Why Globally Minded Students Are Looking Beyond Diplomacy

Students of international relations ranked diplomatic careers among their highest ambitions for generations. Today, many of those students still seek work that crosses borders and shapes world affairs — but instead of their countries’ diplomatic services, they are turning to other national-security agencies, international organizations, consulting firms and technology companies.

Recent interviews with undergraduate students in the United States and several other countries point to growing recruitment challenges for governments. Many young people still admire diplomacy, but they increasingly see it as more politicized, less influential and less attractive than competing international careers.

Daniela Denyer, a Brazilian-Colombian student at King’s College London, has seen this shift firsthand. “There is considerable political and diplomatic exhaustion at this school,” she said. “People, especially native Brits, are choosing not to engage with politics and diplomacy due to the constant radicalization of political parties that has made people weary of entering the line of work.”

Denyer has noticed an exception to this trend, especially among students from Latin America and the Middle East, who seem to be experiencing “a surge of patriotism.” She said that “there is more willingness in students from countries that have suffered injustices to fight for their countries.”

Students like Denyer no longer imagine a diplomatic career defined primarily by negotiation and bridge-building. They see diplomats caught between political battles at home and growing geopolitical rivalries abroad. While those challenges make diplomacy critical, they may also make it less attractive as a profession.

“There used to be much more respect for diplomats,” Denyer added. “It used to be a very transcendental job where day-to-day politics in your home country weren’t supposed to affect your job. However, it feels like many countries have turned towards populism in recent years, and these populist leaders in charge seem to have no respect for diplomacy and turn towards yes-men more and more often.”

Competition from the private sector is another obstacle for recruiters in ministries of foreign affairs. Students are no longer choosing between diplomacy and domestic careers, but among a growing number of internationally focused professions that often offer higher salaries, faster advancement and greater flexibility.

Eli Averman, an Israeli student at the George Washington University, arrived in Washington hoping to become a diplomat. Having grown up in Geneva, the European seat of the United Nations, and participated in Model U.N. programs, he viewed diplomacy as a natural career path. But his outlook changed.

“It went from a mediation and discussion role to a much more political role,” he said. “The ratio of career diplomats versus appointed diplomats has drastically shifted, and I think this makes the career less relevant.”

Instead, Averman added a concentration in international economics and is now considering other options while planning to pursue graduate studies. “Consulting, finance and policy analysis seem like more realistic options for a career path,” he said, expressing hope that conditions for diplomatic careers might improve in the future.

Duarte Gonçalves, a Portuguese student at NOVA School of Business and Economics in Carcavelos, Portugal, reached a similar conclusion for different reasons. “I was considering diplomacy as a career path,” he said, “but I chose economics to leave the most doors open.”

This summer, he is interning at an artificial intelligence startup that develops research tools for lawyers — a field he considers more future-proof than diplomacy.

Gonçalves also thinks governments have done a poor job of explaining what diplomats actually do. “I can tell you exactly what a manager or economist does,” he said. “I have no clue what an ambassador really does.”

Averman and Gonçalves illustrate a broader challenge confronting diplomatic recruitment. Both remain deeply interested in international affairs but have concluded that they could build more rewarding careers elsewhere.

Another shift among today’s students is their changing perception of where influence is exercised in international affairs. As armed conflict, strategic competition and emerging security threats dominate headlines, many students increasingly view national security — not diplomacy — as the place where the most important decisions are made.

Megan Holmes, an American student at George Washington University, originally chose the university because of its ties and physical proximity to the State Department and expected to pursue a diplomatic career. That changed during her studies.

“After the shakeup that has happened within the government in the past few years,” she said, “I discovered how many other things feed into international affairs and foreign diplomacy on the home front.”

National-security simulations sparked her interest, but it was a semester she spent in Amman, Jordan, last spring that ultimately changed her career plans. During her program, the United States and Israel launched military strikes against Iran, beginning a war that continues today..

“You could see the missiles flying overhead,” Holmes said. “People were just angry and didn’t understand… why we took such a drastic step instead of continuing with diplomacy.”

Witnessing those events firsthand convinced Holmes that she wanted to work in security policy rather than diplomacy. “We are entering these conflicts and not doing a great job of trying to mitigate them,” she added.

All interviewed students remain eager to work on global challenges. What has changed is where they believe they can have the greatest impact. Diplomacy’s traditional prestige may no longer be enough to compete for their talent. That presents a serious challenge to foreign ministries, including the State Department.

If governments hope to attract the next generation of diplomats, they will have to persuade talented young people that diplomacy remains one of the most meaningful — and influential — ways to shape international affairs. Doing so will require more than appeals to tradition and prestige.