Vacation Scheme Student Review

It was very enjoyable. I had a great insight into the working culture of the firm and was very warmly received by the members of the team, the socials were well thought-out and really good fun, the people were engaging and genuinely interested in the vac scheme students and HR was just amazing throughout the whole scheme in terms of the support and guidance they provided.

I genuinely felt like a part of the team at the two departments I was in. Mentors were excellent in giving a variety of meaningful work and typical work that a trainee would do, and provided great guidance but also flexibility in allowing us to complete the tasks.

HR was fantastic throughout the scheme, but my mentors and buddies in the respective departments were also amazing. Whether it was about the work, the scheme itself, or about life at the firm / TC-related questions, everyone was forthcoming and helpful.

I felt that the soft skills I've learned during the scheme would make the most impact on my degree studies and beyond, such as working and communicating with different types of people, managing time and putting a commercial perspective on legal matters.

The scheme was well-structured in terms of the mix of work, socials and business development sessions, and was also very well-paced. Three weeks was just enough time to have a good feel of the firm without being too quick- or slow-paced.

It was great throughout; in the first week people were a bit nervous but that is to be expected. In the second and third weeks everyone really opened up and I had great fun learning and socialising alongside my other vac scheme students. In the office, even though the lawyers were really busy, everyone still found time to interact with me and find out how I was getting along.

We had lots of interesting and valuable sessions with various members of the firm, and the level of investment in us was apparent by the number of 'important' people that came to speak to us. Talks that stood out were the Managing Partner's Perspective and Global Partners session.

Three weeks was a short time to fully understanding what it would be like to be a trainee or solicitor at the firm, however the type of work that was given to me during my time in the departments was a good mix between more interesting tasks and more typical tasks that a trainee would have to do - I felt this provided a good insight. Asides from that, talking to trainees and solicitors definitely helped to shape my view of what life would be like at the firm.

Working in the departments was more valuable in helping me understand the company culture than the socials, however the business development sessions were also valuable in helping me understand the company's values and strategy.

Working in the departments was more valuable in helping me decide on my future career path than the socials or business development sessions; however, that being said they did help to shape my view of the firm and its culture and values.

We were given an allowance of £300 a week for the scheme.

Trainees often came along to social events and we had socials specifically for meeting and networking with partners and associates (Practice Dinner at 34). On top of that there were drinks or cake trolleys as well as breakfast sessions at the departments which allowed us to meet a number of other solicitors.

The socials were all great fun and very well thought-out, there was a variety of activities (taxi treasure hunt, restaurants, speed-boating and climbing the O2) which ensured continued interest and enthusiasm. However we mostly interacted and socialised within the vac scheme group during the activities rather than networked with other solicitors in the firm (practice dinner being a big exception).

I found out about clubs and volunteering opportunities that employees can get involved in outside of work, with many people using the gym at the firm quite extensively.

I had great fun, it was an amazing experience and a valuable insight into the firm, and I would definitely recommend it to a friend who is interested in Linklaters or in finding out more about the firm.