On Wednesday 18 September 2024 Future Partners founding director, Kirsty Burnett joined the Wellington branch of the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs: Careers without Borders 2024 as a panellist. After listening to the panel from the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Kirsty participated on the International Development Panel along with Sam London from the Council for International Development, and Tim Sutton from Union Aid.
After brief introductions on their careers, the student audience asked insightful questions. While it's interesting to hear stories from other people, Kirsty wanted to share this advice to students about to complete their studies and move into careers:
Embrace opportunities, take risks. Be ready, be receptive and be an early adopter. If I think a lot has happened in the last nearly four decades – you will need to be far more on your toes, and so stay ahead of the power curve.
Make and keep contacts and consider some long term mentors. Select a couple of mentors you respect and ask them formally if you might check in from time to time. Mentors do not need to be your best friend (and it may actually be better if they aren't) so they can provide constructive criticism and advice.
Be your best self whenever you can. Be kind, be open and friendly, and bring integrity as you complete tasks to your best ability; you never know who is watching and when you will be noticed…but you will be, and this is often when opportunities are born. People in communities, including in the Pacific (and other cultures) are super smart at sussing people out. On field trips, it’s tempting to return to your room to sleep or check your emails or social media. Well don’t; stay and listen because you will learn a lot and the informal settings are often when things really get done!
Follow your passion, not just the money. Passion will take you far; vocational passion is the key indicator of success and if you are passionate about what you do, a like-minded team will form around you. So follow your interests – but make sure you can sustain them over the longer term.
Be ok with failure – it happens to us all! Success often comes to the people who are comfortable when ideas didn't work out and can turn a failure into a lesson.
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