The potential for an enriching and life-changing career is all around us within the field of conflict analysis and resolution (CAR). This potential is so immense that conflict resolution students are often overwhelmed by the wide range of career options due to our interdisciplinary knowledge and skill set. So much so in fact, that myself and other CAR colleagues have now become lost in the job search system. After meandering through countless career fairs, mock interviews and resume revisions, I decided to examine why emerging conflict resolvers and practitioners, such as myself, are in a state of career irresolution.
When I first entered into a conflict analysis and resolution master’s program, I had some fairly lofty goals. I wanted to change the world, and well, I still do. Isn’t that why so many of us join this program? Yet throughout obtaining my master’s degree, I came to realize that making an impact in the world, and more specifically within this field, can be quite a challenge. One of the biggest challenges we face as a new generation of conflict resolvers is the career hunt.
There is no one specific career path designed for conflict resolvers. The incalculable job potentials can be a little frightening honestly. Instead of getting a degree in web development for example, and knowing that when you have a job you will likely be a web developer, many conflict resolution students are finding themselves in a situation of having to carve out new career paths.
Due to the unique nature of the field and our practice, the search for an entry-level job or attempt to switch careers in conflict resolution can be complex. One of the major reasons for this is that the field of conflict resolution is still relatively new. Although this field began in the 1950’s and 1960’s, it was not until the 1980’s that it began to attract interest and radically evolve. While the discipline of conflict analysis and resolution has come a long way since its inception, the basic career and job infrastructure is still developing. Granted, thirty years ago jobs in peacekeeping did not exist such as they do now. However, I would argue the overall concept of a career as a conflict resolution expert is still in the development stages.
Based on the multiple levels and areas of conflict resolution theory and practice, the assortment of career opportunities is astonishing. Career options include working in the realm of research and academia to more practice based work such as peacekeeping efforts on the ground in a conflict. Conflict resolution careers also include working on policy, diplomacy, inner-office conflict resolution and dispute programs, mediation, relief and development work, government agencies, international agencies, nonprofit organizations and non-governmental organizations to name a few sectors. Recent job listings are also searching for people with conflict management skills that they hope to apply to the corporate and business world.
With all of the prospects that I have just mentioned, no wonder many of us currently emerging with degrees from this program feel a bit lost. A basic job search can prove to be difficult because you are not searching for a job title labeled ‘conflict resolution expert.’ Instead, one must understand how to apply their skills to a title such as ‘program management’ where you are able to use problem solving, critical thinking skills, and negotiation techniques to prevent escalated conflict.
How rigorous are the basic requirements for a career in this field? I am not going to lie—breaking into this field can be tough. Positions focused specifically on international conflict resolution tend to be diverse and highly competitive. Organizations require years of experience for entry-level positions, with the expectation of multiple internships under your belt. Not to mention, a rich network of contacts, mediation and conflict management skills, and an added bonus for foreign language expertise and experience overseas.
So what can we do, as emerging conflict resolution scholars and incoming practitioners, about the stark reality of career searches in this field? First, we need to reflect. The ability to reflect is one of the most important skills to take away from conflict resolution programs. Throughout your career search, you must be in constant reflection in order to wade through the jobs that you could see yourself performing and the job posts you would rather skip over. Reflect on what led you to enter this program. Why did you choose this field? Additionally, reflect on your interests and passions. Have your interests changed or developed since entering the program? For me, this reflection process is ongoing. I can say that as an emerging practitioner I am still answering many of these questions myself.
Secondly, it’s time to change how we look at careers in this field. We need to re-imagine applying for jobs and focus on how our interdisciplinary skill set can fit within any job context. We need to re-imagine how our skills have the potential of integrating into innumerable career sectors and how we can use conflict resolution training and education in all of these forums. Therefore, we must try to see the advantages of not having boundaries for conflict resolution careers.
Furthermore, we need to allow ourselves to be uncomfortable. What I mean by this, is that we must allow ourselves to exist in moments of uncertainty as we attempt to figure out our goals, desires and our next steps in life. While not having a set plan or career path can freak a lot of people out, myself admittedly included, we must embrace the potentials that can develop from being uncertain about where to go from here.
Next, stay curious about your possibilities in this career field. Continue to be a critical thinker and pursue career openings that allow you to question the way things are established. Be curious about how you can make your qualifications fit jobs that may seem a bit out of the box, or out of the spectrum of a ‘typical’ conflict resolution job. I believe that it is vital for conflict resolution practitioners and academics to imagine new and creative job prospects.
The difference between this article and a career advisor’s advice is that I have attempted to give a fair balance of job options while displaying the challenges in this field. It may be a reality check to some but my intention was not to take on a negative tone. I hope that throughout this piece, I might have provided mildly helpful ways that developing scholars can look at our available potentials in areas we may not have considered. I wanted this piece to be an article for emerging practitioners, by an emerging practitioner. Just like many of you, I am in a state of constant unease about my future, my goals, and how to really ‘make it’ in this world. And like many of you, I truly wish to make a difference—somehow, somewhere, no matter how small that difference may be. Perhaps I am wrong in my assumption that many people emerging from the conflict field are unsure of what steps to take next. But if these feelings are shared, I hope that I can provide a little knowledge and a feeling that I too, am in this struggle with you. As conflict resolvers looking to make an impact on the world, we must continue to carve a place for our field and our expertise in the international job arena.