A job I would like to do in the future would be to work as a foreign correspondent journalist. I’m somebody who loves to travel and loves to learn about other cultures and the way they work, and also the history of other countries and places around the world. So this is a job that..err... really is attractive to me. I also really enjoy writing. It’s something I get a lot of pleasure from, so that job would allow me to combine my interests in travel, learning about the world and also writing. Now to become a journalist, you need to study a communications degree and that’s something which takes three to four years and can be done at a variety of universities both around Australia and around the world. Ermmm....now there are some particular qualities I think someone would need to do this job. I think being inquisitive is probably the most important. You need to be curious about the way things work and why they work in a particular way. So curiosity’s probably the most important factor. I also think confidence is important. You need to be confident, talking to people and asking sometimes quite difficult challenging questions of people ........ So I think having the confidence to do that, to be able to approach people, and ask them things that they may or may not be comfortable answering, is an important factor. I also think you need some level of
intelligence. You need to be able to understand the real reason why things happen and to be able to analyse things in some detail.
And are any of your friends foreign correspondents?
A friend of mine’s brother actually is a foreign correspondent working for the ABC in China.
OK, and do you think you will become a foreign correspondent in the future?
It’s a very competitive field and there are very few opportunities, so I hope so, but I can’t guarantee it.