Career summary

Recent Bachelor of Global Studies graduate Karla Elkington is currently an Ethical Sourcing Officer­­­­­­ at Myer, where she is working to promote more moral and sustainable conduct by businesses in the clothing and textile industries. Karla, who also went on an exchange trip to France while at Monash, discusses how her Global Studies degree helped fuel her passion for corporate social responsibility.

Career pathway

2019 – Ethical Sourcing Officer at MYER
2018 – Finance Assistant, Millmaine Entertainment
2018 – Bachelor of Global Studies (International Relations and French), Monash University
2016 – Studio Coordinator, Geyer

Why did you choose Global Studies?

I actually started a Law degree at another institution and realised it wasn’t for me. It helped me realise though that I was really a lot more interested in international relations, so I took a gap year and then chose Global Studies at Monash, because I knew that the international relations/politics area was what I wanted to focus on.

When I came to Monash I loved it – my exchange to France was a highlight. I did a similar thing in high school but this time I was on my own, so it really forced me to speak French. I made a lot of new friends and it was a really interesting experience.

Are there any key things you learnt in your Global Studies degree that you apply to your role every day?

Communication and stakeholder engagement are the big ones - being able to communicate with people in a variety of different contexts and situations. One day I could be emailing a supplier with limited English in China, the next I’ll be organising training for team members in Melbourne. So it’s being able to adapt depending on who you’re talking to. It sounds simple, but it’s actually a key skill.

Writing for business is another one. Being able to produce documents and reports specific to your audience, I have found to be really valuable. This isn’t taught in all degrees, which it really should be!

Leadership for Social Change, the main subject of the Global Studies degree, is heavily group-based. You do everything in a group, which can be difficult at times when you have different ideas and capabilities, but has been so useful going into a corporate environment, as it gave me a real understanding of the importance of teamwork.

Whilst everyone may have differing opinions; which at times can cause tension, you’re all working to achieve the same goal, and ultimately produce a project you’re proud of within a timeframe that you wouldn’t have been able to achieve yourself.

One subject I think back to all the time in my job is a unit called ‘Ethics of Global Conflict’. It was really interesting because it examined ethics the whole way down a supply chain – which is similar to what I’m doing in ethical sourcing right now. One of the scenarios they put to us was going back to WWII - if you’re in war, should you the bomb the workers who produce the gun powder for the guns? It opened my eyes to supply chains and the cause and effect behind them, which is so important in my work. I think that made me really interested in ethical sourcing – and wanting to have an impact in the world. I hope that by educating our people within the organisation, we have a ripple effect – from suppliers to buyers.

Why did you choose to work in ethical sourcing?

Ethical sourcing focuses on human rights, environmental impact, and social impact. At the moment, my team is focussing on the risk of modern slavery occurring in our operations, and our subsequent response to the modern slavery Act that came through in 2018. We train and assist members within the organisation to improve their awareness of modern slavery risks and ensure that adequate processes and policies are in place to mitigate these risks. It feels good to educate people and get them thinking about an issue that they often think no longer exists. Watching them then go further and educate themselves afterwards, doing their own research and telling other people about these issues is really fulfilling.

I am and I think always be interested in the corporate social responsibility area.

Like most graduates who’d undertaken international relations as a major, I applied for a number of government and diplomacy roles. And then a friend told me about this role. And it kind of just clicked. I am still helping the community in a way, and also working with people from around the world. The potential for change is massive, and educating people is a key part.

Do you have any advice for students that are preparing and adapting to change as they try to enter the workforce?

Be open to everything. And don't get bogged down or self-select yourself out of something, if it’s a small matter. Start somewhere and then you kind of figure out where you want to go from there, because the experience itself will give you added skills and knowledge that you can take on to your next endeavour. Trying new things and figuring out what you're actually interested in is an experience in itself. In first year, I would never have thought I’d jump out of Law, but I took the leap and can’t imagine ever looking back.

Written by Arts Journalism intern, Ed Bourke, 2020