Skills You Need to Thrive in International Relations and Area Studies

If you are planning on having a career in the international relations and area studies sector, then there are a few skills that you would need to have. You should think about whether or not you have these before you start your education in this sector. Some of the skills that you need are listed below, so think about whether or not you have them or if you need to cultivate them.

Skills Required

You don’t only need an MA in international relations and area studies to be successful in this area, but you would also need some other skills as well. Some of the skills that you need for this sector to be the best that you can include:
  • Effective communication skills in all of the languages of the area with a high level of fluency
  • Concise and clear writing as well as reading skills, which should be fluent
  • Foreign language and technical skills for the area
  • Operational and strategic planning
  • Program management
  • Proficient in IT and technology, especially if you are dealing with computers
  • Science literate
  • Consensus and negotiation building skills for working with the local community
  • Culture embedding, especially for those who will be living overseas for some time and haven’t lived outside of their mother country for long
These are just a few of the main skills that you would require when you are working in this area. If you don’t them, or if you aren’t efficient in them, then you need to make sure that you can cultivate them easily. Ensure that you know these so that you can be prepared for this career and what you would need to be able to do.

It is important that you can effectively communicate with those who are living in the area, especially if you are going to a foreign country. Also, you would require concise as well as clear reading and writing skills in the mother tongue of the country. It is also important that you are able to embed yourself in the culture, especially if you are going to be living there for a long period of time.

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