Tom Lima
LLB graduate Tom Lima talks about the Pacific student experience at the University, and the setbacks and successes he has experienced on the way to finding a career he enjoys.
Can you tell us about yourself, where you are from?
I am afakasi, which is half Samoan and half English. I was born and raised in the UK, moving to New Zealand after I finished high school. My dad is Samoan. We hail from Lufilufi in Samoa and I am the oldest of two siblings.
What have your career aspirations been leading up to this point and who has been an influence on you?
My only real career aspiration was to get into a decent office role. Unfortunately, God did not bless me with great hands so I knew I would never make a good tradie. I would say that my key inspiration and role models have been my family. Hearing the stories of hardship my grandparents faced as immigrants to NZ in the 1960s gave me a lot of motivation to get things done. It’s tough to complain about an upcoming deadline when the old man worked 70-hour weeks just to get by.
I have just completed an LLB. I chose this degree as my mate was doing it and I genuinely found law quite interesting. To be honest, I wasn’t too sure what I wanted to do with my degree, although I knew it would help open doors. It wasn’t until the last couple of semesters that I knew I wanted to get into the legal industry and I’m very fortunate to have now found a role as a law clerk with a criminal law firm. I’m now gearing up to do profs and get admitted to the bar so I can get started as a solicitor.
I have faced a lot of setbacks in getting to where I am now. I still remember getting rejected from numerous roles and have done so many interviews you would have thought I was an NBA player. My best advice would be to just shake everything off and keep going.
What was life like for you as a Pacific student at the University?
I think I had a quite unique experience as a Pacific student at the University of Auckland. I never had a real connection to my Pacific side given my upbringing, but there have been some challenges I have had that I think are commonplace for Pacific students at the University. The biggest challenge has been helping to support the elderly members of my family and financial stresses. I feel very fortunate that the University provides a lot of support for Pacific students, such as Pacific Island Law Student Association (PILSA) and Peer Assisted Study Sessions (PASS). It’s been a privilege to be surrounded by like-minded Pacific students and embrace cultural activities.
How did you hear about the services that CDES offer?
I heard about CDES initially through the emails they always send out. I took a look at the CDES website at what CDES do and knew they would be able to help me with finding work.
After attending a couple of events in 2020/2021, I booked a meeting with Pepe Afeaki. She has been awesome, super friendly and approachable and very on to it. We went through my CV and she was exceptionally helpful in helping me with my Tupu Tai application.
What has your experience been like interviewing for jobs? What did you do to help you prepare? Any setbacks along the way?
I think job interviews are like riding a bike. They were daunting at first, but once you’ve gone through a couple and had a little (or for me a lot) of advice, they’re not too bad. In preparation I would research the company I’m going to and just run some potential questions through to myself. I have found that just being authentic has helped interviews go a lot better.
Do you have any advice or tips for students unsure about what to do with their degree, or how to find a job? Or advice for those who may not be feeling confident after many setbacks?
I would definitely recommend attending some CDES events and booking a meeting with the Team. They are literally paid to help students with everything career related, and they’re great at their job. Sometimes it’s a challenge to reach out for help, whether it’s being shy or you feel you know everything. I am glad I reached out for help as CDES is a key reason I’ve been able to find a job after my degree.
For those that may not feel confident after setbacks, I feel that. I have faced a lot of setbacks in getting to where I am now. I still remember getting rejected from numerous roles and have done so many interviews you would have thought I was an NBA player. My best advice would be to just shake everything off and keep going. Every time I hit a wall/set back I would remind myself that I’m one step closer to where I want to be. I remember being gutted not to advance through the MFAT Internship applications, despite putting in a lot of groundwork. I was sad, angry and confused, but I got back up, bit down on the metaphorical mouth guard and kept moving forward. Hindsight is also 20/20. If I landed that internship, it wouldn’t have opened the doors I have walked through now.
If you're interested in career opportunities and activities we have available to support our Pacific students, please get in touch with our Māori & Pacific Careers Team.