New Graduate soon and potential employee???? (health insurance, schools, college)

[Nemesis15]

Hey guys, can some older professionals give me give some insight on job potential and demand for my major I will soon complete.

I attend George Mason and will complete a major in Government and International Politics, B.A. I can speak Thai pretty well, and would prefer to do something that deals with the language or is an influence to an extent.

I also would like to acknowledge that I do realize the departments like State, Defense, CIA, and FBI exist. I just wanted some first-hand opinions and knowledge about what kind of salaries/benefits(ie:GS,etc.) each department has, and more information on potential job titles.

Thanks in advance.

[Nemesis15]

Anyone?

[EuroExpat]

When are you graduating? If you have time, try to do an internship with one of the agencies first, that's a great way to get some inside info and see what the job is really about. Good luck!

[Nemesis15]

^ thanks for the advice! i've looked into it.

[barryhussein]

Maybe you could wait tables in a Thai restaurant.

[mlv311]

An undergraduate college degree qualifies you for a GS-5 (or its equivalent) or a GS-7 if you qualify as an outstanding scholar based on your GPA. I would think your language skills would be of interest to federal law enforcement agencies. You might want to explore if intelligence or conducting money laundering investigations are of interest to you.

If you end up getting a graduate degree and truly want to work for the federal government, check out the Presidential Management Fellowship Program. It's a 2 year program and when you complete it you can be converted noncompetitively to a GS-12. You start as a GS-9 based solely on your education, but your promotion potential beyond the 2-years and opportunities for rotations and career development during the program are very good.

[lokahi]

I hate to say this, but you need to be more specialized. I can't tell you how many ppl. in DC have your degree. You need to make your language skills your niche (or something else) and concentrate on jobs that have a focus on that. There are alot of linguists in DC, but Thai is a unique language. Have you thought about the Thai embassy or something similar? What about international firms that have offices overseas? I would expand your job search beyond DC as well. Possibly west coast, as there is a huge Asian community out there. I hope you don't find this post negative, I just hate to see bright, intelligent ppl. get lost in the fray when they're competing against so many ppl. that are very similar to them.

You're still in school and have time to find your niche, so I would focus on that. Start researching jobs now, and making contacts. Have you also thought about networking w/international business groups in the area? That way you can start to get your foot in the door, and by the time you graduate, they'll know who you are! If you're interested in project management, I would look into that as well. Project Managers are desperately needed in all fields, and there is an exam that you can take which would certify you as a PMP (Project Management Professional). At this stage in your career, you may not have the experience needed to take the PMP, but you could def. certify as a CAPM, which is one step lower than a PMP. Check out this website for more info on project management: http://www.pmi.org/Pages/default.aspx

Project Management is also a great niche field. If you've got the PMP cert and a strong language skill, you'll be able to get a job most anywhere!

Also, I think that the gov't jobs are really overrated and take forever to get into. It's up to you, but a friend of mine had to work for 2 years w/out health insurance for a temp agency (who contracted w/the feds) before he landed a job w/Homeland Security. If you're willing to make that kind of sacrifice, then maybe a gov't job is for you. He also had exactly the same degree you have.

Whichever route you decide to go, I can't stress how important it is to network with other professionals. In DC, getting jobs is mostly based on who you know. That sounds cliche, but it's true. Start making those relationships now (and don't burn any bridges along the way!) and selling yourself!

Good luck

[bungalowmo]

Staying true to form I see...

Originally Posted by barryhussein

Maybe you could wait tables in a Thai restaurant.

But Seriously: You can try a job search using the keyword "Thai". While you may get some results like stated above, there are jobs out there for "linguists" of all types. Often these posts are for high end companies or recruiters. Often it's a big plus to speak another language. I'd guess those speaking Thai as compared to Spanish...maybe 500:1. You being the 1, which makes you a rarity.

Good luck...Mo

[stockdale.35]

Originally Posted by Nemesis15

Hey guys, can some older professionals give me give some insight on job potential and demand for my major I will soon complete.

I attend George Mason and will complete a major in Government and International Politics, B.A. I can speak Thai pretty well, and would prefer to do something that deals with the language or is an influence to an extent.

I also would like to acknowledge that I do realize the departments like State, Defense, CIA, and FBI exist. I just wanted some first-hand opinions and knowledge about what kind of salaries/benefits(ie:GS,etc.) each department has, and more information on potential job titles.

Thanks in advance.

Yeah to get a job here you have to be extremely competitive, i.e. MA MS, Ph.D. The people that you will be competing with have these. You may want to get your masters or find an internship. OR, if you know someone that is already in the govt. ask them to help you out.

Project managment is very popular and not degree specific.

[akorosdc]

It can be hard to get a government job, but I know many who got one with just an undergraduate degree and limited experience (Int'l Affairs, Economics, Business, Political Science, Geography, and Psych majors). None of them are fluent in a second language, let alone Thai, and most went to small state schools (no Ivy League names to get them in). You definitely don't "need" a graduate degree just to get hired for an entry-level position.

One of the biggest difficulties in getting hired is patience. The process can be long, so apply as soon as you can and apply to anything that's remotely relevant. When looking for a job I figured that I can be picky once I had a few offers on the table.

It also helps if you take the adjectives used in the job announcement and integrate them into your resume or cover letter. They use search programs to filter out resumes before an actual person even looks at it, so it'll help you get past that initial step.