What's your job about?
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade acts in the world to build a safer, more prosperous, and more sustainable future for New Zealanders. The team I’m in covers Aotearoa New Zealand’s relationship with North Asia. Before this role, I had been in the insights and intelligence team in the COVID-19 Policy and Coordination Division, where we dealt with a range of COVID-19-related issues.
My work tends to vary depending on what is happening on that day and what is happening in the region. Generally, my mahi focuses on stakeholder engagement, coordination, and support for the North Asia division and the wider Americas and Asia group. This involves relationship building and liaising between the Ministry and other partners. One thing that has been essential and central to my roles has been writing. From speeches to pieces of policy, to preparing briefings (and there are a lot of them!) writing is a critical component of my work. In a graduate foreign policy officer role, you will have the opportunity to do and experience a wide range of things (including advancing New Zealand's relations with other countries, climate change and the environment, international development, international law, trade negotiations, international security, disarmament and arms control). You will be in a rotational position, which means that every couple of years you will move into a different team, in other words... you won’t get bored!
What's your background?
My family and I come from Niue (the villages of Liku, Tamakautoga, and Alofi), and Samoa (the villages of Sala’ilua, Taga, and Vaimoso). I was born and raised in central Tāmaki Makaurau, before moving to Te Whanganui-a-Tara for this role. I graduated from the University of Auckland with a BA/BComm conjoint degree, and have worked a diverse range of jobs throughout high school and university. In 2020 I applied for a Tupu Tai internship and was placed with MFAT. Unlike some others, I had come into my internship without having any background or idea of what MFAT was or what they did. My journey with the Ministry began in the Middle East and Africa Division. I had such a great experience as an intern that I applied for a graduate role, and officially started in April 2021 in the COVID-19 Policy and Coordination division up until the end of May 2022. This has led me to where I am currently working, in the North Asia Division and the Office of Deputy Secretary Americas and Asia Group.
Could someone with a different background do your job?
Totally, there's no specific degree or background needed to do this role. Skills acquired from an array of experiences are valuable, and people from all walks of life are welcome! Whether you have experience from volunteering, being a part of church groups, being on sports teams, and so on, you will have skills that could apply to this job. From the get-go, you'll undertake meaningful work in sometimes difficult and fast-paced situations; resilience and agility are useful attributes to have in this context of work. Mātauranga Māori and/or knowledge of the Pacific, in particular, are strengths and I encourage all our Māori and Pasifika people to apply!
What's the coolest thing about your job?
It’s incredibly rewarding. When you have been working hard to deliver something to help benefit Aotearoa New Zealand and our people, you feel like you’ve made a positive impact. What’s also cool is that you’re always growing. There are many opportunities for learning and development, not only within your set role but outside of it too. I have been fortunate to have had such supportive teams that encourage and push for these kinds of experiences that have allowed me to up-skill and better myself.
What are the limitations of your job?
Work can sometimes be intense and require working long hours and/or on the weekends to get things done within tight timeframes. This can be stress-inducing and difficult for people who haven’t worked in these sorts of settings before. In the beginning, it can be a steep learning curve – especially for those who have not previously worked in these sorts of environments.
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