Career Resources and Alumni Outcomes

There are so many places to work as an economist that it might seem hard to know where to begin looking. This page provides some general tips on your career search.  For specific help, you will work with the program’s career advisor. 

GW uses the Handshake platform to provide job listings, resume and cover letter writing, and links to job search tools.  To get started, you first set up your Handshake account.  Once you’ve set up your account, you may access all of Handshake’s resources, including setting up alerts regarding specific positions that interest you.  You may also use Handshake to schedule an appointment with our Career Counselor and meet to discuss any questions regarding your career search.  The Career Services office provides an array of useful tips on how to begin your job search, revise your CV and cover letters, and work on your interview skills. Students should also sign up for one or more of the industry-specific newsletters, which often include internships and jobs, not in Handshake. 

LinkedIn is another good resource for job hunting and career advice. All students should create a LinkedIn profile and keep it updated with current employment and academic status.  Many employers go to LinkedIn to see a job candidate’s profile, so you want to make sure that you keep your profile up to date. You can also post interesting articles and participate in discussions.

The applied economics program has a private LinkedIn group for current students and alumni. Only students who have enrolled in the program may join our LinkedIn Alumni group. The private nature of this group facilitates open cooperation between our alumni and current students.  It’s a great resource for you!

Career Services

In addition to off campus positions available through our Career Services office, we offer two main sources of on-campus employment to our students:  On-campus employment through the Student Employment Services (SES) and research positions with faculty in the Department of Economics.

Students may search for on-campus jobs through our SES website. These jobs range from working as a consultant in the Academic Commons, serving as an ambassador to university departments and programs, working as a research assistant for professors in the School of Public Health, the Business School, or the Elliott School, staffing campus events, and assisting with teaching in an undergraduate course and more. 

All MS students are eligible to work as research assistants for professors in our Department of Economics as research assistants and graders. Our students gain valuable professional skills and contacts through this work and we encourage all students to apply for these positions. Shortly before the start of each semester, the program director reaches out to current students to gauge their interest in working for a profeoor. The program director then matches students with professors according to their academic interests.  All students are paid for these positions.

For other paid and un-paid opportunities, GW Career Services provides numerous resources for students seeking a variety of opportunities.

Economics Professor Anthony Yezer is an expert on helping students find jobs. He has put together some essential tips on the job search and interview process: Career Search Advice from a GW Economics Professor (PDF) 

The most important step? Plan ahead! Prepare for an interview the same way that you would prepare for an exam or a tennis match. People who find jobs aren’t lucky. They practice and they plan ahead. Don’t go into an interview without knowing what the company does, and certainly don’t ask questions that could be answered with a simple Google search.

Internships

Our students have pursued paid and unpaid internships while studying for their master’s degree. These internships include positions as Short-Term Consultants at the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund the Interamerican Development Bank, the Center for International and Strategic Studies, the United Nations, the International Finance Corporation, the Center for the Advancement of the Steady State Economy, Daiwa Corporate Advisory, the American Action Forum, CompassLexecon, the Analysis Group and more.

In most cases, the Department of Economics provides funding for students pursuing unpaid internships.

Communications Workshop

Knowing the importance of soft skills in the working world, the Applied Economics program developed an Oral and Written Communications workshop that teaches our students the variety of communication skills needed to succeed in the working world.  Through this free 16-hour course, you will learn strategies, techniques, and tips for communicating succinctly and effectively in a variety of public speaking situations. Among other skills, you’ll learn techniques for organizing and writing presentations, effectively utilizing presentation software, communicating in a non-verbal setting, and engaging multiple audiences.

A member of GW’s University Writing Program leads this combined online and in-person workshop.

Technological Skills

To prepare for their post-graduate careers, many students brush up on their analytic and quantitative skills outside the classroom. 
All GW students get free access to LinkedIn Learning. The platform offers virtual training on topics such as Excel, Powerpoint Power Shortcuts and R Statistics Essential Training. Looking at the required skills for a job listing at a place where you would like to work is a good way to figure out what software skills you need. 

Software Available for GW Students

GW’s Information Technology department offers free software to current GW students. These packages include the full Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Copilot, Adobe Creative Cloud, Github, LinkedIn Learning, Zoom, and more. Click the link above to browse the available software and download those that you need.

Recent Alumni Employers

More Graduate Alumni Options

International Financial Organizations

• The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is a hub for applied macroeconomists and research assistants with graduate degrees in economics. The IMF also has a page that describes its general recruitment process.
• The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the International Development Association make up what’s known as the World Bank. The bank has a graduate student internship program for students who have completed their first year of graduate study. With sufficient work experience, you may also be eligible for the World Bank’s Young Professionals Program. The World Bank’s International Finance Corporation (IFC) focuses exclusively on the private sector in developing countries and keeps a list of sample positions. 
• The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has many career and internship opportunities. 

See More Related Organizations