A rich resource with insightful information and guidance for PhD holders considering a career in international affairs
Whether out of choice or necessity, many people with doctorates pursue careers outside the academic world. Foreign Policy Careers for PhDs provides a wealth of information, advice, and encouragement to PhD holders who are considering a career in foreign policy. James Goldgeier and Tamara Cofman Wittes draw on their own experiences and present inspiring interviews with over two dozen practitioners who successfully made the transition to policy work.
Foreign Policy Careers for PhDs reveals the wide array of public, nonprofit, and private-sector organizations that hire PhD holders. This book serves as a compass for job seekers as they navigate the policy community, think about the opportunities that would be right for them, and present themselves as attractive candidates. The book concludes with appendixes that list employers, fellowships, networking groups, and more.
Foreign Policy Careers for PhDs is essential reading for people who are exploring career possibilities and a unique resource for academic advisers and career counselors.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
Introduction: Why This Book Is For You
1 Working In Foreign Policy versus Working On Foreign Policy
2 Creating Opportunities in Graduate School
3 Envisioning Yourself in Policy Work
4 The Foreign Policy Ecosystem
5 Looking for a Job in Foreign Policy
6 Career Pathways in Foreign Policy
7 Making a Difference Working in Foreign Policy
Appendixes
A: Selected Workshops, Summer Programs, and Fellowships
B: Selected Washington-Area Institutions Conducting Policy-Relevant Research
C: Selected Networking Opportunities
Index
About the Authors
Reviews
"With Foreign Policy Careers for PhDs, Jim Goldgeier and Tamara Cofman Wittes have crafted a clear, insightful guide to what policy careers can look like and how PhDs can get there. They not only chart the broad range of organizations active in the policy world, but also offer thoughtful questions for PhDs to ask themselves—and how to match those interests with organizations. This book will be a must read for every doctoral student contemplating a career outside the ivory tower."—Alyssa Ayres, dean, Elliott School of International Affairs, The George Washington University
"Goldgeier and Wittes—having been both academics and policy practitioners—offer a smart overview of the policy-related positions PhDs could be pursuing. They know the think tank world and they have experience in government. In Foreign Policy Careers for PhDs, I see them offering a valuable service to emerging PhDs, one that will surely benefit many of them."—Dennis Ross, Washington Institute for Near East Policy,
"Foreign Policy Careers for PhDs: A Practical Guide to a World of Possibilities is essential and invaluable reading for anyone who is exploring private and governmental foreign policy career possibilities and is a unique and seminal resource for academic advisers and career counselors."—Midwest Book Review
"The authors not only describe the foreign policy elephant to the blind scholar but also offer practical advice on how to break into and succeed in that world.And they even offer ideas about how to translate international experience back into academic terms."—The Foreign Service Journal
About the Author
James Goldgeier is a professor of international relations and former dean of the School of International Service at American University. He has served at the State Department and on the National Security Council staff.
Tamara Cofman Wittes is a senior sanctions policy adviser in the Biden administration and was previously a senior fellow in the Center for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution and a deputy assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs during the Obama administration.
