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I'm 27 (will be 28 in a week) and just got my first job where I thought my bachelor's degree was required. I am at $55k in a low CoL metro, so I'm "batting the averages," to slightly above.
If you don't have a defined plan on the degree you want, why you want it, and how it applies to the private sector, I'd say no, it's not worth it. I was an economics graduate in a regional public college and now work for a financial software company. While I would say the degree ended up "working out," I am a bit of an exception, have ground my nose into the dirt looking for decent opportunities and have a just won't quit ethic on success. Many people get turned down and then just give up and settle.
I love economics and finance. Even with what I know today, I don't know if I could map out a path for a freshman in a normal college to get to a global investment firm. I don't feel the education was wasteful, but the delivery model at least seems to be a bit antiquated.
I would only go to school for the best majors or other majors should have you in-depth labor market research that rivals that of a mid-career professional.
"I just want to clarify that one should not just get any political science degree. There is a preference for internationally-focused political science degrees. A domestically-focused political science degree almost does you no good. "
It largely depends on what you want to do. Personally I see international has waned. After the Iraq war slowed down the media pulled out and frankly international reporting has been largely curbed. They'll report about Beruit from Tel Aviv or worse yet....London. Of course the energy boom has also created a turn away from the middle east. Some of this has had booms and busts for decades. How many professors of the Russian language get tenure these days vs during the cold war
"I would also recommend against a government degree since those are also usually domestically-focused."
Um. Read the Oxford Handbook on Public Policy. There's a whole chapter that explains the development of the disciple from political science to public administration to public policy. There's differences between all three.
"For someone who keeps up with current events, the foreign service officer exam is easy to pass. Without extensive professional experience, it's difficult to get past the next phases. Even though the federal government no longer uses the phrase "critical needs languages," being proficient in the languages on those lists will make you competitive. Critical Language Scholarship Program"
It all depends on how much is kept up. I came pretty close but the other thing to you have remember is the actual appointments for ambassadors don't go to people that actually know about them. Obama ambassador nominees prompt an uproar with bungled answers, lack of ties - The Washington Post This coupled with Bengahzi and frankly I just don't see the field being that attractive as it used to be.
If you want to build things up maybe joining the peace corp could help. Keep in mind this though you can only do that one way peace corp and then CIA. The peace corp openly asks during its application if you worked for cia and that pretty much blocks you.
You could also try to find work at a non profit that operates overseas.
The OP is looking for intelligence jobs, not jobs as a foreign reporter. Domestically-focused political science degrees don't go in depth on international relations, foreign terrorists, and the history of conflicts in other countries. The U.S. will always collect foreign intelligence. Russia, Syria, and Iran are important right now.
I thought the foreign service officer exam was easy, and ambassador appointments have always been that way. Foreign service officers aren't ambassadors, and there are other positions to move up to. The Peace Corps is fine for someone looking to work for an NGO, but it is bad advice for someone looking to get into intelligence. Those who served in the Peace Corps are barred from working in civilian and certain military intelligence positions for several years.
A degree in government is not a degree in public administration or public policy.
Um. Read the Oxford Handbook on Public Policy. There's a whole chapter that explains the development of the disciple from political science to public administration to public policy. There's differences between all three.
From what I've been hearing, the best way to break into intelligence work these days is to join the military and hope you get lucky.
Joining the military is one of the easiest ways to get a security clearance if you can get into a position that requires one. Government contractors rarely sponsor for security clearances, so you already have to have one. Another way to get a security clearance is to do an internship for a federal agency that requires one.
If you are at the bottom of the list like me and never made more than 27k in your life, than going back to school is worth it, if not for a change of scenery and personal enrichment. But if you are making 35-40k which I personally would do jumping jacks over I advise you to just roll as you are.
Joining the military is one of the easiest ways to get a security clearance if you can get into a position that requires one. Government contractors rarely sponsor for security clearances, so you already have to have one. Another way to get a security clearance is to do an internship for a federal agency that requires one.
The security clearance is just the tip of the iceberg. You also need the experience and training. Like other civilian employers, the federal government and defense contractors are mostly too cheap to provide either. Plus, the veteran's preference points can tip the hiring scales.
Unfortunately, there's no guarantee of getting intel (or any other TS/SCI cleared field) in the military these days. ROTC/OCS/OTS is always a crapshoot, and I know that the Air Force won't even give you a guaranteed job on the enlisted side either. The reserve components still will, but then you face the problem of competing with active duty types with a lot more accrued experience than you. So, a rather sucky situation, in other words.
The internships are a serious long shot. I "knew people" and still couldn't get one in college. Once you're out of school, you're no longer eligible.
That or work for a outsourced firm, that's how Snowden got in.
Well, Snowden was IT. Not so much intel, per se. But yeah, I imagine that if you have a skillset that is in very specific demand, you could still walk in off the street.
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