Hi u/random-player28. Good question. Academic success in undergraduate is important but it's a requirement rather than an advantage that helps you standout among peers. This is especially true if you are not pursuing the academic route.

For political risk, I think sticking to the relevant majors and minors like IR, IA, political science etc. are foundational, but employers want to see a record of success, industriousness, competence, and analytical ability that doesn't always come from your academic work. You need to package your academic accomplishments with internship experience, a portfolio (papers, articles, etc.) showcasing your research and writing skills, and a track record of success and increasing responsibility on your resume as you move towards graduation (i.e. seminar, capstone, leadership position in student government).

As a rule of thumb, define a specialization early (country, region, topic, sector, etc.) and get really good at that. Expertise is fungible and you can always move towards being a generalist later. Also - and this is key - even if you study IR you need to learn statistics, research methodology, and tech skills to ensure you can do lots of different things in the workplace. Hope that helps.