LEE MOY’S TIPS AND TRICKS

LEE MOY’S Tips & Tricks

What is your name and what is your role within the QUT Law School? I’m Lee Moy and I am the Legal Employability Specialist / Careers Advisor at the Faculty of Law at QUT. My background is in legal Human Resources and I’ve worked in the legal industry for over 25 years.

What does that role involve? My role at QUT is all about connecting the Faculty of Law and the students with the legal industry.

What do employers want to see on your resume and your cover letter? This is a tricky question to answer because all firms are different and look for different things. I think there is certainly universal content to clerkship and general legal application documentation but now that we are dealing with more sophisticated and evolving recruitment processes and intricate selection criteria, there is no one-set-way to impress an employer. I help students to tailor cover letters and construct their resumes to give the reader what they are looking for. It can be very firm specific but it is also about being unique and sharing your own story.

When describing what firms are looking for, firm representatives will use terminology like, ‘wellrounded student’ or ‘we take a holistic approach’. I know this is not the black-letter language that law students like, so I host workshops on breaking this down so that students are able to recognise the activities, achievements and work they do as being valuable for this process.

Do you have any tips for excelling in a job interview? Every interview is different and every interviewer is just trying to get to know more about you. The interview is sometimes a deal maker or a deal breaker.

Your Resume is your ‘blind audition’ but the interview is really where you need to perform by articulating your experiences succinctly. Firms want you to talk about your learning and life experiences, genuinely connect with the people in the room. You need to give something more about yourself than just you like playing social touch football with your friends. Firms are about to offer you a CAREER - so I think that it stands to reason that they want to get to know who your REALLY are. So speak professionally and sometimes candidly, listen intently to what is being said (and not said), and engage with every single person in the room. Above everything, be yourself.

What is your advice to students who do not get offered a clerkship or a graduate role? Students need to remember that clerkships and internships are a very small pipeline to a graduate role. There are so many firms that don’t offer these structured pathways so students need to open their hearts and minds when thinking about their careers.

Perhaps an important question that I have for students is –Do you have a Career Plan or at least some idea of why you are studying law? If not, why not? Careers don’t just appear before your eyes. In most cases, careers are earned. Students work hard to get the career they want. They take a ‘career architect’ approach very early in their studies and build in flexibility. This is the sign of resilience, grit and in many ways, commerciality.

How to Ace Your Job Interview INTERVIEW TIPS

LAW & INTERVIEWS Those who choose the conventional way of securing a job as a lawyer in a law firm must undergo an interview process (along with the other processes like CV submission, psychometric testing, and networking events). It must be acknowledged that the law industry in Brisbane is competitive and law firms tend to recruit only the best. In short, even if you ace the interview and have appropriate skills, this does not guarantee you a role. Some people naturally perform well in interviews because of their outspokenness and approachability. But if that is not you, there are a few techniques that can help you take control of your interview.

WHAT IS AN INTERVIEW? Interviews are the tool that firms use to assess your motivation, demeanour and personality - i.e. how you ‘fit’ into their culture. To excel at interviews, you should learn what each firm expects from applicants. Each interview is different, but there are some general takeaways which are consistent across the board:

Interviews generally start with a meet-and-greet session where the potential candidate (the interviewee), would be asked some basic questions as to his or her desired career path, level of studies, and other surface-level information. Many interviews are designed to assess the skills and experience of each candidate. Give pointed answers which address selection criteria, with evidence (not mere assertions). There will likely be specially tailored questions for each candidate based on your CV. These questions uncover the value of your experience, and your honesty (so don’t lie on your CV, or you will be caught). Lastly, the candidate would have the opportunity to clarify doubts that may arise pertaining to, perhaps, the incentives that each employee is entitled to. It could be potentially about the prospects of promotion in the future or simply about the functioning of the organisation itself.

QUT RESUME EXAMPLE

Personal Details Email address and contact number is required, address is optional.

Career Profile Optional. Some research suggests that a career profile really doesn’t add value to your résumé. If you use one, it MUST be tailored to the specific employer each time you apply for a job.

Sample Résumé dhis is an example only and is not the only way to present your résumé. Do not copy résumé templates - including this one!

