Do you think about a career that may be good for you? People are not aware that a bunch of career calls exist and one of them, which is not so popular, is a foreign affairs analyst.
What is a foreign affairs analyst?
It is an expert in one or more fields regarding international relations such as developing nations, domestic security, foreign policy and international commerce, to name a few. The goal of this person is to provide valid data and contribute to their employer’s strategic goals. While this position is often connected to the federal government, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you will work in cooperation with one. Foreign affairs analysts perform research on a particular issue, thus helping humanitarian organizations, multinational corporations or any other types of business related to foreign affairs. A part of their job is assisting in policy formation as well as the development of the company as well as assessing the agencies and organizations which influence relations between the states in question.
Depending on whether you work for a nongovernmental organization, government agency or private sector corporations, a different part of the world would be strategically important. Whatever part of the world the organization or agency is focused on, your job would be to increase the influence of a particular agency or organization in that country or region. Our point is that you need to have a vast knowledge of history, culture as well as a political system of that particular state. Furthermore, you need to keep track of the current affairs and diplomacy as well as business relations of that country with the other countries of the world. In a nutshell, foreign affairs analysts must know everything about a particular state in order to come to a proper conclusion or make a good assessment.
Key responsibilities of Foreign Affairs Analysts
You will have many responsibilities as the analyst, and some of them include formulating policy or program recommendations on assigned programs as well as preparing briefing materials. We have already mentioned some of the responsibilities in the description of the position such as assessing the current situation in a country or an influence of a particular organization. Also, you will have to develop research concepts, policy questions as well as work plans. Furthermore, you need to lead the assembly, manipulation, and analysis of the data received as well as significant analytic and report-writing efforts. If you want to be highly successful at your job, you will have to excel at writing speaking and communication skills. Also, you will have to understand and process complex political information as well as to conduct research which would provide you with useable data.
Where can you work?
We have already mentioned that you can work for a large number of nongovernmental or governmental agencies and multinational corporations. However, working for a government agency is the most common path of the foreign affairs analysts. These agencies support US diplomatic interests. Often, these specialists work for media outlets, and they are a link between the media and foreign governments or businesses. For instance, the foreign affairs analysts are expected to write topics which are of high significance, and the journalists then cover this topic.
How to become one?
To become a foreign affairs analyst means that you need to be an expert in a particular field of politics. Because of that, the educational backgrounds of the foreign affairs analysts vary. Most commonly, people who are analysts majored in economics, history, international relations, political science or any other discipline which is similar to this one. Many analysts possess graduate degrees, and they have usually completed law school.
Those who decide to get a masters degree and pursue foreign affairs analysts positions usually opt for global affairs, international relations, foreign policy or economics.
You would get a major plus if you are fluent in another language and if you have lived in a particular region in which you specialize. Although schools and colleges in America are of a high-quality, many students go to study for at least a year overseas to gain additional experience.
Earning potential
What attracts many people to become foreign affairs analysts is earning potential. Although there isn’t an official statistics, working as a foreign affairs research analyst with the Department of State would range your income from $89,033 to $115,742 For instance, a position with the CIA has a similar salary, ranging from $50,864 to $118,069.
Would you like to become a foreign affairs analyst?
