Early Career Tips in International Relations: A Conversation with Alexander Borum
- Elli Mohajeri
- Apr 30
- 2 min read
April 2026
With so many entry barriers, it is tougher than ever to secure a job in International Relations (IR). So what are the right skills, and where should early career professionals invest their time and resources to get into such a competitive field?
‘Patience’ and ‘resilience’ are two words that define the post-graduation era for anyone meaningfully pursuing opportunities in the field, said Alexander Borum, a career diplomat at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Denmark. In April, YPFP Global, in collaboration with the Brussels branch, hosted a webinar featuring Mr. Borum, focusing on entry-level career tips in IR for young professionals entering a highly competitive market.
Adam Nilsson and Shem Redie, managing directors from YPFP Brussels and Global, respectively, started the session by introducing the topic and the guest. Then, participants were asked to share the challenges they faced in entering the field of IR; these included increased competition, lack of funding, visa restrictions, and specialization requirements. Borum emphasized the importance of networks for personal marketability as well as having a sensible narrative that connects past experiences to the role in question. He also added that having a nontraditional background can be used to one’s advantage due to higher specialization requests, as long as the narrative makes sense and transferable skills are illustrated clearly.
Borum then shared some of his background, which included earning a Bachelor's degree in his late twenties and finishing a master’s in his early thirties. He emphasized how his participation in extracurricular activities and associations, as well as efficient networking, helped shape his success. Borum got his first real full-time job three years after graduating, but he did not stay idle while job-hunting and was actively engaged in networking and geopolitical consultancy work. Using this backstory, he reiterated the importance of investing in skills through online learning platforms like Coursera and active engagement through networking events, volunteering, and platforms like LinkedIn.
When it comes to essential skills, Borum emphasized concise writing under limited time and resources, while project and risk management skills were considered critical for navigating big, high-risk projects. Additionally, language learning was referred to as “the greatest investment”. Regarding regional and topical specialization, Borum recommended keeping an open mind, unless one is meaningfully interested in a certain issue or area. Having a degree of specialization would prevent people from getting pulled into tasks they dislike; however, over-specialization, on the other hand, can result in missed opportunities.
The event ended with a Q&A session, during which Mr. Borum answered questions from YPFP members around the globe.
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