Should I wait to apply until after I graduate to have a better resume?

[DismallyPolitical]

I'll be graduating with a Bachelor's in both Political Science (with an IR concentration) and Economics with honors in both next May. The problem is I currently only have a 3.25 GPA. I should (if everything goes right which it has so far) graduate with a 3.4 or 3.5. I go to a mid-level state school that's not really known for either program (but it's a big school that has sent students to top graduate programs in the past). I do not have any relevant work experience either.

 

Should I wait until I graduate and apply then? I am supposed to take my GRE in December (I know I waited too long) and I should get decent recs (from professors I've worked with in research and the like). Should I try and get relevant work experience?

 

My top choice for a master's program is American's SIS. I would prefer the MA in international affairs and specifically US Foreign Affairs. I fear that I'm only really qualified for international economics though. I don't really like economics to be honest (even though I'm pretty good at it) and I don't want to commit my life to it. I'm also looking into the other regular policy schools.

 

I don't want to either apply and get rejected and have to wait a year to go to a good school or else only get accepted into a program I'm not totally happy with and end up there. What are my best options? 

(this was originally posted in Political Science)

[Gov2School]

Honestly, I think it's always better to wait until you have some work experience before applying to a Masters degree program.  I think the only exception is if you're focused on doing something like medicine or physics where you just can't really do work you want to do without an advanced degree.  But if you're interested in foreign relations, there's a lot you can do without a masters degree.  And getting out into the work world will give you a better sense of what your most interested in and how to tailor your experience, before you drop serious cash on a graduate degree.   Taking the GRE now is smart, because the kinds of things it tests you on are things you're probably doing now in school,  but your GRE scores are good for five years, why not take some time and see what you're able to accomplish professionally before committing yourself to a program?  

[DismallyPolitical]

...why not take some time and see what you're able to accomplish professionally before committing yourself to a program?  

Honestly, I'm super apprehensive about trying to get a relevant FP/IR job/experience seeing because I don't really have any contacts outside faculty here at my university. Although I suppose the question of where to find out what to do with my degree(s) isn't really useful for this forum.

[RCtheSS]

Honestly, I'm super apprehensive about trying to get a relevant FP/IR job/experience seeing because I don't really have any contacts outside faculty here at my university. Although I suppose the question of where to find out what to do with my degree(s) isn't really useful for this forum.

 

I was in your position last year, except I was looking to gain social policy experience. By the start of my senior year I had a list of organizations, internships, and volunteer opportunities that I would try to apply to as graduation neared. Many of the jobs were out of state, and I couldn't say that I networked with any colleagues or faculty who knew about these organizations and their missions. It just became about selling myself all-around from my academic coursework to my extracurriculars-- I tried to make every experience fit within what they were asking. 

 

So don't shy away from seeking out job opportunities due to lack of contacts! Obviously, networking is a plus, but those faculty can at least vouch for you as a reference.

[Gov2School]

Well, if you're apprehensive about it now, I hate to tell you this, but it may not get easier with a masters degree.  Depending on what you want to do specifically, a lot of jobs in the international field place a high value on experience, rather than credentials.  So just having a higher degree won't necessarily make you a more attractive candidate if you've never worked in the field. It won't hurt you, but it may not advantage you above and beyond what a BA will do.   And a lot of the top public policy programs want people with some relevant work/volunteer experience, so applying straight out of undergrad may be difficult if you don't have any extracurricular/volunteer experience to supplement your classroom work (maybe you do, it's just not mentioned).    

 

You have lots of time before graduation, now is a great time to start networking with alums and to leverage your professor's networks as well.  Set up informational interviews in the field you're most interested in, and find out from people actually working in the field you want to go into what kinds of jobs are out there and what they recommend you do. That's the best way to develop an action plan in terms of job searching.  Another idea would be to try to pursue the Peace Corps or doing a Fulbright Fellowship or another international fellowship.  Depending on your particular interests, you might want to also consider teaching English overseas.  

 

And important to point out that it doesn't have to be an either/or.  You can apply to grad school and also be pursuing some of these other options.  

[WinterSolstice]

Well, if you're apprehensive about it now, I hate to tell you this, but it may not get easier with a masters degree.  Depending on what you want to do specifically, a lot of jobs in the international field place a high value on experience, rather than credentials.  So just having a higher degree won't necessarily make you a more attractive candidate if you've never worked in the field. It won't hurt you, but it may not advantage you above and beyond what a BA will do.   And a lot of the top public policy programs want people with some relevant work/volunteer experience, so applying straight out of undergrad may be difficult if you don't have any extracurricular/volunteer experience to supplement your classroom work (maybe you do, it's just not mentioned).    

 

You have lots of time before graduation, now is a great time to start networking with alums and to leverage your professor's networks as well.  Set up informational interviews in the field you're most interested in, and find out from people actually working in the field you want to go into what kinds of jobs are out there and what they recommend you do. That's the best way to develop an action plan in terms of job searching.  Another idea would be to try to pursue the Peace Corps or doing a Fulbright Fellowship or another international fellowship.  Depending on your particular interests, you might want to also consider teaching English overseas.  

 

And important to point out that it doesn't have to be an either/or.  You can apply to grad school and also be pursuing some of these other options.  

 

Pretty much spot on advice.

 

OP, it also wouldn't hurt to cast a wide net. You probably have a fixed idea of what you might want to do, but don't be afraid to look a little more broadly too. Any experience helps. The IR community is tough to break into, because there are always a lot of interns, plus a lot of research spots are taken up by masters students, but there are still other options. For example, I have a friend who ended up at a law firm as a paralegal, but sought out work at the firm dealing with asylum cases and managed to find experience that way, which helped when he was applying to IR grad schools. If you're persistent, there are definitely options. I just wouldn't run to grad school because the job market is tough. Grad school is an expensive investment, after all

Edited November 10, 2014 by WinterSolstice