Hugo is a second year student of Finance and Law (Honours) at The Australian National University (ANU). He has a passion for both finance and law, and has been looking to expand his experience, not only through internship opportunities, but engagement within ANU-wide clubs and societies. He hopes to take part in 180 Degrees Consulting and the ANU Student Managed Fund over the next three years of his degree, whilst currently being a member of the ANU Consulting Society and the AFEC Students’ Society. Outside of his degree, Hugo is a passionate sports fan and player, and a student leader at his residential college, Burgmann.
How did you find out about the internship opportunity at the Department of Home Affairs and what was the interview process like?
I was scrolling through the positions listed on the ANU CareerHub and saw ‘Internship (External Costings) at Department of Home Affairs’. That listing instantly sparked my interest due to the finance aspect of my degree. I applied through the portal and through the CBE Careers and Student Employability team. All I initially needed to do was submit my CV and 150 words on why the role interested me. A few weeks later I was informed that I had been shortlisted for the next round of interviews. There was a long break between the notification and the actual interviews due to COVID-19, but I was regularly kept up to date by the CBE Careers team about how the process was coming along. Once I finally had my interview scheduled, Yvonne Soper from CBE Careers organised a Zoom meeting to assist me with my preparations. The interview was over the phone and consisted of three broad, yet straightforward questions. The Department then contacted me a week later informing me that I had been successful in securing the internship, and had to undergo the onboarding, security screening processes. The overall process was quite efficient, as I was always kept in the loop as to what was happening.
What valuable lessons have you learned at CBE about obtaining professional opportunities?
I have learnt a few valuable lessons. The ANU CareerHub and CBE Careers-related portals are platforms I regularly check as there are always plenty of opportunities up for grabs there. They are also useful in learning how to explore and identify what areas you’d like to work or get experience in. Also, my meeting with Yvonne regarding my interview preparation was extremely useful, as it really taught me how to approach interviews and what to expect going in. The strategies she taught me proved really helpful during the interview and they definitely gave me an advantage going in. Something as simple as suggesting I wear a nice shirt for the interview, even though it was over the phone, really helped me get into a professional mindset.