Career Summary

A passionate changemaker, Sean Car truly excels in his roles within the Journalism and International Development sectors. After completing his Bachelor of Journalism in 2013, and Master of International Development Practice in 2017, Sean has put his knowledge and skills to great use to make a genuine impact on the world around him.

Whilst studying in 2012, Sean started his own Non-Government Organisation (NGO), Educaring Africa, offering support to communities in Malawi and Uganda. More recently, he’s become Owner/Director of Hyperlocal News Pty Ltd, providing print and digital streams of news for communities right across central Melbourne.

Sean is a stern advocate for volunteer work through Educaring Africa in Malawi and Uganda. Similarly, he advocates strongly for the importance of internships while studying, having participated in three such opportunities himself during his Monash days.

Career Pathway

2018-Present – Owner/Director, Hyperlocal News Pty Ltd
2014 – Editor, Southbank Local News
2014-2018 – Master of International Development Practice, Monash University
2013 – Broadcast Journalist, WIN NBN Television
2012-Present – Director, Educaring Africa
2010 – Bachelor of Journalism, Monash University

Why did you decide to study a Bachelor of Journalism? And what motivated you to follow that up with a Master of International Development Practice?

Initially, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do, but I liked the idea of journalism. I was good at English, sociology, legal studies, and all the political and humanities subjects during high school, and I liked the idea of taking a more specific path, as opposed to an Arts degree that is very broad. Growing up in Bayside, Melbourne, Monash was also really convenient for me. I could just hop on the train every day, which was great.

After my second year of my Bachelors, I decided to take a semester off and go travelling and volunteering around Africa. My family's got a lot of African connections, with my dad being from Zimbabwe, and my Mum from South Africa where we have lots of family.

When I came back, I was ready to put my best foot forward for my final year. But then I started looking ahead, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to become a journalist at all. After my experience working in the NGO field and international development in Africa, I decided to study a Masters with that focus.

Ultimately, I did end up getting a job in Journalism, and I’m still doing that today, along with running my NGO.

What kind of learning did you appreciate at Monash?

For me, the best part of my Journalism degree came in the final year when they offered us the chance to do internships. I don’t believe you can learn everything you need to know in a classroom. So much feels conceptual until you step into a real work setting.

So, in my final year, I did three internships as part of that programme. One was at WIN News, where I later became employed as a broadcast journalist out of uni. Another was at Metro Media, which was an inner-Melbourne publication covering places like Port Phillip and Boroondara. Then the last one was at Southbank Local News, where I also landed a role working as their editor after my time with WIN News.

How did Monash support you through your internships, and how did they help you in your career advancement?

I firmly believe that my internships were the difference between me getting employed. If they weren’t on offer, I think I would have really struggled, so I’m grateful to Monash for that.

There are not many businesses that will take a gamble on a graduate with limited experience, as it's usually about who's the best available at the time – but if you can get that practical experience woven into your degree before you graduate, then that makes the employer look much more favourably upon you. As an employer now, I can speak to that.

If it wasn't for those internship opportunities, I don't think I'd be where I am now. Monash were also really good at making sure we had everything we needed for our internships and that we were having a good experience throughout, which helped a lot.

You spoke about your volunteering work in South Africa and Kenya. Can you tell us the importance of volunteering, and how it impacted the founding of your NGO? 

I’d encourage anyone who can to volunteer, particularly when you're young and you're still figuring out what you want to do. I was in that space where I just needed to do something that was a bit meaningful and impactful and give back. It was a really great life experience as a young person.

What’s better than going and seeing first-hand some of the hardest conditions and working with those communities to make a difference? It's very grounding and it reinforces the idea that we are very lucky to live in the society we live in. That’s why I think volunteering should be integral as part of any young person’s journey.

On my first trip, I worked with an organisation in Malawi for a large chunk of it, and I'm still partnering with that organisation today. Since then, I've gone on to travel to other parts of Africa like Uganda as well, but that original experience ended up being the catalyst for establishing my NGO, Educaring Africa.

What are the highlights from your time at Monash?

I really loved my time at Monash. It was always a great atmosphere, and I enjoyed meeting like-minded people in my courses. The university lifestyle was great fun too. Monash just makes it so easy to have a good experience.

One of the friends I made during my Bachelors now works for me as a part-time freelancer, so that is a highlight too. Thanks to our time at Monash, we now work together.

Was there anything in particular about your teachers that made a mark?

Yeah, a lot of my teachers at Monash were or had been journalists before, so it was great to learn directly from people who had that real world experience. It helped to know that I was talking to and learning from people who actually had that in-depth knowledge about the industry – and being able to interact with these people made me realise that it was possible to achieve my goals too.

Could you expand more on each individual internship?

When I interned with WIN News, I was posted at their Ballarat branch for a week. I worked with their news team and their news anchor. It was more of an observational internship in the sense that I couldn’t go on live TV or camera, but they let me record a couple of mock stories in our spare time. Overall, it was very valuable.

Metro Media published all sorts of inner-city magazines. Their office was on Park Street in South Melbourne. I spent a couple of weeks there and got the opportunity to work across most of their publications in both print and online.

Lastly, I interned with Docklands News and Southbank Local News (Media Comms), which is now my business (Hyperlocal News). It was quite casual, and I got to interview some pretty cool people and go to some great events. I maintained a good connection with them and ended up getting a job offer out of it. My current office is the office where that very internship happened, which is nice.

What advice do you have for students who are interested in pursuing a similar career path to you? 

Just put your hand up and get involved. Sometimes, when you're at university in those early years, it's hard to imagine what your next steps may be, but I think it's on you to look for and seize as many opportunities as you can. It can be daunting, and your experience can differ depending on who you are as a person – but I just think no matter who you are, make sure you put your hand up and don't be afraid to have a go.

Is there anything else you'd like to add about your university life? 

When I was setting up Educaring Africa, a mentor told me, “You're a university student, you'll never have more free time in your life.”

That message changed my perception of being a university student. When you’re studying, it can seem like the assignments and everything are just mounting and you operate in a bit of a bubble. But when you take a step back, you realise you may never have this sort of free time again. So, I tried to use it wisely!

Overall, just remember that university is a great journey - it’s meant to be fun, so make the most of it.