Career Pathway
Create your plan
Top Priorities
- Obtain relative experience pursuing internships, volunteerism, part time work, summer work, and research opportunities and leadership roles
- Expand your understanding of diversity with study abroad, foreign languages, student ambassador program, student groups, and outside community programs.
- Create relationships with faculty, advisors, alumni and networking within your field
Faculty Support and Interaction
University Career Service
- Join and create a profile with Rutgers Handshake and connect with Alumni in your field using the Student Alumni Career Connect.
- Get a professional headshot – and attend all UNMA Career Service Workshop where we hire a photographer for this purpose. Each academic year, students who are enrolled in the Capstone, should have a bio for that academic year. Be sure to go to the Career Workshops to learn how to create your bio.
- Join Linked In and create a Student Bio/Profile for the UNMA website (these go hand in hand).
- Make an appointment with a “Professional Career Services Counselor” specifically for Graduate Students in your Career Cluster (Education and Public & Human Services) to identify interests, values, personality and abilities to clarify your career goals
- Create a professional and relevant resume with a career advisor. Federal government jobs ask for federal resumes. Download Entry Level Development CV template for UN jobs and Mid to Sr. Level development CV template here. Be sure to know the difference for each of these examples.
- Bring job description with you when meeting with a career advisor to review your resume and to create an appropriate cover letter.
- Since private appointments are only a half an hour long, expect to visit Rutgers University Career Services several times in a semester.
- Go back as many times as you need and get a variety of career cluster professionals to take a look at your entire professional profile. Prepare for and go to all Career Mega Fairs or similar fairs offered through the Federal Government jobs.
- Go to the UNMA Career Database page on our website and create an online PROFILE for any of the databases/agencies that ask for one. Getting your information in their "talent pool" is an important step on making a connection to a job that is suitable for you. Many of these agencies ONLY check those profiles and will not take outside applications. Be sure to create a resume with one of the RU Career professionals so you are prepared and seen in the best way possible.
Internships
- Experiential Opportunities such as job shadow, volunteer, work part time, or finding an internship can be included on a resume and can help you find what you are passionate about pursuing professionally. Be fully aware of application deadlines to those organizations that appeal to you
- Search UNMA Career Database for various relative organizations under our UNMA Sakai Graduate Workspace – link on our website
- Search DEVEX UNIVERSITY DATABASE -link on our website.
- Search IDEALIST.ORG a career database for connecting idealists – people who want to do good – with opportunities for action and collaboration.
- For United Nations careers, be sure to include volunteer work in your plan. Search the UN Volunteer database.
- Field work experience is also very important in United Nations jobs. Be sure to connect with UNFPA internships.
- For State Department internships - be sure to read this guide before you apply.
- Find a part time job (if needed) on campus or similar through Rutgers Office of Financial Aid – on Rutgers website and Rutgers Handshake
- Sign up for 16:790:590 –Research Internship for United Nations and Global Policy Studies for 3 credits applied toward your degree after you pursue an appropriate internship (must be approved by MA Program Director) – know your course requirements and follow the curriculum deadlines and needs.
Research Programs
- Join Library Research workshops with Dr. Tom Glynn – especially for UNMA Students for writing assignments and research understanding in the UNMA field
- Discover research programs within Rutgers, Aresty Youth Project, Eagleton, Center for American Women and Politics, Center of Youth and Political Participation, or any project approved by the UNMA Program Director
- Researching job-placement rates and career outcomes in your desired field. The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Outlook Handbook is a good place to start
- Network and talk to potential employers to discuss what professional development you need to enter the field and then take action accordingly. Attend the Annual UNMA Global Policy Roundtable.
- Connecting with potential employers to request guidance and to network
Publishing
- Working with assigned professors who are working on research projects and get your name on the project
- Submit an outstanding essay in our UNMA Annual Essay contest and get published in our online Occasional Paper Series.
Study Abroad Opportunities
- UNMA –European Summer Institute in in partnership with the University of Kassel, Germany where students can earn up to 6 credits toward their degree during the summer months and gain a global multidisciplinary network of relative experience in Global Policy studies and the United Nations
- Rutgers Global has a variety of programs to study abroad and gain valuable experiences in the United Nations and political science arena. Students may or may not get credits toward their degree.
- Engage in the School of Graduate Studies summer language immersion program to learn a 2nd or 3rd foreign language in the written format. You must be available on campus for this program which is free to all Rutgers Graduate Students.
Leadership Opportunities
- Apply for UNMA Student Ambassador Program – a 25 hour volunteer position that to help with student recruiting efforts for the Office of Political Science, Rutgers University.
- Share your Bio and relative and unique experiences with our Students on the Move and current students section of our website in order to create an even stronger online footprint.
- Join, start up or lead campus and community student organization to develop interpersonal and communication skills. List of Rutgers student groups can be found