Name - use very clear text. A Title is optional e.g. Ms, Mrs, Mr

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Email Address –make sure it is professional! Your QUT email is recommended.

EMILY APPLICANT emilyapp@qut.edu.au Phone: 0421 123 456

Phone Number Only include the number you want an employer to call you on. Make sure you have a professional sounding voice mail message!

Career Profile (Optional) Key Professional Skills (Optional) EDUCATION AND TRAINING 2015 - Current Bachelor of Business majoring in Human Resource Management Queensland University of Technology GPA 5.4 on a 7 point scale Special Interest Area – Change Management Expected completion date: November 2017 University Achievements & Involvement 2015 QUT Business Student Prize for Outstanding Contributions 2016 President of Human Resource Club 2016 Participant of the QUT Career Mentor Scheme Memberships 2016 Member of Australian Institute of Management 2016 Inducted as a member of the Golden Key International Student Society 2015 - current Student Member of Management Australia Relevant Projects and Assignments May 2016 HR in Action project ͻ Utilised contemporary HR theories and practices ͻ Developed research skills and knowledge across a wide variety of contexts ͻ Presented findings of research in a formal written document Oct 2015 HR Management group project ͻ Managed HR issues such as change and redundancy ͻ Working with a multidisciplinary HR team ͻ Celebrated cultural diversity in the workforce ͻ Applied key HR principles EMPLOYMENT HISTORY Career Related Memberships Optional. If you are a member of professional associations, include this information here. Only include relevant memberships. University Involvement Optional. This section is an opportunity to display extracurricular involvement at university. If you have held leadership positions, consider how you may wish to highlight this to potential employers. Education and Training Start with your most recent study and place the title of your course above the university. Remember to include the scale with your GPA as this varies between universities. University Skills Developed - Projects and Assignments Particularly useful if you have limited relevant work experience. Present key skills + knowledge developed through university project that are relevant to the job you’re applying for, only 3 to 4 dot points for each. Key Professional Skills Optional. These are a good idea if you have a few years of employment experience or you have had professional experience throughout your uni course. Tailor 5-10 key skills that fit with what the employer is asking for.

Jan 2016 - Human Resource Officer (casual – 10 hours/week) current Good Results Human Resources

Key Accomplishments: x Assisted to develop new policy on recruitment strategies x Wrote the company’s ‘New Invitations’ newsletter x Increased staff attendance at optional training sessions on superannuation by implementing advertising campaign

Emily Applicant emilyapp@qut.edu.au Page 1 of 3

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Employment History –paid and unpaid Include Vacation/ Internship/ Work Integrated Learning (WIL)/Work Experience as well as casual, full-time or part-time jobs. In this section there are two parts: career related positions and other. This gives you the chance to break your employment into those positions that are related to the job for which you are applying and those that are not.

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EMPLOYMENT HISTORY (continued) Nov 2015 - Human Resource Assistant (vacation internship – 3 months) Jan 2016 Rather Large Company Key Accomplishments: x Assisted to run enterprise bargaining workshop x Updated employee database in relation to superannuation issues x Secretary for Strategic Management Meetings Achievements: x Excellent feedback received for my organisation of several staff training days and events Accomplishments When listing accomplishments you must be mindful of the duties and context of the role. Verify your statements - for example expand your bullet points to outline the scale of the task such as: “Interviewed 100 inmates, guards and administrative staff”.

Other Mar 2013 - Customer Service Consultant (5 hours per week) Dec 2015 Super Yummy Food

Key Accomplishments: x Undertook recruitment of casual staff x Trained new and junior staff x Prepared food and beverages to meet sales targets and company timeframes

Voluntary/Community Experience Jan 2014 - Cafe attendant current Rosie’s Cafe x Helping distribute food to disadvantaged people Key Accomplishments: x Demonstrated compassion and a willingness to care for others x Prepared food on a large scale x Communication with diverse cultures Community Involvement 2015 Red Cross Door Knock Appeal 2013, 2014 Bridge to Brisbane Fun Run MULTICULTURAL EXPERIENCE Multicultural Experience This is a MUST for International Students and domestic students who have extensive international experience, as it allows you to highlight your cross cultural skills and experiences. Simply dot point key details. Make links with the skills you acquired from the experiences to the job you are applying for. Community Involvement Include the extra things you do outside of uni that add value to the community you live in, e.g. if you volunteer to collect money for the RSPCA, organise community events etc. Consider presenting the skills you have developed in these roles that may be relevant to the position you’re applying for.

