The examination is interesting and free, so anyone interested should certainly take it, but realistically your chances of being selected are very slim indeed. Of the approximately 12,000 people who took the exam a few years ago, only about 200 were selected. The Foreign Service offers an attractive career, but the selection process is extremely rigorous. This group of approximately 8,000 people staffs American embassies abroad and the State Department and the United States Information Agency in Washington. The lead institution here is the Foreign Service of the United States. The best-known international career is undoubtedly diplomacy. The International Relations Commons Room (Maginnes Hall 203) has many additional sources of information.

For further career guidance, do not be afraid to ask questions of the faculty and other professionals such as the people at Career Services. This web page describes some of these positions, how best to prepare for them, and the special opportunities available to do so at Lehigh. Some have gone directly into careers upon graduating others have enrolled in graduate school prior to employment. Recent IR graduates currently work in all of these fields. While a degree in International Relations does not lead to a specific career in the way that, accounting or engineering does, a major in International Relations, by emphasizing clarity in speech and writing, analytical skills and a detailed knowledge of world politics prepares students for careers in government, journalism, law, non-governmental organizations, international business, and teaching and research. We take their questions regarding career planning very seriously. We are often asked about the employment prospects of students who major in International Relations.

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