Poli Sci Jobs?
 

I'm a senior majoring in Political Science. I graduate next spring (sp. 2004.) Are there any jobs out there for me? Any Poli Sci gcers are free to answer.

Hi There! I have a BA in Political Science, and it's definitely not the easiest degree to use in the workforce! That said, there are plenty of options for you. What have you done in terms of internships or employment while in college? The jobs I held in school and the internships I did helped me land quite a few jobs after college.

Also, if you're graduating in spring 2004, you could EASILY sign up on a political campaign. The pay isn't great, but it's one of the best ways to meet influential people in the community/state, and the connections can pay off in the long run.

What about groups for whom you've done volunteer work? I know a lot of poli sci grads who've gone on to work for non-profit orgs. At the moment, I am hoping to get a new job for a private foundation.

Also, do you have an area of emphasis or concentration within your major? I did my concentration on public relations, and many of the jobs I've since held are PR jobs. A classmate of mine focused on policy and now works in legislative research in a state legislature. Your area of concentration might be a great place to start narrowing your options and deciding what type of poli-sci related job you want.

Good luck with your search. Feel free to PM me if you want to chat more about the job search!

I received my Master's in Poli Sci in 1994. I worked in municipal government for a year. (pure hell, mostly due to the mayor I worked for). I then did not-for-profit administration for a few years before finally making the plunge into Greek Life advising. Most people think its funny, but I have actually used some international relations theory in advising fraternities and sororities!:D

Most people I know that have established successful careers in the field have done so in state/local government or through lobbying. Lobbying seems to be one of the better opportunities careerwise if you are willing to do it. In politics/government who you know is at least as important as what you know. Good luck.

I majored in poli sci at UARK..... then yrs later went back to complete my paralegal degree....not a lot of jobs for poli sci majors except history and gov't teachers and well law school

I second what M&M said about campaign jobs! If you are looking to go to D.C., you can do a search for the publication called "Roll Call." They have a listing of all jobs in the D.C. area for PSci majors. You should also consider going to the US senate and representative website. It lists the members of each. Most members have a page of their own just for job opportunities. Now, some of them are for positions in the home district, etc. But, a few can be in D.C. You should also consider doing the same for your state, ie, searching for positions for the state senate/reps.


Hope this helps.

P.S. Interning is an awesome way to get your foot in the door. If you can afford to go w/o pay for a semester, you should think about it.

Thanks for posting this! I'm in the same boat graduating in may with a political science degree.

p.s. I checked out roll call and it was great!

This is a great time to be a poli sci major. Volunteer with a Presidential candidate, maybe even at a convention. You might be able to turn that into a salaried position. Additionally, look to your local or state politicians to see if they have any positions available. :)

Very Cool! i just checked out roll call and it was very valuable in information. Now i am going to also check the house and senate website as suggested.


Thanks!

I am a poli sci major too, graduating in May of 2004. I've been told to look at internships, whether paid or unpaid, political campaigns. I want to do it in DC so I'll do anything to get my foot in the door! I have already applied for a summer internship with Emily's List in DC. I am looking for some resumer critique if anyone wants to volunteer to have a look at mine!

This goes out to anyone like me who doesn't want any kind of career in politics. A Poli Sci degree is actually a fairly good general degree, you've probably had to do a lot of writing and probably some group work. I'm actually looking to go into advertising or PR with my degree and nothing that would qualify as political. BTW I have a minor in business.