Job Profiles post MPP/MA Global Affairs

[amit2k11]

Hey Folks,

I wanted to know what are the job profiles post MPA/MPP and MA in Global Affairs. Also, if the consulting firms recruit the candidates from these courses then how should one prepare for the job roles ?

Moreover, I also wanted to have a comparison between US,Canadian and European MPP/Global affairs programs in terms of international mobility,salary increment post MPP/MPA and career growth in general.

Thank you beforehand.

Warm Regards

Amit Ganguly

[amit2k11]

Folks, I am expecting a reply for this.

[MYRNIST]

You're not getting replies because your questions are either incredibly broad, or beyond the scope of this forum.

I wanted to know what are the job profiles post MPA/MPP and MA in Global Affairs.

Do you think it is a realistic request for people to list out all the many, many different jobs you can attain post MPP/MPA? You can work for the government, for NGOs, for businesses... in each of these sectors there is a huge variety of jobs.

I also wanted to have a comparison between US,Canadian and European MPP/Global affairs programs in terms of international mobility,salary increment post MPP/MPA and career growth in general.

Once again, what are you expecting people to do? There is no way to know how your university choice will affect your salary and life situation X years from now. Every school's career center website will list out average employment rates, salaries, etc. for their graduates. That's the best you're going to get, and those numbers have very little relevance to anyone's individual situation. Salary depends a lot more on what you do then where you're from. If you go to School X and get a hedge fund gig, you'll probably make a ton of money and live in NYC/London. If you go to School X and work for an African NGO... you can see where this is going.

Try to get into the best school you can afford, in a region you would like to live and possibly work in.

Edited October 25, 2011 by MYRNIST

[amit2k11]

thanks Myrinst.I appreciate your responses.i will make my questions more specific.

I am looking forward for an international diplomatic career.Hence with respect to that I wanted to have a comparison of US and Canadian schools. International diplomatic career meaning working for IMF or UNDP or so.

More so,I haven't get got any reliable resource for ranking all the public affairs schools worldwide.Hence, my questions are with respect to career growth post MPP/MPA and the vis-a-vis salaries.

Regards

Amit

Edited October 25, 2011 by amit2k11

[MYRNIST]

I am looking forward for an international diplomatic career.Hence with respect to that I wanted to have a comparison of US and Canadian schools. International diplomatic career meaning working for IMF or UNDP or so.

The top U.S. schools - Princeton WWS, HKS, Johns Hopkins SAIS, Georgetown SFS, Columbia SIPA, and Tufts - are generally better known than the top Canadian schools, have more reputed faculties, larger endowments, and larger and better-connected alumni networks. Note that I didn't say they're better schools, since that depends on individual program fit. But, by most metrics the best U.S. MPP schools are the best MPP schools in the world. There is a pretty big pipeline from all the above schools to the IMF, World Bank, UNDP, etc. If you get the chance to go to them at an affordable cost, I would do it.

More so,I haven't get got any reliable resource for ranking all the public affairs schools worldwide.Hence, my questions are with respect to career growth post MPP/MPA and the vis-a-vis salaries.

I appreciate you changing like 2 words to your request to detail exactly how each school will affect your career progression and salary, so I'm going to do you a favor.

I pulled out the magic wand all forumites have (you must have lost yours at orientation), and it told me if you go to HKS you will work for the IMF and make precisely eleventy-threeve dollars a year. Your individual career goals, previous employment history, academic performance during grad school, and personal connections have nothing to do with salary and career progression. It is solely dependent on what school you go to, and its rankings in some mythical list. The wand has spoken!

[Mal83]

If you want to work for the IMF or World Bank you should try for a school here in DC...Georgetown, Elliott, SAIS and SIS are the big four. But these schools are incredibly expensive and getting your foot in the door at these giant institutions is a crap shoot. Even unpaid internships are incredibly competitive. But being here, or in the city you know you want to work is the best way to start, you never know what opportunities will come up and who you will meet that can help you out. I never dreamed I'd even get an interview with the State Department in my first semester of grad school, but it was a job listing open only to students at a few DC schools.

Diplomacy is different from development, the IMF and UNDP are more on the development side of things. If you want to be a diplomat you have to do that with your government. I mean I guess a program like international political economy or international finance (if such a thing exists) would steer you toward the IMF and World Bank. But you might also want to consider something more specific than Global Affairs if you already know you want to work at a development institution...such as an MA in International Development, or you'll need a bit of quantitative course work, especially for the IMF or World Bank. There is no better place than DC for international anything...it's all right here. I think the best way to think about the salary question is simply to realize that there are many more fields out there that are much more lucrative than global affairs, development, and diplomacy...you work yourself up high enough and sure you'll make a fine living, but in these fields you need to spend a lot of time building up your experience and resume before you get into those top positions. A simple MA or MPP isn't going to get you there right after graduation. But these are fields, especially development, that you get into because you're passionate about them and you're ok with not making 75 grand right out of the gate. It's also customary to work, work, work while you're in school, sometimes this means unpaid internships. Not that it's impossible to land something that pays in the beginning, but it just depends on you. Some of my classmates have been working at organizations for a while and they have real jobs to do in the field already, a few of us have paid internships, some have unpaid ones, and others don't work at all yet. However as a non-citizen your options might be a bit more limited, you'd have to figure that out first.

And for the record, I've seen posts around here much more deserving of vote downs than yours and your first question is actually legitimate. And I'm not sure why you'd get a negative vote for thanking someone for their response...but ok. Anyway, good luck.

[amit2k11]

Thank you Mal83.Your insight has given me a deeper perspective.

I am trying to make a choice between an MBA and an MIA for working with international organizations.I have experiences in both technology development and project management for more than 6 years now.Hence,the questions about salary and career progress post MIA.

Much Regards

Amit (India)