Job Interviews - Tuesday 19th December

The first interview I went to was at a large firm of solicitors in the City. A very modern, chic building with lots of friendly people. It's located on Princes Wharf, right beside the harbour, the staff canteen (which is more like a modern coffee bar) has floor to ceiling windows all along one wall with doors out to a balcony, with glass panels so that you can see breathtaking views of the harbour and the ocean beyond. The interview went very well, I first met with the Practice Manager, called Dennis, we chatted for about half an hour, Dennis then asked the Senior Partner, Warren, to come and meet me, as I would be working directly for Warren it was good to talk the position through with him. He has had a legal secretary/PA working for him for about 12 years but she has retired, so he's looking for a replacement. The work is mainly within the Corporate sector, however he deals with Commercial Conveyancing occasionally. I was then introduced to one of the support staff, a legal exec who worked for a few years as a legal secretary before she became an exec. It would seem that work experience and a general build-up of knowledge is all that is required to become a legal executive in New Zealand, it is not compulsory that the staff pass exams or gain qualifications, although they can attend evening classes at Auckland University to gain these if they so wish.

Warren, the senior partner suggested that I might like to work for them for a few months to see if I like the work and feel comfortable with it, as it is difficult to know without actually 'having a go'. Seems like a good company to work for, however the commute would take about 1 hour each morning. The salary would be lower to start with, as I have no experience within this sector, they would review my salary after a few months. If I had to drive in I would also have to pay for parking, which would be very costly within the City, the main thing I need to consider is doing so much travelling every day.

My second interview was this morning. It was at a smaller practice in Takapuna, which is a large town on the North Shore (at the bottom of the East Coast bays), north of Auckland City and took me just under 20 minutes to drive there from Long Bay where we are renting at the moment. The practice is located in what was previously a large detached house. It was spacious and modern, with lots of free on street parking along the road. Always a plus point. I met with the Office Manager, Helen and also one of the Legal Execs, Leanne. They were both very relaxed and friendly. They told me all about the practice, 3 partners, 4 legal execs, accounts and support staff. The job would be a legal secretary supporting 2 execs and 1 partner, the main focus would be working on mortgage offers for their largest client, it would involve a lot of maths, so a completely new sector for me to consider! They told me that they have a high volume of phone calls and sometimes they have 80 settlements on one day to deal with!! They assured me they were a friendly bunch, they all stop work for morning tea, to catch up on the latest gossip! They are taken out by the partners twice a year, summer evening out and a Christmas Meal. They have family days (bbq etc) and a social club which organised other outings. The Office Manager, Helen, asked me whether this job would be of interest to me.

So lots to think about, I have also applied for a couple of other positions. So I'll keep you posted!