The Australian Institute of International Affairs seeks students who are based in Australia who are interested in completing a voluntary internship. Regular internships are offered in Sydney, Melbourne, and Canberra. Places may also be available in Adelaide, Brisbane, and Hobart depending on branch needs.

*Please note* Dates and positions for internships are different for each state and territory branch. 

National Office Internships in Canberra

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Those who are interested in an internship at the AIIA’s National Office must be located in Canberra or willing to relocate for a minimum of three months for the duration of the program.

The AIIA’s National Office internship program is designed to facilitate each intern’s learning and career development needs. It includes a mix of training and practical experience in events, communications, and office management. Download a Standard Contract Trainee Template (35 KB).

The AIIA National Office has some flexibility to adapt its internship programs to suit individual needs:

• Internships generally focus on:
  • events and publications;
  • communications and digital media;
  • curating and editing content for the AIIA’s online publication, Australian Outlook.
• Internships can be full-time or part-time (minimum two days per week) for a three-month period. Please note that at this time, we are unable to offer paid internships.
• Interns will be provided with various professional activities, examples include embassy visits, networking events, career support, professional development opportunities, and access to AIIA and external events.

Applications to the National Office can be made at any time during the year and will be considered according to the following timeline:

Please note that due to a high volume of applications, only shortlisted candidates will be notified. We appreciate your patience during the selection process and wish to assure you that your qualifications and experiences were given due consideration. If you have not been contacted by the above date, we encourage you to apply for the next available cohort or attend our events to stay involved with the AIIA. 

Some handy tips for preparing your application include:

• In your statement of interest include information both on how you hope to benefit from your placement with the AIIA and what you can offer the AIIA. The AIIA internship program aims to help students and graduates build careers in international affairs and other areas, so we care about how this placement will help you.
• Show that you understand what type of organisation the AIIA is in your application. Have a look over the website to gain a sense of the AIIA’s activities.

*Please note* If you have trouble uploading documents via our website, please submit your internship application to hebe.ren@internationalaffairs.org.au.

State and Territory Branch Internships

AIIA NSW in Sydney

Applications to AIIA NSW should be made to the NSW Intern Coordinator by emailing nswinternships@internationalaffairs.org.au. Information on the internships program in Sydney is available here.

AIIA VIC in Melbourne

Applications to AIIA VIC should be made to admin.vic@internationalaffairs.org.au using ‘Internship Enquiry’ as the subject line.

AIIA WA in Perth

The WA Branch is not accepting internship applications.

AIIA Queensland in Brisbane

Please view our internships page and join our Facebook page for information specific to Qld internships.

Other Branches

Applications to other branches should be made to the relevant branch.

Other considerations

Unfortunately, internships are unpaid, and interns need to be able to cover their costs and living expenses.

You will need to exhibit a high degree of independence and excellent planning skills. Interns are treated as valuable members of the AIIA team and have a real, public-facing impact on the institute. You need to be self-directed and you would be assigned a range of projects that you work on autonomously with regular supervision.