APSIA is revising its Career Guide to help students and alumni explore careers in international affairs. Amy Porter, APSIA Career Guide Consultant, explains what the updated resource will offer and how conversations with alumni are shaping its development.

What are you hoping the updated Career Guide will help students and alumni understand?

The updated Career Guide will showcase the diversity of careers available to graduates with an international affairs degree. Designed to be easy to navigate, it will offer current insights across key dimensions in the field, including issue areas, functional roles, sectors, in-demand skills, employers, and career resources. The Guide will bring practical tools and guidance to help students and alumni better understand the range of career options available to them and how to explore those paths.

What do you hope to learn through the alumni interviews and focus groups?

Conversations with alumni offer valuable perspectives on the work that international affairs professionals are doing today. Through interviews and group discussions, I am gathering stories about career pathways, lessons learned, and recommendations for those exploring or beginning careers in international affairs.

Why is it valuable to hear from graduates across different sectors, regions, and career stages?

An effective international affairs career guide must reflect the breadth of alumni experiences and career journeys, from recent graduates to professionals with decades of experience. Hearing from alumni working across issue areas, sectors, functional roles, and regions helps capture perspectives from across the global affairs community. No guide can capture every possible pathway, but by drawing on a wide range of alumni voices, the Guide will offer snapshots of careers to inform and inspire the next generation of international affairs leaders.

Q&A conducted by Jade Williams Jones, Engagement Coordinator at APSIA.

Help Shape APSIA’s Career Guide

Graduates of APSIA member schools can contribute to the updated Career Guide in two ways:

• Join an interview or focus group. Share your career experiences, lessons learned, and advice for those exploring international affairs careers. Sessions are virtual, last approximately 60–75 minutes, and run through November 12. Register to participate.
• Submit an alumni profile. Tell us about your work and how your international affairs education helped you along the way. Profiles will be considered for inclusion in the 2027 Career Guide. Please submit yours by November 9. Submit your profile here.