About Darragh

My name is Darragh Murray, an data visualisation and analytics professional based in Australia. Thanks for stopping by my corner of the web.

On this website, you’ll find some of my writDarragh Murraying about analytics, data visualisation with a particular public policy bent. You’ll also find links to my growing portfolio of data visualisation work. 

I generally concentrate on subjects such as:

  • Use of data as a strategic tool for generating business insight.
  • Issues in international politics and economics that overlap with the digital humanities.
  • Data storytelling as a useful method of exchanging knowledge – mainly using open data.
  • Older posts relate to my past life working in the international education sector as well as my time as a database developer.

I regularly talk and write about the data and analytics and frequently present throughout the world on these topics. I’ve listed my conference appearances below.

I’ve worked in several fields before transitioning into my current role in the Australian energy sector, including commercial property, international education, commercial dispute resolution, housing, as well as the public service. I’ve also been involved in the music industry, being a freelance music journalist as well as a radio producer for local community radio. I’ve was also elected as a Tableau Ambassador in 2021.

You may also note that this website is also the home of the UN Internship F.A.Q. which is now quite out of date considering I interned at the United Nations over a decade ago, yet I’ve kept it online for posterity. Somewhat strangely, it seems to be occasionally useful for interns even today! It’s merely a guide to help prospective interns on what they might expect should they be lucky enough to intern at UN headquarters in New York. Or at least what it was like back in 2010. 

I have formal tertiary qualifications in information systems, international relations, history and business analytics. I currently work for a leading Australian provider of high-voltage energy transmission based in Brisbane, Australia.

Feel free to get in contact if you have any queries related to my professional work or feel like saying g’day.

Cheers!

Darragh

Work experience

Presentations, writing and consulting

I regularly present, write and consult on the topics concerning data visualisations, business intelligence and analytics.

Below is my presentation, publication and volunteering history.

  • 2022, Presenter, Tableau Prep User Group, Prep It: The Underrated Art of Making Data Usuable [link to Youtube recording].
  • 2021, Tableau Ambassador.
  • 2020, Tableau Fringe Festival, Reflections on data viz, anxiety and imposter syndrome [link to Youtube recording].
  • 2020, Presenter, Refuge from the storm: reflections on climate change, refugees and data visualisation, Brisbane Tableau User Group – September meeting [link to Youtube recording].
  • 2020, Presenter, Amplify Now: Virtual Refugee Conference [link to Youtube recording].
  • 2020, Presenter, Tailwinds to headwinds: Emerging trends in Australian international education, StudyAdelaide members event, Adelaide.
  • 2019, Subject Matter Expert, Module 2: Data demystified, IEAA Professional Development.
  • 2019, Presenter,  Data demystified: communicating data with impact , Australian International Education Conference (AIEC), Perth.
  • 2019, Presenter, What are the lead indicators telling us? And what do they mean?  Study Perth Data Hangout, Perth.
  • 2018, Panel member, Blockchain applications for international admission systems: a hypothetical study, AIEC, Sydney.
  • 2018, Presenter, Peering into the petri dish: Queensland and Australian international education in 2017, IETU Data Hangout, Brisbane.
  • 2017, Author, The Data Game: Building analytics capability in international education, IEAA Vista Magazine, Summer 2017 Edition.
  • 2017, Presenter, Demystifying data: unlocking the value of data-driven decision-making, AIEC, Hobart.
  • 2017, Presenter, Getting started in the data game, New Zealand International Education Conference, Auckland.
  • 2016, Panel member, Big data, big insight and international education, AIEC, Melbourne.
  • 2016, Presenter, Mine craft: A primer on turning raw data into predictive insight, IEAA marketing special interest group, Brisbane.
  • 2015, Presenter, The devil is in the data: Empowering international higher education through business analytics, AIEC, Adelaide.

Formal qualifications

  • Master of International Studies, University of Queensland, 2010.
  • Graduate Diploma of Business Analytics, Deakin University, 2017.
  • Bachelor Information Technology/Bachelor of Arts, University of Queensland, 2003.
  • Bachelor of Arts (History, honours) , University of Queensland, 2007.
  • Alteryx Core Certified, 2021.
  • Tableau Certified Associate, 2021.
  • Tableau Certified Data Analyst, 2022.
  • Accredited Tableau Desktop Specialist, 2019.

24 Comments

  1. Hey I am reading about you and your experience as a UN intern. I applying for the programme at the NY headquarters and before telling you more about myself I have BIG question about the application ….
    They ask you to write on your cover letter what are your areas of interest/departments…do they mean the agencies you’d like to be appointed to (i.e. UNICEF, UNIFEM) or what do they mean by areas like “technology, or writing”? I mean I understand different things from the same question but Id like to know which one is the correct. PLEEEASE write me an email Id thank you a lot.

