Skip to main content
Kennedy Center Majors & Minors
International Relations
Give Back

IR Career Resources

IR Career Resources

RESEARCH CAREER PATHS

Occupational Outlook Handbook: https://www.bls.gov/ooh/

  • Discover occupation groups, what they do, how to become ___ , job outlook (how many jobs in the future), work environment, salary data, and data for different states.

O*Net Online: https://www.onetonline.org/

  • Search job families (categories), input your soft skills for job options, find wage and employment trends, understand training and credential requirements, and join professional associations.

USAJOBS: https://www.usajobs.gov/

  • Government jobs platform where you can find job postings, seminars, and tips on government careers.

What Can I Do With This Major?: https://whatcanidowiththismajor.com/

  • This site features 100 major profiles with information on common career paths, types of employers that hire in the field, and strategies to maximize opportunities. Scroll to the bottom of each profile for links to professional associations, occupational outlook information, and job search resources.

LEARN ABOUT YOURSELF AND HOW TO SHARE YOUR SKILLS WITH EMPLOYERS

Exploration Point: https://universityadvisement.byu.edu/exploration-point

  • Brainstorm areas of potential interest and explore career paths with trained exploration specialists.

Gallup Strengths: https://careers.byu.edu/gallup-strengths-request

  • $13, 45-minute assessment to help you discover what you naturally do best, learn how to develop your greatest talents into strengths, and use your personalized results and reports to maximize your potential.

Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI): https://universityadvisement.byu.edu/career-assessments

  • $19.95, 45-minute assessment to help you identify your natural preferences in four areas of personality. Understanding these types gives you insight to enhance your relationships, direction, focus, and choices.

Strong Interest Inventory (SII): https://universityadvisement.byu.edu/career-assessments

  • $13, 45-minute assessment to help you identify your interest in six areas that can be directly related to fields of study, careers, and leisure activities. In addition, it describes your personal style preferences in five areas: work style, learning environment, team orientation, leadership style, and risk taking. It will also rank suggested compatible occupations from a list of 260 specific jobs.

Type Focus: https://universityadvisement.byu.edu/career-assessments

  • Free, 35-minute assessment to assess your career interests, personality type, and values. It allows you to research careers and save them to a portfolio.

CONNECT

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com

  • Build your online brand and “modern business card”. 93% of employers use LinkedIn to research and recruit candidates.

BYU Connect: https://alumni.byu.edu/byuconnect

  • Connect with BYU students and alumni.

Informational Interview: https://careers.byu.edu/students

  • Learn how to have a casual conversation with a professional (often alumni) in a field you’re interested in to learn more about their career, industry, or organization.

TAKE ACTION

BYU Career Studio:

  • Part of Careers & Experiential Learning, located in 1134 WSC. Visit to get help with resumes, cover letters, and interviews. Walk-ins from 8am-5pm M-F or call 801-422-3000 to schedule an appointment.

Internship: https://kennedy.byu.edu/international-relations/internships-and-study-abroad

  • Go to the IR Internship page for information about Washington Seminar, Kennedy Center internships, and other internships.

2-Hour Job Search: https://careers.byu.edu/students/job-search-resources/the-most-effective-job-search

  • Learn how to implement the most effective way to job search.

VMock: https://www.vmock.com/byu

  • Use this AI system to upload your resume and cover letter for analysis.

Big Interview: https://byu.biginterview.com

  • Use this AI system to practice interviewing and receive feedback.

CareerShift: https://careers.byu.edu/students/job-search-resources/career-shift

  • A platform that gathers public information and compiles it to provide jobs and company/contacts.

Alumni Career Outcomes: https://careers.byu.edu/students/graduate-outcomes

  • Review data on alumni employers, salaries, grad schools, and locations.

Individual Career Action Plan (ICAP): https://bit.ly/3NqhjIR

  • Specify and prioritize the activities you need to do to reach your goal and find the people/information resources you need.

Odyssey Plan: https://bit.ly/4hbwBPo

  • Ideate and start thinking about 3+ different lives including professional, life goals, and bucket list ideas.