Deciding what to go to college is an often overwhelming process. The truth is that not all those who go to college graduate, and not all who graduate actually work in their field of study. Therefore, determining what programs or majors to enroll in is a life decision with many consequences on both sides of the scale. This can be especially true for those who are looking to go into a government relations job because there are so many different aspects to consider in a field such as that. Therefore, the best thing to do is to break down the skills necessary for a government relations position, and then choose an area of study that teaches those particular skills. Here are a few options to consider.
Organizational Leadership
Government relations is, at the core, a leadership position. The qualities looked for in a leader such as time management, quick decision making, and strong accountability, are similar qualities sought after in a relations position. These degrees include coursework programs that teach new leadership skills, as well as building or strengthening existing leadership skills. Electives for this degree should be classes such as sales and marketing and project management. This way, a graduate comes out well rounded with necessary skills.
Law
Law would definitely be a great option, even though the reputation of law school is often thwarting for new students, not all law degrees require the same expectations. For example, law degrees can come for those seeking to be lawyers and those who are not seeking to be lawyers. Those who are not attending school to be a lawyer do not need to pass the BAR exam. For government relations, law degrees are valuable for when someone needs to analyze legislation or proposals. This way, they understand the holistic impacts and can provide valuable advice for their clients.
Political Science and Government
Many current government relations experts, such as David Urban, have degrees in political science and government. With coursework that includes negations and statistical analysis, it’s no wonder that these classes can adequately prepare someone for a career in this field. Government relations professionals, such as David Urban, are a powerful part of the legislation arena, and their influence is only valuable if their knowledge is completely inclusive. Therefore, getting a degree in this field empowers them to predict all possible outcomes of presented legislation.
Business
Perhaps the most fluid of degree programs, business students study a large range of topics. They cover communications, public speaking, but also the analytical side such as public relations and marketing. For a good combination of skillset, a business major will learn the basic skills required to be a success in any business, and government relations are definitely a form of business. They have customers, they care about their public image, and they need to consider the changes in the “market” for their target audiences.
Although these four programs are considered to be among the best, the requirements are open and can differ depending on the company. The best strategy is to decide what kind of government relations professional you’d specifically like to be, study the leaders in that particular area, and then follow in their footsteps. The important thing to remember is that how you sell your skillset is just as vital as the skills you have.