INSIGHTS

YAIA's blog, Insights, is a platform aimed at promoting the voice of emerging young Australians in the analysis and commentary of international affairs. We accept submissions for articles for publication on Insights on a rolling basis.

Mar 21, 2018
5 min

Career Spotlight: Lyndall Sachs

Lyndall Sachs is the Chief of Protocol at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. She previously served as Ambassador to Iraq (2011-2015) and Ambassador to Lebanon (2006-2009). In our interview we discussed her path to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and her advice for young professionals looking to pursue a career in international affairs. You’ve had a very varied career having worked for the United Nations, as the Ambassador to Iraq and Lebanon, and current

Aug 14, 2017
4 min

Career Spotlight: Alice Cope

Alice Cope is the Executive Director at the Global Compact Network Australia and was previously a Policy and Sustainability Advisor at the UN Global Compact in New York. In our interview, Alice discussed how to navigate through your career as a young professional and identified ways young Australians can help drive sustainable development and corporate sustainability. 1. You are currently the Executive Director of the UN Global Compact Network Australia. Could you tell us mor

Jul 31, 2017
4 min

Career Spotlight: Her Excellency Gillian Bird

Gillian Bird is currently the ambassador and permanent representative of Australia to the United Nations. Prior to her current role, she was the Deputy Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. In 2012, she was awarded the Public Service Medal for outstanding public service in International Relations. In our interview, we spoke about the rewards and challenges of representing Australia to the UN and Australia’s role in current international affairs. 1. What di

May 21, 2017
5 min

Studying Overseas with John Monash

The John Monash Foundation seeks out Australia’s up-and-coming leaders who have a desire to embark on international study. They facilitate prestigious postgraduate scholarships at the world’s best universities with the intention of strengthening Australia’s future capabilities by providing students with the opportunity to harness their international networks and knowledge. In today’s article, Young Australians in International Affairs hear from three previous scholars who giv

Apr 29, 2017
4 min

Interning at an Australian Embassy

Whether you are a university student or a recent graduate, internships can provide invaluable opportunities to gain vital skills and industry experience. An internship with the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade at individual Australian embassies around the world gives those with an interest in international relations and diplomacy an experience to gain first hand insight into Australia’s foreign relations. For an inside look at what it is like to intern at a

Mar 14, 2017
5 min

Career Spotlight: Dr Tim Huxley

Dr Tim Huxley is the Executive Director of IISS-Asia in Singapore, where his responsibilities include coordinating the IISS Shangri-La Dialogue and IISS Fullerton Forum and developing the IISS Asia-Pacific research program. In our interview, we discussed his career path leading to IISS and his top five suggestions for young Australians looking to start a career in international affairs. 1. What is your current role, and what does the position entail? I have been Executive Dir

Mar 8, 2017
6 min

Career Spotlight: Professor Nick Bisley

For today’s Careers Spotlight, we had the pleasure of sitting down with the accomplished International Relations Professor Nick Bisley. Nick is currently the Executive Director of La Trobe Asia and Editor-in-Chief of the Australian Journal of International Affairs. He shared his insight into the benefits of studying abroad and advice he would give to those looking to pursue a career in the international academic labour market. 1. Tracing back to your time at university, you h

Oct 26, 2016
3 min

Writing a résumé for jobs in international aid with EthicalJobs.com.au

If you're a recent graduate looking to get into the competitive field of international aid, your CV can make or break your application. EthicalJobs.com.au sat down with Nicole Cunningham, a Recruitment Specialist with the Fred Hollows Foundation, to talk tips for CV writing. They have compiled a list of 7 things to avoid when writing your résumé. 1. Poor Formatting It's a well-known statistic by now: recruiters and hiring managers spend an average of six seconds scanning you

Aug 18, 2016
5 min

Career Spotlight: Simone van Nieuwenhuizen

Simone van Nieuwenhuizen is Project Officer at the University of Sydney. Simone has previously worked in research roles at the Lowy Institute for International Policy in Sydney and at the Carnegie-Tsinghua Center for Global Policy in Beijing, and holds a Masters of Diplomacy from Peking University (completed in Chinese). In this Career Spotlight, we ask Simone about her burgeoning career, her language skills and her new book, 'China and the New Maoists', which she co-authored

Jun 28, 2016
4 min

Studying International Affairs: Post-Graduate Studies at Australian Universities

The decision to embark on university study at a post-graduate level is not one taken lightly, but for those who wish to make a career in international affairs, it may be an important career step. In this article for the Young Australians Careers Blog, accompanying our piece by Marcin Dadura on the merits of Master's degrees, we have asked some of Australia’s premier universities in international affairs, Deakin University, the University of Queensland and Griffith University

Jun 28, 2016
3 min

Studying International Affairs: To Do or Not To Do a Master's Degree?

