Ziff said:
What sort of extra-curricular activities are valued?
Hi Ziff,
Broadly, I believe employers value individuals who show that they can maintain a balance between academic studies and extracurricular activities. At the moment, I can generally categorise 'extra-curricular activities' into two: the first being leisurely interests and second, legal interests.
1. Leisurely interests
Leisurely interests that demonstrate you are able to:
a) work in a team
b) lead a team
c) maintain a healthy lifestyle
d) an interest outside of law and able to excel in activities outside of law
2. Legal experience
Ziff said:
Public speaking, internships at law firms or the Federal Parliament, debating, community/volunteer work, possibly overseas exchange?
Those you listed are great, with a particular emphasis towards internships. I agreed with most of what I read in the recent AFR article: Summer windfall for a talented few (Dec 17)
http://afr.com/premium/articles/2004/12/16/1102787207687.html
However, you must keep in mind particular experience that promotes your profile towards your desired career path and that doing other activities may work against you.
For example, someone who does a lot of volunteer work at community legal centres may not promote themselves at corporate firms when stacked against other applicants who have had more experience at commercial firms. In contrast, an applicant wishing to get a position in a public interest position may not be in a great position with a profile lined with major commercial firms and little community work. Also, I have noticed that people who have work experience in small firms have less interviews offered by large firms and vice versa - one who has experience in a range of small-mid-large-mega firms is in an ideal position if they're unsure which type of firm they would like to work in and wants the largest number of interviews offered to them.
I hope that helps somewhat. Best of luck!
Regards,
David