E-International Relations is looking for Editorial Assistants to join the Thinking Global Podcast Team and volunteer some time with us. As a member of the team, you would assist in the commissioning, recording, editorial, production, technical and even hosting processes – all of which we will train you to deal with. Our focus is to provide high quality open-access podcast content of all kinds; from reviews, debates and interviews, to current affairs analysis – featuring a wide range of academics and practitioners. We are seeking individuals who are full of energy and ideas, have a bit of spare time, and have the enthusiasm to learn. Thinking Global has been streaming since March 2023 on a range of platforms (including but not limited to Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Google and Audible). We are looking to expand the reach of Thinking Global and therefore the team.
Volunteering with E-International Relations is not your typical ‘work experience’. First, we coordinate our activities remotely using Slack. So, you do not need to physically attend a place of work to volunteer with us. Second, we have no paid staff, we are all volunteers. We volunteer some of our spare time because we want to have a hand in maintaining the best online resource for students and scholars of international politics. Thirdly, we do next expect applicants to own podcasting equipment. However, as we will not be supplying this, access to even a basic podcasting microphone will go a long way. Finally, we empower our editors to learn skills, manage their own time and develop their own projects. The result is that the more volunteers give of themselves, the more they take away from the experience. It is no surprise that many of our editors have built on their experience with us to go on to senior positions in the publishing industry, politics, and academia.
We are looking for individuals who:
- Are excited by the prospect of being a part of this project.
- Are a team-player and problem-solver.
- Are able to give around 5 hours week to the project for as long as you are able (this is an open ended project).
- Have some knowledge of (or at least are willing to learn about) the technicalities of podcasting.
What would you get out of it?
- Editorial credit will be given for every episode worked on.
- You will get something of value to place on your CV, and a reference/letter of recommendation if you ever need one in the future.
- Although this is an entry position, we seek to quickly promote editors who impress us to more senior positions, giving aspiring applicants ever-more opportunities as time passes.
- You can learn about the academic publishing and podcasting from a new vantage point.
- You will be able to interact and network with the wider E-International Relations team in addition to being part of a smaller team that creates high quality, free to access, podcast content.
If you would like to get in touch about this position, send us an email with the subject: ‘Editorial Assistant’ to thinkingglobal.eir@gmail.com. Within that email, please attach a purpose written statement in the body of your email (note, no attachments please) of no more than 750 words detailing the following:
- Tell us why you feel you are suited to this role.
- Briefly, tell us about your academic studies so far.
- Detail any technical proficiencies or experience with online digital/recording media you may have.
- Mention your favourite political-themed podcast and (briefly) why you like it.
- Outline one concise idea for a podcast episode that would suit E-International Relations, considering previous episodes and the type of content we publish on the site.
If you are interested, please send us your application by September 22nd 2023. We hope to get back to any candidates we shortlist by early October. Unfortunately, due to the large number of applications we typically receive, we are only able to respond to applicants that we shortlist.
