Being an International Affairs (IA) major may not necessarily lead you straight to a specific career, but it definitely gives you the skills you need to work a federal job. As an IA major, you learn how to analytical analyze world politics, become a boss at researching and look at the world through a different set of eyes. Your vast knowledge in foreign policy and current events prepares you to work in the government, as a journalist, in law, international business among many other things. We are some of the few members of society that love politics, foreign policy, and other cultures. Here are some things all international affairs students know to be too true.
1. Being asked what your major is.
Most people don't seem to comprehend how complex and detailed the explanation of what our major is. We’re not just IA majors. We’re also experts in our area of concentration and in a foreign language. Every IA major is different – Asian concentration with Chinese, Korean or Japanese, or maybe your concentration is European with French or German. We also know basically everything there is to know regarding our area of concentration’s culture. The point is, it’s complicated.
2. When people call you a political science major.
As an IA major, you are required to take on a foreign language, become more focused on foreign and global affairs, and learn everything there is to know about your area of concentration. Our major is far more detailed than regular political science majors. We care about more than just the government and elections.
3. One pet peeve is people who don't pay attention to their news sources.![]()
All of those countless hours spent on research papers have taught us the importance of making sure our sources are reliable. We know better than to just believe anything we hear or read. We know how to take into considerations biased opinions in order to make sure the real information isn’t compromised; however, most of our friends do not know how to do that. Most of them seem to think that just because it’s on the internet it must be true. Or even worse, they get so caught up with one specific news outlet that they fail to see the big picture and become consumed by the biased views of today's media.
4. Your dream job is more than likely located in Washington D.C.
One of the most popular career choices within the IA community is diplomacy. All of these jobs are more than likely located in the beautiful city of Washington D.C. All those hours spent studying are in hopes that we may one day end up working for the State Department, the Defense Department, Central Intelligence Agency and the National Security Agency. Besides working for the United Nations, nothing is better than being in D.C. You were born ready and work hard every day to get there.
5. You love being an IA major because all your knowledge may help you save the world.
Being an IA major is hard. You are expected to be an expert in your area of concentration and know everything about your region’s culture. Your employer counts on you when it comes to deciding what is the best course of action when it comes to foreign policy and/or international business. You have a lot of weight on your shoulders but at the end of the day, it’s all worth it. Who knows, maybe one day you’ll help draft a deal that may prevent WWIII from happening.
