Australia’s Firm Spy reports that Clayton Utz are handing out advice to new interviewees about using the word “mate”. Both the whistleblower and Firm Spy seem a little upset by the imposition – personally we would be happy if every firm in Australia banned the use of the word….
Actually we’d be happy if it disappeared from Australian vernacular completely .. although it seems Firm Spy don’t appear to agree with us on that one.
It has unbelievably been months since we have published anything substantial on embattled national law firm Clayton Utz. So it was with arms wide open (like embracing a forgotten mate) that we welcomed the following comments emailed to us over the weekend from an eagle-eyed, anonymous Clayton Utz spy:
Since when did it become appropriate for HR staff to caution aspiring graduates against using words like “mate” in clerkship/graduate interviews? I have just finished reading the Melbourne University Careers Guide 2010 and thought Firm Spy would be interested to hear that Clayton Utz is currently offering the following interview advice to grads:
“avoid umms/errs, buzz words, colloquialisms/slang (such as mate, right, ok, yeah).”
Indeed the firm is giving such advice (page 43 of this link). Can you believe this outrage, mate?
For those querying the inherent mischief in the term “mate”, we offer the following characterisation given to the word by former PM John Howard (10/11/2003):
The two world wars exacted a terrible price from us – the full magnitude of that lost potential, of those unlived lives can never be measured. And yet, some of the most admirable aspects of Australia’s national character were, if not conceived, then more fully ingrained within us by the searing experiences of those conflicts. None more so than the concept of mateship – regarded as a particularly Australian virtue – a concept that encompasses unconditional acceptance, mutual and self respect, sharing whatever is available no matter how meagre, a concept based on trust and selflessness and absolute interdependence. In combat, men did live and die by its creed. ‘Sticking by your mates’ was sometimes the only reason for continuing on when all seemed hopeless. I was moved by an account written by Hugh Clarke, who, like thousands of other Australian and British servicemen, endured years of senseless cruelty as a prisoner of the Japanese after the fall of Singapore. He couldn’t recall a single Australian dying alone without someone being there to look after him in some way. That’s mateship.
Full article? http://firmspy.com/clayton-utz/3775/clayton-utz-bans-graduatesseasonal-clerks-from-using-term-mate
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