LONDON, POLINA LISITSINA – In these turbulent times, it’s understandable that young employees can look back on their education and think “nothing can have prepared me for all of this”.
Yet a trip back to my old university proved to be reassuring that what I learned in lectures was the ideal pathway for the public affairs and communications work that we do at BOLDT BPI, as we help companies with high-stakes issues amidst today’s geopolitical turmoil.
Yesterday I had the pleasure of speaking on a panel of London School Economics International Relations alums about how we’ve applied our degree in the working world. My main message – to find and apply the real value of an IR degree to a career, you have to look beyond the course curriculum.
Too often, students (my past self included) think about their degree only in terms of the content taught – political theory, international organisations, security studies etc. Taking this narrow approach can make you think your professional value-add is less tangible and job options are more limited – especially at a university that seems primarily focused on getting economics students into banking and finance jobs
The real takeaway from an International Relations education is not just what you learned, but how you learned. The ability to synthesize information and convincingly communicate it is a truly powerful skillset. In reality, an IR degree quips you with highly transferable skills sought after in the corporate world:
- Frameworks for thinking – Real-world challenges don’t fit one explanation. Usefully, IR teaches you ways of thinking – whether it’s applying game theory to negotiations, or using realist vs. liberal perspectives to track foreign policy moves.
- Analytical reasoning – In IR, you’re trained to assess complex global challenges, identify key players, and predict outcomes based on shifting variables. -> In the corporate world, this translates to assessing market risks, competitor strategies, and anticipating regulatory shifts that impact business operations.
- Strategic communication – Your weekly essays, tutorials and dissertations teach you how to craft compelling arguments, write policy briefs, and present findings to different audiences. -> In a corporate setting, knowing how to tailor messaging to resonate with different audiences – be it clients, investors, or the media – is a key asset.
- Balance of power – Studying state relations and alliances teaches you to recognise how power structures operate and evolve -> this gives you a leg up in understanding how competing interest groups produce decisions be they industry, political or individual boardroom level.
- Research ‘how-to’ – Knowing where to find credible information and how to synthesise it efficiently is invaluable in any job requiring market analysis, due diligence intelligence
An International Relations degree Is a toolbox, not a rulebook. It doesn’t give you a single way to interpret the world – it equips you with multiple frameworks for thinking that can be applied far beyond international affairs.
Contact
Polina Lisitsina, Senior Consultant at BOLDT BPI: [email protected]
