Welcome to The Gender Diplomat! 🌎

Job hunting (and networking) is a boring and overwhelming concept, and during the summer there's nothing I like less than opening my laptop to read job descriptions, attend events and shake hands. But this is also a useful time to rethink what we want, need or would like to learn from those who have more experience in our desired field.

I've put together a 10-point list of how I would look for a job and network if I had no experience, so that you can shine in your own endeavours. This list is based on my own experience and how young people have worked or networked with me (and how I would coach them).

Making job searching in international relations effective in 10 steps

Plan your detailed strategy before you scroll on LinkedIn

The job search starts with a plan and an awareness of who the key stakeholders and employers are in your desired field. Who are the programme managers, policy analysts, officials and interns in areas X, Y and Z of defence, climate change, EU lobbying, finance or human rights? Take stock of their names and the places where they work and analyse what they have done to get to where they are today. No one ever started their career as an ambassador or policy director. If you really want to be like them in a few years' time, map out their steps and how that intersects with your ideal path in detail. Think about whether it's best to intern in politics, research, communications, operations, project management, taking into account your specific talents and interests.

Why do you want what you want?

Why do you want to work in areas or jobs X, Y, Z? Is it an end in itself or are you going to use these early career jobs to move on to something else? It's OK if you want to be a consultant in the finance sector so that you can be a well-prepared EU civil servant in a few years' time. It's also fine if you want to be a diplomat for a few years and then leave the MFA to do something else. What's your goal? For example, I'm currently consulting on the EU's digital decade policy programme, not because I see myself working on this topic forever, but because I want to learn as much as possible about this ubiquitous paradigm shift in the EU-27.

Master the art of starting a conversation

Busy people are usually very busy and, if you're lucky, you'll get a few seconds of their attention (this includes LinkedIn messages). A senior professional in your ideal field of work will need to know immediately why you stand out, what you can offer them and why you are worthy of their time. As with job matching, you need to find networking matches. Sending messages to everyone all the time on LinkedIn is actually not only counterproductive, but also very annoying. Do your homework: what is special about this person's job for you? And why should they reply to your message and not one of the hundreds of other messages?

Be curious and ask questions

Senior professionals meet hundreds of highly motivated young people and sometimes these young people forget to direct their enthusiasm in the right way. Yes, you should talk about yourself in a few words and then show interest in your interlocutor. The negotiating power of a potential trainee is very different from that of a director or ambassador, so don't make yourself the centre of attention any more than is really necessary (besides, unless it's a senior official who has arranged a one-to-one meeting to get to know you, the aim is never to talk about yourself, but to talk about what you two might have in common). Senior professionals love to talk about themselves and their work, so it's absolutely necessary to ask in return.

Write notes. Lots of notes

If you are lucky to have meaningful conversations, write down key things you’ve learned. Found a new company name? Note. Did someone suggest you talk to someone in a very specific field? Note. Good piece of advice that might come in handy in a few years? Note.

Ask for what you want

Sometimes we get lost in the jargon and forget to be direct (and once again, people are always in a hurry and will want you to be succinct). This is, of course, a risky move as not everyone will understand it in the best way and it can come across as arrogant/demanding if not done correctly. Be pragmatic, use simple words and only ask for what you want (a meeting? an internship? an event?). Sometimes you don't even need a meeting if you just ask your specific questions by email. That's also an extra point for you for not wasting anyone's time. People are busy and meetings drain everyone's energy, so bear in mind that your network is made up of human beings with their own lives, challenges and long days too.

Your online presence matters

Most people and hiring managers (and I'd say it's almost everyone, depending on their age and the culture of the company) will at some point google the people they work with or could potentially work with. It is on your best interest to keep your online presence clean and reflective of the employable person you want to be. I see a tone of people who spend their days complaining on LinkedIn for not getting jobs, commenting on company posts, borderline harassing hiring managers directly, etc., and I don’t think it helps their cause. What you do on the Internet will stay on the Internet forever and can prevent you from getting a job (believe me, I have googled candidates and refrained from recommending them to hiring managers).

Don’t externalise unhappiness and frustration

Finding a job is difficult, competitive and sometimes unfair. But responsibility also comes from within. For example, it's highly ineffective to apply for 200 jobs in a month (are you really the ‘ideal candidate' for all those positions? are you really that passionate about 200 different vacancies? any hiring manager would question this). Less is more: a well-designed CV has a much better chance of standing out than a standard CV used to apply to the UN, an embassy, or the private sector. What's more, finding a job doesn't have to be a full-time job, nor should it be. Responsibility is key in a gruelling and frustrating process, so use your free time wisely. More responsibility leads to greater concentration and effectiveness, because your brain knows it has to do things in the space you've given it.

Always improve by 1%

The number of courses and skills that can be learnt today simply by accessing wifi serves as a reminder that information is at your fingertips. Learn a new language or a new skill to broaden your career options. I've been rejected for a job because I didn't know how to use X software or because the employer really needed a candidate with knowledge of Y foreign language. Improve yourself by 1% every day and your chances of employability will also increase in an ultra competitive labour market.

Capitalize but don’t lie

It's easily detectable if you're exaggerating your CV and experience, and HR can spot it a mile off, both in writing and later at the interview stage. It's better to be honest and say ‘I have no experience in the field, but I'm keen to learn’ than to say that your academic degree counts as work experience (it doesn't) or that your Erasmus counts as international work experience (it doesn't). Maximise your chances of an interview by being honest, capitalising on your CV strategically and remaining humble throughout.

⚡ Growing in and out of your 9 to 5*

*In the summer there are fewer job offers and fewer events, so I've included a new READ AS A... section where I invite industry leaders to recommend books, articles, research, etc. on international relations.

GROWTH

• Gendered hate speech, data breach and state overreach — Chatham House

• Americans and cancel culture — Pew Research Centre

• Future of jobs report 2023 — World Economic Forum

JOBS

• Humanitarian affairs officer — OCHA

• Political intelligence consultant — Dods Group

• Risk manager — UNOPS 

• Programs and partnerships officer — Aga Khan Foundation

• Engagement manager — ODI Europe

• Program specialist — UN Women

• Associate — Women’s Foreign Policy Group

• European security correspondent — Reuters

• Research consultant — UN Women

• Public affairs trainee — Acumen Brussels

• Admin intern — Green European Foundation

[email protected]
See you next week!👩🏻‍💻