Government and Foreign Affairs

Transferable Skills that Government and Foreign Affairs Majors Develop:
In addition to the specific subject matter that Government and Foreign Affairs majors learn, they acquire many skills that can easily transfer to any subject matter.  The following is a list of transferable skills that Government and Foreign Affairs majors develop:

Interacting with diverse populations
Understanding community needs  
Computer literacy
Working well under pressure
Developing ideas  
Marketing and persuading
Working as a team
Complex decision making  
Problem solving  
Analytical thinking
Researching  
Leading
Understanding the big picture  
Appreciating differing worldviews

Possible job titles for Government and Foreign Affairs majors:
Accountant
District Attorney
Foreign Correspondent
Foreign Service Officer
International Relations Specialist
Journalist
Labor Relations Specialist
Legislative Advocate
Market-Research Analyst
Military Officer
Paralegal
Political Campaign Manager
Politician
Professor
Public Relations Officer
Teacher
Writer

Types of employers:
Archives 
Business & Industry
Chambers of Commerce 
Consulting Firms 
Correctional Institutions
Educational Institutions
Government Agencies 
Historical Societies
Import/Export Companies 
Labor Unions
Magazines & Newspapers 
Market Research Departments and Firms
Nonprofit Organizations 
Political Organizations 
Regional Planning Councils and Associations

Resources available in the Career Library:
Great Jobs for Political Science Majors, by Mark Rowh
Federal Jobs in Law Enforcement, by Jack Warner and Beverly Sweatman 

Visit the HSC Government and Foreign Affairs Department web site or catalogue!

Other sources of information:
Career counselors and faculty members are great resources.  Visit the Career Development Office early and often, and make time to talk to professors in your major and related fields.  Ask at the Career Development Office for help locating Hampden-Sydney alums in career fields that interest you and set up informational interviews with them.   Professional associations are excellent sources of career and employment information, and many of them have websites.  Surf the internet, keeping in mind that many colleges and universities have websites for their Career Centers and for each academic major, many of which include career and employment information as well as links to professional associations and other useful websites.  Consult the following organizations and websites for more information:

American Political Science Association
http://www.apsanet.org/studyingps.cfm

American Society for Public Administration
www.aspanet.org