In the latest collection of articles for the Young Australians Careers Blog, we examine post-graduate studies in international affairs. In our first article, we are very fortunate to have a contribution from Marcin Dadura of the Global Diplomatic Forum, an independent not-for-profit with the goal of promoting and fostering partnerships between diplomacy, government, the media, non-governmental organisations and the academic and private worlds. He gives us his insight into t

Feb 14, 2016
3 min

Career Spotlight: Holly McMath, Intern with the Clinton Global Initiative

In our first Careers Blog post of 2016, we have had the pleasure to interview Holly McMath who has been interning with the Clinton Global Initiative in New York City. We asked her about her internship, about working overseas and for any tips for those looking for similar opportunities. 1. To start off, can you tell us about your internship? Over the Fall of 2015, I have had the immense privilege of interning with the Government Relations team at the Clinton Global Initiative

Dec 14, 2015
3 min

‘The Ins and Outs of an Internship in International Relations’ with Interns Australia

In this post, we are fortunate enough to share a guide to the rights of interns created for us by Interns Australia. Interns Australia is the support and advocacy body for interns and students undertaking work placements in Australia. Founded in 2013, it works with interns, employers, industry, governments and the community to promote the value of quality and equitable internships. The Interns Australia website can be found here. We probably don’t have to tell you that intern

Nov 16, 2015
5 min

Career Spotlight: Shea Spierings, Australian Youth Representative to the UN

In the latest addition to our Careers Blog, we had the privilege to ask Shea Spierings, Australia’s current Youth Representative to the United Nations, about his career thus far, his advice to other young Australians and having a positive impact on the world. On October 7th, Shea delivered the Australian Statement on Youth Issues to the UN General Assembly. Click here to see his address. 1. For those of our readers who don’t know you, could you tell us a little about your yo

Nov 10, 2015
4 min

Career Spotlight: Professor of Strategic Studies at ANU

We had the opportunity to interview Hugh White, Professor of Strategic Studies at the Australian National University, columnist for The Age and contributor to the Lowy Institute. Professor White has worked as a journalist, advised governments and was the first Director of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute. In our latest Careers Blog post, he answers our questions about his work, his varied career and his advice for young Australians looking to work in international

Oct 17, 2015
4 min

Career Spotlight: Amelia Long, Editor of The Strategist, Australian Strategic Policy Institute

In this article we sit down with Amelia Long, Editor of The Strategist at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI), Australia's leading think-tank on defence and strategic issues. What is your academic/professional background? I graduated from the University of Sydney in 2014 with a Bachelor of International and Global Studies, majoring in Government & IR and American Studies. I extended my degree by six months after the spontaneous decision to take up Indonesian lang

Jul 8, 2015
4 min

Career Spotlight: Elaine Pearson, Australia Director of Human Rights Watch

Elaine Pearson, Australia Director of Human Rights Watch, has forged an impressive career in human rights which has seen her work for the United Nations and a number of not-for profit organisations across the world. In this article we asked Elaine to share some information about her current role, her background and her advice to young Australians starting out in the human rights sector. You are currently the Australia Director of Human Rights Watch. What does your job entail?

Jun 30, 2015
4 min

Insights from a DFAT Public Diplomacy Intern

Ever wanted to know what it is like to intern with the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) at an Australian embassy or consulate? In this article, Young Australians in International Affairs sat down with Alice Slevison, a MA (International Relations) graduate from the University of Melbourne, who shared her experiences and insight into her time as a DFAT Public Diplomacy Intern at the Australian Consulate General in Shanghai, China. Where did you intern?

May 15, 2015
4 min

What You Need to Know Before You Start Your Internship by Olly Theobald

The first few days of a new internship can be a dangerous mix of nerves and excitement, but making a good first impression in the office is actually quite simple. Punctuality and personal presentation are obvious starters and the following list explores other useful and sometimes over-missed pointers; to ensure that your internship goes smoothly during your first week. 1) Invest at least 1-2 hours researching the organisation you are interning at It is very important that

May 15, 2015
3 min

A Career in International Affairs by Melissa H. Conley Tyler

One of the difficulties of building a career in a new area is the lack of a defined career path. As someone interested in building a career in conflict resolution, ideally as a manager, there were few role models to follow. This meant a focus on gathering skills through diverse roles and sometimes surprising career choices. Now, almost 15 years from graduation, I feel like all of the skills I’ve gathered are finally coming together. I graduated from Arts/Law at Melbourne in 1