International relations career options are diverse, extending across the public and private sectors and industries. Public sector opportunities include teaching, health care and law enforcement, and these are all credible career paths for an international relations graduate. Private-sector employers appreciate the attention to detail and research skills of international relations graduates in roles such as journalist, marketer or fundraiser. Charities and non-profit organisations rely on the data analysis and pitching skills that international relations graduates can offer, as do local governments and community projects.
Since specific career paths may not be obvious, you should use your research skills to explore the range of opportunities and consider your personal interests, motivations, values and strengths. The course offers an internship scheme, which means you can explore these things while gaining valuable experience.
Researching your career options
Given the diversity of career options open to international relations graduates, you should research and explore these fully to make informed decisions about your future.
The following websites provide helpful information and inspiration for career research:
Employment opportunities
Below is a snapshot of what some of the University of Plymouth's international relations graduates told us they were doing 15 months after graduation. For some graduates, these jobs serve as ‘stepping-stones’ to professional posts by providing relevant workplace experience.
- Account Executive
- Assistant Project Worker
- Business Development Representative
- Client Financial Management Analyst
- Constituency Assistant
- Conveyor
- Editorial Assistant
- Fundraising Officer
- General Management Trainee
- Graduate Project Manager
- History Teacher
- Housing Support Worker
- Lecturer
- Open Source Intelligence Investigator
- Policy Advisor
- Real Estate Paralegal
- Recruitment Consultant
- Research and Policy Analyst
- Software Implementation Consultant
- Tax Associate
- Threat Analyst
- Trainee Quality, Health, Safety and Environment Assistant
Employers to consider
- Apple
- Babcock International
- Barnardo's
- Civil Service
- Department of Health and Social Care
- Grant Thornton
- Herefordshire Council
- House of Commons
- South Gloucestershire and Stroud College
- Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust
- Unseen UK
- Womble Bond Dickinson
- Zurich Insurance
*Data is from the Graduate Outcomes Surveys covering the three years of 2018/19 – 2020/21. Graduates were surveyed 15 months after graduating. Data displayed is for UK-domiciled, first degree, full-time graduates who are working, studying or looking for work.