How do you want to do International Relations and Political Science

Find your passion, discover your niche and uncover the myriad of career pathways you can walk with your international relations and political science majors.

Specialist skills and capabilities to thrive in international relations and political science careers:

Cross-Cultural Management
Knowledge of 'History and Context'
Negotiation and consensus-building
Flexibility
Originality

The Sleuth

Do you love true crime? Do you have a fascination for ‘detective’ work or feel a need to serve and protect states, their data, economies or citizens? Perhaps a career in domestic/international security and threat mitigation is the right thing for you. You might see yourself shaping Australia's foreign policy decisions or working with elite international organisations or top intelligence agencies. The Sleuth is interested in protecting data, information, resources, and culture, territory and human lives, by predicting and analysing a myriad of threats. Governments and the Military, private businesses and NGOs all employ ‘The Sleuth’ to carry out these tasks.

Associated Search Terms:

Intelligence Analyst/Specialist (Broad Category - see specialisations below)
- Counter-Terrorism Analyst
- Cyber Defence Analyst
- Economic Analysts
- Military Analyst
- Crime and Counternarcotic Analysts
- Foreign Media Analysts
- Political Risk Analyst
Probation/Parole Officer
Boarder Force Officer
Armed Forces Operational Officer
Economist

Australian Employers

Opportunities exist (or have existed) within:

Employer	Location
Royal Australian Air force/ Defence Force	NSW, QLD, SA, ACT
Australian Government Department of Defence	ACT
Suncorp	Nation-wide opportunities
Australian Department of Home Affairs	ACT, NT, QLD
NSW Police Force	Sydney, NSW
Bank of Queensland	Brisbane, QLD

International Employers

Opportunities exist (or have existed) within:

Employer	Location
Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), Security Service (MI5), Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC)	United Kingdom
International Crisis Group	New Delhi, India

The Researcher

Do you have a niche interest within politics or international relations? The researcher gathers, analyses and interprets data and opinions to explore issues and forecast trends. The Research assists business, politicians, lawyers and other decision makers by determining what’s on the public’s mind, what policies would work best in a particular context and/ or explain a phenomenon. Perhaps you want to unlock the secrets of the past or assist legislative branches in determining the best laws or amendments to propose. The Researcher has the flexibility to work independently or collaboratively and has the chance to travel regularly throughout their career.

Associated Search Terms:

Public Opinion Researcher
Pollster
Government Social Research Officer
Historian
Legal Assistant
Research Fellow
Legislative Assistant
Political Scientist

Australian Employers

Opportunities exist (or have existed) within:

Employer	Location
University Faculties	Nationwide
Australian Strategic Advisory	Brisbane, QLD
Australian Electoral Commission	Nationwide
Bureau of Labor Statistics	Nationwide

International Employers

Opportunities exist (or have existed) within:

Employer	Location
Momenta	Work from online
Sierra Club	Washington DC, USA

The Political Enthusiast

The Political Enthusiast or the ‘politicophile’ has a fascination with all things politics. This doesn’t necessarily mean they are interested in becoming a politician. Instead, the Political Enthusiast could have an interest in specific or broad aspects of the political arena. This may include working on a political campaign (creating the ‘face’/ persona of a politician), supporting legislative goals or working in public relations and media relations positions. Either way, the political sphere offers a plethora of professions beyond the standard ‘Politician’ and therefore caters to a range of skill sets and interests.

Associated Search Terms:

Political Campaign Staffer
Political Scientist
Political Consultant
Legislative Aid
Policy Analyst
Communications Coordinator
Media Strategist
Chief of Staff
Member of Parliament (could lead to being Prime Minister!)

Australian Employers

Opportunities exist (or have existed) within:

Employer	Location
Macquarie Group	Sydney, NSW
Chandler Macleod	Paddington, NSW
Brisbane City Council	Brisbane, QLD
Australian Government Department of Finance	Canberra, ACT

International Employers

Opportunities exist (or have existed) within:

Employer	Location
European Council on Foreign Relations	Berlin, Germany
Mutant Communications	Singapore

The Linguist

The Linguist is the master of persuasion. There’s immense power in getting people to see things your way and if you’re already a pro at winning arguments - perhaps against your family or peers at University - then your persuasion skills can translate into a lucrative career. The Linguist has excellent written and verbal communication skills, social skills and is emotive, creative and can understand and engage with a variety of perspectives. The Linguist can work in diverse fields, such economics, law, education and foreign affairs.

