International experience is often an important part of political candidate’s profile, particularly in developing countries, yet little is known about how this affects their attractiveness as candidates for office. In addition, the source and type of human capital can vary. Human capital can come from experience working in international organizations, in private business, from military training or from education abroad, amongst others. It can also be gained from different countries with different positions in the international hierarchy. Using a conjoint experiment from Armenia, we compare how different forms international human capital from different sources influence the attractiveness of political appointees, with a particular emphasis on military human capital. We experimentally vary the source of human capital—eg what country is providing it—and the type of human capital. In doing so we probe political processes associated with political development, civil military relations, and how great powers compete for influence in other states.