Guide To International Job Search

Types of International Jobs and Opportunities

As discussed earlier, each student must decide what type of career field they want to pursue and then proceed exploring this type of field with an international slant. The following are five basic international areas:

International Business: Through research and self-assessment the international business aspirant needs to gain a good overview of the field and an understanding of the functions they want to work in. The student needs to research the various aspects of basic business functions: accounting, finance, human services, logistics, marketing, planning and strategy, research and development, production, purchasing, and sales; focus on one to three of these functions in one to three industries.

International Development: The main focus of this area is providing a form of technical assistance to governments, organizations, and individuals that enable them to achieve targeted goals on their own.

International Education: This area includes more than just teaching particular subjects or the English language abroad. It also includes the administration of study abroad/exchange programs, or working with international students in the U.S.. More than ever students are studying, interning, volunteering, and working internationally through group programs. These programs need to be regulated, coordinated, and implemented by government, nonprofit, educational, and propriety organizations. The people needed in these organizations must be competent and sensitive to other cultures and international protocol.

International Government: Internationally related jobs are found at international, federal, state, and local levels. At the international level, organizations like the U.N., NATO, Organization of American States, and the European Union are opportunities. (Although opportunities in these organizations are few and far between.) The federal government level provides the largest opportunities in U.S. Department of State and the Department of Commerce. The State Department is responsible for the diplomatic politics and the Department of Commerce oversees the promotion of U.S. goods and services abroad. Many of the jobs in these organizations are obtained by first taking the Foreign Service examination. Another set of Federal Government internationally-related employers are the intelligence agencies. They are generally known for their acronyms: CIA (Central Intelligence Agency), DIA (Defense Intelligence Agency), DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency), FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigations), and NSA (National Security Agency). In addition, international opportunities in state and local governments are appearing. These governments are establishing sister-city agreements involving cultural and educational exchange and pursuing potential markets for their locally manufactured products.

International Non-Profit: Most international non-profit organizations can be categorized by a single issue or a set of related issues that may be region specific or worldwide. Some examples of organizations include: World Wildlife Fund, Sister Cities International, Amnesty International, World Affairs Councils, and the Population Institute. Additional areas students may explore are: journalism, volunteer programs, law, and translating/interpreting. Students will want to research any area in which they may have an interest. This often requires a lot of work, but the payback can be enormous. (Talk to the Career Center staff and refer to the Career Exploration packet for more information.)