Resume

James — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 09:33:18 +0000

JAMES A. FRIDLEY

james at jamesfridley.com

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) – Sydney Centre
Research Officer – Australian and South Pacific Economies
Sydney, NSW: February 2005 – February 2010

The Australian Institute of International Affairs (AIIA) NSW Branch
Councillor (Board Member – Not for Profit Organisation)
Sydney, NSW: August 2005 – August 2008

ACCESS – The Youth Network of the Australian Institute of International Affairs
Chairman / Co-founder
Sydney, NSW: March 2005 – June 2008

Kyoshin Juku
English Teacher, Teacher Trainer
Kyoto, Japan: January 2001 – October 2002

RESPONSIBILITIES & ACHIEVEMENTS

Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) – Sydney Centre
• Researched and analysed policy developments, trade and foreign relations for monthly JETRO executive briefings.
• Maintained continuous dialogue in Japanese and English with various government and industry leaders worldwide.
• Developed multiple global networks of government, business and academic contacts.
• Designed and deployed a reference database, maximising the usefulness of content to entire office.
• Implemented web and publication design for conferences and trained others to use HTML, CSS, and Javascript.
• Organised major East Asia Economic Integration Seminar, in conjunction with the Asia Society Australasia Centre.
• Organised first Australian ERIA Conference, in conjunction with the Crawford School of Economics and Government, ANU.
• Selected to take part in the JETRO skill development training program in Tokyo.
• Assisted JETRO to achieve its Business Development goals (Invest Japan; KPI) through close interaction with other departments.

Australian Institute of International Affairs (AIIA) – NSW Branch
• Engaged in group management, budget consultations, event management and planning future directions of the organisation.
• Increased the number of younger members attending AIIA events by 65% in two years.
• Liaised between ACCESS and the council, enabling the promotion of new directions and potential solutions to existing issues.
• Commissioned to develop a podcasting/netcasting delivery framework (in progress).

ACCESS – The Youth Network of the Australian Institute of International Affairs
• Managed relationships and roles within the ACCESS organising committee.
• Organised and chaired multiple events, ensuring high quality experiences for all at ACCESS events.
• Arranged speakers from: World Bank, DFAT, Consul General of China, and Consul General of Indonesia.
• Event Topics (e.g.): Climate change, development assistance, youth role in international affairs and multicultural relations.
• Assisted the development of ACCESS groups in VIC, ACT, and potential groups in WA and QLD.
• Created opportunities for the committee to use and develop their personal experiences.
• Developed new web features to ensure the increased use of the ACCESS web site as a useful knowledge based tool.

Kyoshin Juku
• Developed sustainable learning models by emphasising student self motivation, rhyme and phonics for Kyoshin.
• Promoted the communicative language learning method rather than simply rote learning.
• Designed and implemented a train-the-trainer program.
• Taught various levels of English to children between 7-14yrs.

EDUCATION

• February 2004 - November 2004      Masters of Arts – International Relations (University of NSW)
• February 1999 - November 2003      Bachelor of Arts – Asian Studies [Adv. Japanese; Industrial Relations](University of NSW)
• October 2000 - November 2001      KUINEP Exchange – (Kyoto University)

SKILLS & INTERESTS

• High level people skills from more than four years professional experience in the tourism and hospitality industry.
• Strong interest in the IT industry and the role on it will have in shaping the future.
• Intense focus on international affairs and international trade.
• Australian and American Citizenship.

For more information please visit

Hawaii -> BA Asian Studies

James — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 22:59:01 +0000

(Continuing on from “Japanese Language“…)

After a little over a year at the Regent, a family reunion was organised in Hawaii. Young and confident, I convinced myself that I should quit my job at the Regent, sell or store everything in my apartment, pack my life down to two backpacks and go to live in Hawaii. My grand plan was to work in a resort in Hawaii for a year, at the same time as taking the SAT exam to enter into American University (all thanks to my US passport).

Part 1 of my plan is as far as I made it. I used all of my savings and the money I had on my credit card to finance interviews and travel over the big island. While I was successful in getting a job, they refused to give me health insurance (a very costly thing in the US) and so my dream was dashed. Coming back to Australia was tough. I had said my goodbyes on leaving, and was sure I would not be back any time soon.

First things first I had to get money to pay off my credit card and start again. I did so by borrowing $40 from my dad, and staying at the Backpacker HQ in Kings Cross (again using my US passport) while doing odd jobs here and there to earn money. On the list of jobs I worked at Harold Park Raceway in the members bar, shift bar work for events at the entertainment center, and in the end at the Woodfire Pizza company in Crows Nest as a Bartender/cashier and then promoted to bar supervisor. In any case, I worked and saved until I had enough money for an apartment (it took about 4 months) and then moved out.

With that done I set my sights on university. I was just approaching my 21st birthday, and as such would then be eligible for the Undergraduate Preparation Program (to enter UNI as a mature age student). Long story short, I did very well in my course, and applied (and more importantly) was accepted into the University of New South Wales to do my BA Asian Studies.

Along the lines of my interest in Japan, I elected to study Advanced Japanese as a major. Pumped up with my confidence of my Japanese exchange I made a special application to start at third year. While my professor suggested that it would be better if I started in 2nd year, I insisted that while I knew it would be a challenge, I did not want to sit back and relax, I wanted to be pushed. I can not say that I was wrong, but that professor certainly was right. I struggled though advanced Japanese. While my listening and hearing skills were better than most in the class, my basic grammar suffered. I did not sit back and relax by any means. I begun setting up special meetings with my professor, who helped me specifically in the areas that needed attention. Many years later at my graduation from my Masters of Arts: International Relations, we agreed that she was really “the reason” I made it though. She was also the reason that I was accepted on my second exchange to Japan, to Kyoto University.