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I’m a third year university student from Melbourne and I took part in an internship program with Morgan McKinley where I worked alongside the Accounting & Finance Department in Sydney.

How did I find the internship program?

My aspirations behind seeking an internship were driven by the acknowledgment that I was becoming far too complacent in my day to day life. The everyday grind of attending University whilst juggling my part time job had become automated and stale. After approaching firms and handing out CVs, I decided to sit down to search for internships at a coffee shop, cold-calling companies to sell myself. 

I was initially reluctant to call firms further afield, due to my base being in Melbourne. However, I quickly looked past the barrier of working interstate and called Morgan McKinley to chat to Steph about possible opportunities. Despite there being no immediate needs at the time, Steph hinted at the idea of the Finance team being open to taking on an intern, and the rest is history.

When I started ....

The reality of moving to Sydney really excited me. Not knowing what was in store over the next 3 months definitely made me even more eager to get to Sydney and explore. The transition from Melbourne to Sydney has definitely been testing at times. Moving out of home for the first time, and to be faced with absurd Sydney prices, has really instilled the word ‘budgeting’ into my brain! Having said that, I was well aware of the challenges involved alongside the greater benefits of learning from professionals (and free teas in the communal kitchen!). 

Prior to joining Morgan Mckinley my knowledge around recruiting was very minimal. I gathered that recruiters acted as the so-called ‘middleman’ in connecting two parties via their services, and that was as far as my knowledge went. 

Now having worked directly in the business I’ve observed the end-to-end process of reaching out to potential clients and candidates; interviewing, guiding, consulting, building relationships and ultimately delivering to a brief, by ensuring the process benefits all stakeholders involved. 

What did I learn?

Personally the most advantageous skill that I’ve enjoyed observing is the communication between external individuals and our consultants. As an intern I’ve picked up interview skills and some of the probing questions candidates will be asked, as well as then understanding the best approaches to answering these kind of questions, as if I were on the receiving end of the interviewer. I also saw first-hand a range of varied interviewing styles from different colleagues whilst shadowing them in meetings, and differing approaches when interacting with clients. This has demonstrated that there is no single ‘right’ approach but rather finding what works best for each consultant. 

What I found challenging?

Personal challenges during my time at Morgan McKinley came from particular administrative tasks that involved plotting and cross referencing existing data from the internal CRM system. Even though administration is not a large component of the day to day recruitment process, it acts as the fundamental foundation for it; pooling existing and new clients and candidates by having up-to-date data on individuals is integral to success in the world of recruitment and allows the business to provide an accurate and professional service.

Would I recommend an internship at Morgan McKinley?

I believe that any individual would benefit from an internship at Morgan McKinley because the program encompasses a broad variety of tasks, all of which are applicable and can be utilised in a broad scope of industries. 

Moreover, recruiting is not limited or exclusive to a certain type of person; I have found a lot of my colleagues have previously worked in previous careers of Law, Chemical Engineering and Sports Science, making for a diversified workplace. 

Morgan McKinley offers amazing global reach with 10 global offices, providing any Intern or employee for that matter, the option to explore opportunities globally within the company. I’ve always had a dream of working internationally to travel and experience new work opportunities and being part of an organisation like Morgan McKinley makes that dream feel closer to reality. 

I’d like to use this opportunity to acknowledge Josh, GG (Georgina) and the boys for making me feel so welcome from the first day. Josh, in particular, has been a fantastic mentor guiding me the whole way, explaining each element and mixing up my workload with interesting tasks for the day. I consider myself very lucky to have worked with a boss like Josh. His willingness and desire to educate me in everything he is doing is testament to his charismatic and professional nature. 

From what I have experienced, Morgan McKinley is a perfect stepping stone for anyone that wants to experience a glimpse of the corporate world, whilst working alongside very welcoming professionals. 

Morgan McKinley are in fact  looking to grow their Accounting & Finance Division and you are welcome to enquiry about this amazing opportunity with Steph Newth!

Morgan McKinley are always looking for driven individuals like Lachie to join us in Sydney across a number of our high performing teams, whether in an interning capacity whilst studying, or a full-time role after graduating. If you're keen to learn more about how you can kick start your recruitment journey, please reach out to Steph Newth, Talent Acquisition Specialist, on +61 (0)2 8986 3102 or snewth@morganmckinley.com.au.