    I am mexican 21 years old doing a double major in economics and political science..

    Merci en avance

    1. Hi Elena.

      You’ll note I’ve posted up a FAQ that answers (hopefully) some of your questions. I’ll drop you an email as well.

      Regards

      Darragh

  2. Hi Elena

    I’m publishing a UN intern FAQ this week on this site and I’ll address your question. In the meantime, from what I understand if you want to get interest in a specific agency, you can put that down, but I would also put general interests as well.

  3. Hi Darragh

    Did they inform you that you had an unsuccessful application in the 1st time? or do they just approach short-listed people?
    THANKS

    1. Hi Nancy..I’ll be honest, I can’t exactly recall! I believe they did though in my case, but I’m not sure if its standard. The UN is a big beast of an organisation and sometimes these things fall to the side, I guess. I know, it’s annoying. Also keep in mind that they also sometimes take ages to reply individually.

      1. Hi Darragh,

        Can you tell me if there is an age limit on interning with the UN? Im graduating when Im 30 and am wondering if this is too old to be accepted?

  4. Hi! Darragh
    Please, do you have an idea when the UN Internship vacancy for Spring Session 2012 will be out and which website am i meant to see it.The date for applying for Spring Session 2012 starts mid May to September, 2011.I have been checking on UN careers website and have not seen any vacancy posting yet.I have sent email to the UN careers address but they have not responded.I observed that there was no posting for the fall session(mid-Sept to Mid-November,2011) on the UN Carrers website and i dont want to miss out applying for the spring session(mid-jan to mid-march,2012) due to this same problem .Pls reply in case you have an idea why am not seeing the Internship vacancy posting bcos am sure that i have been checking the correct website.
    Thanks

  5. I had to tell you what a life saver your “Quick Tip – Conditional Formatting on Ms Access Reports” was. I have been pulling my hair out for the last two hours and you solved my problem immediately.
    Thank you!!

  6. Hi Darragh!
    Thanks for all your information on this website!
    I’m also interested in applying for the UN internship this year.
    Can you give me any advice on how I should write the cover letter?
    This is the hardest part of the application for me…

    1. Hi Serena. I’m not sure if I can give you my specific cover letter, but here is what mine covered.

      • Talked about my qualifications – what I had studied, what I was currently studying and my general level of achievement including notable assessment in which I performed well.
      • Talked about my work experience – paid and unpaid, and what skills I learned during my time as a working professional (admin, business acumen, IT skills) and why they would benefit the UN.
      • I then went into specific details of my strengths and skills – i.e research, communication, team work and so forth.
      • I talked briefly about my language skills (english, obviously, then some knowledge of french and spanish though I admitted it was limited).
      • I talked about why I was applying and what aspects of the UN work particularly interested me.

      How I did it isn’t necessarily what is a ‘winning’ cover letter, but should give you ideas on how one writes a cover letter.

  7. Hi Daragh,

    Re UN internship in NYC. Would you know if you have to be a postgraduate student for the duration of the internship (i.e. take time out from your course to complete your internship) or can you accept an internship after you graduate from your course (in my case a PhD program)?

    Thanks,
    Eanna.

  8. Sorry Eanna. I’m not exactly sure. You have to be a post-grad to do an internship, which I intepret as being ‘when you start’.

    I’m not sure if they police it that much, though you have to show that you are enrolled. I’d just apply if I was you.

  9. Hey Darragh,

    Thanks for sharing all the information here, I recently got a message from a director within UNDESA saying that if i would like to work with his branch and some other informal questions like am i available for 2 to 6 months, how soon can i start etc etc … then i answered all the questions while there is no following up until now.

    what does it means ? how far is it to the final set. I am quite in a hurry since i have to prioritize my tight schedule. should i contact him again if further decisions continue to suspend ?

    Thank you so much if you can help…
    all the best

  10. Hi Vincent. Sorry I took so long to reply, I’ve been away on holidays. Sounds like you need to get in contact with the dude again to find out what the deal is.

  11. Hello,

    I have a 10-minute telephone interview for a UN internship in less than 2 hours and I wanted to know what kind of questions should I expect in such a short time? Also if you can give me some tips to pass this interview it would be more than useful!!

    Many thanksssss

    Regards,

    Aicha Ella Zakraoui

    1. Hi Aicha. Likely you’ve already done your interview by the time I’ve replied, but if you just treated it as you would any other job interview, you should be fine.

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