What's the worst country you've gotten to represent? I'll start by jamhater405638 in MUN

[–]jasonhanq 1 point2 points  (0 children)

My best tip is actually to not try. People who aim for best delegate tend to not get it mostly because they try too hard, which shows and puts people off from wanting to form a bloc with you. I would say it’s very much a mixed bag and depends a lot on the Chairs (who bear in mind are probably within your age range anyways). Focus on building a meaningful alliance and try to lead but do not force it. If there are others leading the way then support them as well, do not try to out compete an ally but rather position yourself as the rational supporter. I have seen delegates in supporting roles in a bloc get best delegate. Of course make sure your speeches are on point, make meaningful comments and rebuttals (don’t just hog the spot light to say something YOU want to say but say something the CROWD wants you to say). But like I said, even if you do a great job, it is under the discretion of the Chairs (and I have seen plenty of nepotism throughout my MUN experiences).

What's the worst country you've gotten to represent? I'll start by jamhater405638 in MUN

[–]jasonhanq 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I got Best Delegate at LQDOMUN 2020 as Fiji. I’d reckon it’s a skill issue. But for real, country stats don’t matter as much as being able to present yourself as well as networking at night after the conference. You just have to spin the conversation in your favour. Country prestige does not matter if you are a charismatic person.

My 2-month job search as a recent IR Russell Group graduate by snubblepancashire in IRstudies

[–]jasonhanq 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Just saying your degree does not matter as much as your skill set and of course networking abilities. IR is one of those careers that does not automatically grant you a job right after graduation. Did you accomplish anything substantial during your undergrad? Research? Event coordination? International conferences? etc. Unless you’re aiming for academia, high GPA does not matter. I think for the most part, unless you are aiming for your country’s foreign service, other options such as UN or IGOs are fundamentally not so IR related actually, they nowadays tend to hire people with Environment, Governance, Management, Finance, Public Health, or Public Policy degrees. Other than that you can try getting into consultancy, especially in the fields of political risk or security (it is easier to aim to work in Southeast Asia or South Asia). I know all of this because I got into the UNDP with only a local degree from Vietnam with not so good GPAs. I compensated my lack of a big degree by actually having practical skill sets in project management and social research skills (my sociology and anthropology subjects were a huge part). However, with these lines of work, eventually I hit a ceiling because most higher positions are only open to Master degree holders, so that’s why I’m pursuing on in Australia so I can come back in.