x x

x

Fluent in Mandarin and Cantonese: Outstanding communication skills from...... Travelled extensively in Asia and Europe: Global understanding of finance issues such as .......... Lived and worked in Asia and America with ABC volunteer organisation

Emily Applicant emilyapp@qut.edu.au Page 2 of 3

PLEASE NOTE: Make sure you check the job application instructions thoroughly, noting page length, file type and inclusions to ensure you submit your application as outlined by the employer. It’s best to check with the employer for their preferred file type for you to email your application documents (e.g. docx or pdf) in case they use Applicant Tracking Software. For this reason the use of text boxes or tables in your résumé is not recommended.

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Hobbies and Interests x Debating x Tennis x Reading x Painting

Hobbies and Interests Another optional extra. If you include it be smart about what you include. If you are studying design, include any design interests as hobbies. Be truthful as you may be asked about your hobbies in an interview, so you will need to be able to talk about these.

REFEREES

Mary Luini Mark Edwards Supervisor Director Rather Large Company Good Results Human Resources Phone: 07 3434 1234 Phone: 07 3212 3123 Mobile: 0401 123 456 Mobile: 0402 789 456 Email: Mary.Luini@rlc.com.au Email: mark.edwards@grhr.com.au

Phone Numbers Having spacing in your phone numbers makes them easier to read.

Referees ALWAYS the last thing on your résumé. Referees are people who can be contacted to talk about your professional fit for the job you have applied for – it is important to include referees who can talk about your professional skills. Include FULL contact details and make sure they are ready and willing to provide a telephone reference. There is no need to include a personal referee.

Emily Applicant emilyapp@qut.edu.au Page 3 of 3

Some things were never meant to be on an Australian résumé: x Your date of birth/age x Your marital status x Your health status x Your photo x Anything not relevant to the position you are applying for x Anything that could prevent you from being offered an interview

Some things really need to be on your résumé: x Your name x Phone Number x Email x Education and Training Qualifications x Employment History – Paid and Unpaid Work (if you have it) x At least 2 referees who can discuss your professional skills x Evidence of relevant skills

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AVOID: Tables or graphs in your resume - if the organisation is using Applicant Tracking Systems this information may be missed completely.

To include your GPA? If your GPA is over 5 include it, however, if not, perhaps consider if the employer needs to know it at this stage and if highlighting your key subjects is more appropriate.

How to Ace Your Job Interview INTERVIEW TIPS

01

PREPARATION To be successful in an interview, it is essential that you are comfortable talking about why you want to work at the place you have applied for. At a minimum, you need to be familiar with basic information about the firm. Furthermore, many firms pride themselves on individuality, so you also need to intimately understand their values and initiatives. You can find this information from the following sources: » Firm website; » Consulting firm HR and recruiters at networking events (this also demonstrates interest); » Reports produced by the firm; » University and society careers brochures (such as the 2020 QUTLS Careers Guide).

02 SET AN EXCEPTIONAL FIRST IMPRESSION In interview settings, first impressions do last. Here is how to set a good first impression: » Demonstrate punctuality by arriving early; » Be polite and friendly (the partner interviewing is rarely the only person at the firm with input into the hiring process); » Self-grooming; and » Dress professionally (if appropriate).

03

ACING YOUR INTERVIEW Basic pointers on how to ace an interview: » Be prepared to discuss the content of your CV; » Prepare for basic questions that you expect to be asked, such as:

» Why do you want to work at this firm? » What are your strengths (or weaknesses)? » What is a situation in which you have demonstrated those skills? (remember, skills learned in other industries like retail and hospitality are readily transferable to legal practice) » What are your interests and hobbies? » Be mindful of your demeanour - maintain appropriate body language, use eye contact, and keep things conversational; and » Stay calm, take a deep breath, and present your best self - confidence is key.

04 THE END OF THE INTERVIEW The end of the interview is a great opportunity to demonstrate your interest by having your own questions for the interviewer prepared. This shows interest and initiative. In addition, make sure to thank the interviewer for their time before leaving.