbyist.
(f) Working in International Organizations: Students of IR can find suitable placements in various U.N. Agencies, ASEAN, WHO, SAARC and other international bodies.
(g) Working in Non-Profit Organizations: A student of IR can also work in NGO whose scope and area of work transcends the boundaries of a particular country.
(h) Working as a Lecturer: The students of IR can also join the faculty position in various universities after qualifying the National Eligibility Test or State Level Eligibility Test in this subject.
However, it must be stated that if the students of IR become fluent in any European language or in Chinese/Japanese, their career prospect improves manifold.
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