Associated Search Terms:

Diplomat/Diplomacy
Consular officer
Economic officer
Management officer
Political Affairs officer
Public Diplomacy officer
Political Social Media Manager
Lobbyist
Legal Aid Officer
Political Marketer/Campaign Consultant
International Lawyer
International Communication Specialist
Political Correspondent
Higher Education Lecturer

Australian Employers

Opportunities exist (or have existed) within:

Employer	Location
Brisbane City Council	Brisbane, QLD
Australian Government Department of Finance	Canberra, ACT
American Consulate - MSS	Melbourne, VIC
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade	ACT
Herbert Smith Freehills	Sydney, NSW

International Employers

Opportunities exist (or have existed) within:

Employer	Location
Hawker Britton, Barton Deaken, Bespoke Approach, Barker Wentworth	Worldwide
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade - Consular Services/Australian High Commission	UK, Asia, USA

The Policy Professional

Policy professionals formulate appropriate public policy response, and articulate and implement policy decisions in state and federal government, NGOs and private corporations. They are experts at negotiating competing interests, identifying gaps and thinkng ahead. Policy professionals can specialise in almost anything, making it an attractive and personally rewarding career path. There is tremendous satisfaction to be derived from seeing policy work play out over the longer term.

Associated Search Terms:

Policy Analyst
Policy Officer/Manager/Advisor (in sectors tackling Climate Change, Economic and Gender Inequality, Development and Aid or domestic issues such as Transport)
Human Resources Specialist/Coordinator/Manager
International Banking Officer
Civil Servant
NGO Training Coordinator

Australian Employers

Opportunities exist (or have existed) within:

Employer	Location
Medical Technology Association Australia	Sydney, NSW
Chandler Macleod Group	Sydney, NSW
Department of the Treasury	ACT, VIC, NSW

International Employers

Opportunities exist (or have existed) within:

Employer	Location
Scope Global	Naru
Pacific Community	Fiji
United Nations Development Programme	Work online

The Activist/Advocate

The Activist/Advocate is driven by a deep desire to promote, direct or intervene in political, social, environmental or economic reform. Work in this sector is diverse and continuously evolving and changing as issues are solved and as new unexpected human tragedies arise or changes of ministers or elections roll through. This fluid environment is attractive to those who crave spontaneity in a job. Jobs in activism don’t have to follow the traditional path of organising protests, they can also work for/with political or issue-based campaigns as paid staff or in NGOs as aid workers. On the other hand, the work of an Advocate centres more on representing a person or a group of people to plead their case, or write in support of something. This may include in writing books, creating documentaries or liaising with government or business officials or representing individuals in court.

Associated Search Terms:

Foreign Aid Worker/International Development Worker
- Bilateral Aid
- Multilateral Aid
- Tied Aid
- Project Aid
- Military Aid
- Voluntary Aid
Social Activist
Political Activist
Social Worker
Legislative Aide
International Lawyer

Australian Employers

Opportunities exist (or have existed) within:

Employer	Location
Unilever Australasia	Sydney, NSW
Amnesty International Australia	Perth, SA
Grand Pacific Health	ACT
The Royal Children's Hospital	Melbourne, VIC

International Employers

Opportunities exist (or have existed) within:

Employer	Location
Syrian Centre for Policy Research; International Crisis Group; Centre for Conflict, Negotiation and Recovery, United Nations	Variety of internationally based positions
International Federation of Social Workers	Asia and Pacific

This page was created through a HASS Student Futures Student Staff Partnership.

Student Partner

Isabella is currently a third year student studying a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in International Relations. She is passionate about ensuring HASS students are well-informed about the plethora of career paths available to them and the variety of skill sets they have acquired, and are acquiring throughout their degrees that can be applicable to a broad range of careers. Isabella is excited about collaborating with students and staff on her first student-staff Partnership Project.

Staff Partner

Locky is the Career Development Learning Advisor for the HASS Faculty who studied many history units as part of his BA majoring in Politics and International Relations. It's Locky's mission to help HASS students recognise and articulate their capabilities, and plan for their future career.