We have officially passed the summer slump, and a new month of opportunities awaits those seeking a career in international affairs. September, October, and November are usually relatively decent recruitment periods, and some highly valuable opportunities have intakes now with the international organisations. I do not cover these in the newsletter, but I post upper-tier…
Author: Alexander Borum
IR Career Starters – August 2025
While the summer is almost over, it is my time to step back and unwind for a few weeks before a hectic autumn begins. Despite vacation mode being on, I have still managed to compile a fresh new edition of the IRC, once again packed with hundreds of relevant opportunities in international affairs. Occasionally, I…
IR Career Starters – July 2025
Summer is upon us; with it, the biggest slump in international affairs recruitment settles in. Despite this, we clock in almost 300 new opportunities for anyone seeking a career in IR. Since the last edition, I have published an article relevant to anyone dreaming of starting a career in the EU. It is a comprehensive…
How To: Compete in the EU AD5 Concours
Introduction During every intake, tens of thousands of hopefuls apply for the European Union’s AD5 Generalist competition, known simply as the concours. It is a fierce competition that pits 30-40.000 candidates from across the European Union against each other to secure one of just a few hundred spots on the reserve list — the official…
IR Career Starters – June 2025
After an incredibly busy May, I am pleased to share another edition of the IR Career Starters newsletter packed with almost 300 opportunities for those seeking a career in international affairs. While the industry is not as bountiful as it was just half a year ago, it is clear that the new normal is here,…
IR Career Starters – May 2025
May has kicked off, and despite an incredibly hectic period at work, it is time for another edition of the IR Career Starters Newsletter this month, packed with over 350 relevant internships, traineeships, fellowships and entry/early-career positions. While this might look to be a return to normal on the IR job market, it might honestly…
Interview – Center for War Studies: WarPod #9: The Future of Human Protection
The WarPod speaks to Chiara de Franco (Associate Professor at the CWS and Principal Investigator of the PROTEX project), Qiaochu Zhang (Postdoctoral Researcher at the CWS), and Oscar Noach (PhD Fellow at the CWS) about the future of human protection in international relations. This episode is based on discussions held at the conference “The Future…
IR Career Starters – April 2025
New month, new opportunities! April is usually a somewhat quiet month as most of the spring internship intakes have concluded and the pre-summer push has yet to begin for general recruitment. The IR domain is still adjusting to the negative ramifications of suspending most of USAID’s global programming. At the far end of it all,…
IR Career Starters – March 2025
It is March, and once again, it is time for a new edition of the IR Career Starters Newsletter. The job market remains in turmoil after the US’s disengagement from global humanitarian and development assistance. Opportunities remain, but repercussions will be felt for the foreseeable future. Last edition, many of you voted on my poll…
IR Career Starters – February 2025
We have reached the first Thursday of February, and once again, it is time for another iteration of the #IRCareerStarters newsletter. This newsletter is issued amid massive international turmoil that is bound to impact the entire global international affairs sector for years to come.








