Vacation Scheme Student Review

by Hogan Lovells

This review was submitted over 4 years ago, so some of the information it contains may no longer be relevant.

Rating

5/5
  • About You
    5.0
  • The Company
    5.0
  • Everything Else
    5.0

    About You

  • 1. To what extent did you enjoy the insight?
  • The vacation scheme at Hogan Lovells was very enjoyable and extremely helpful. I had the opportunity to experience a wide range of contentious and non-contentious work as well as gain some insight into business development. At the same time there were numerous networking events, information and training sessions and some excellent social events. Overall I developed a thorough understanding of what it means to work at the firm as well as what solicitors engage with on a day to day basis.

    5/5

  • 2. To what extent did you feel valued during your time at the company or firm?
  • Throughout the vacation scheme I felt that everyone I came into contact with, from trainees to the graduate recruitment team and partners, was genuinely interested in me and making me feel part of the firm. All my supervisors were very encouraging and expressed their appreciation for my work. This made me feel like a part of the team.

    5/5

  • 3. How much guidance/support did you receive during the insight?
  • Everyone at Hogan Lovells, from trainees to partners, was very willing to take a lot of time out of their busy schedules to explain all the tasks at hand and help with any problems as well as give me a real sense of what it means to work at the firm. The time that partners were willing to take to advise me on my future career made a particular impression on me.

    5/5

  • 4. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and information you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?
  • During the scheme, there was a case study for each of the firm's main practice streams. They were particularly engaging and interactive as we were usually split in groups and discussed each step of a particular deal/case with an associate or partner. This was then followed by a wider discussion of all the groups' observations. I believe that this insight will be very helpful when considering seat options. The training sessions were also very interesting, as they tended to take a particularly practical approach. For example, the traditional seminar on presentation skills focused on presenting and pitching to clients and thus managed to provide us with interesting new and practical skills as opposed to repeating the familiar basics of public speaking. There was also an excellent seminar on the fundamentals of the financial system.

    5/5

    The Company

  • 5. How well structured was the insight?
  • Overall, the vacation scheme was very well structured. The weekly transition between the different departments was seamless. Each week was meticulously planned to allow us to gain a genuine impression of the work handled by each department. Finally, there was a great balance between the time allowed for work in the department, the various seminars and networking events as well as as social events.

    5/5

  • 6. How was the general atmosphere during your insight?
  • The atmosphere at the firm was very friendly and supportive. While everyone is very hard working and very high standards are expected, the firm has managed to retain and cultivate a very supportive culture. At the same time thanks to the various networking and social events a collegiate atmosphere was created among the vacation scheme students and we felt like part of the team.

    5/5

  • 7. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?
  • There was a considerable investment of time and money in the vacation scheme students. The partners took a lot of their time to answer questions and give advice while the seminars and case studies were very well organised and involved numerous fee earners. In addition, they often involved external consultants as well. Fromthe constant readiness of the supervisors to advise us, to the seminars and social events, it was evident that the firm went to great lengths to make the vacation scheme a very useful and enjoyable experience.

    5/5

  • 8. To what extent did the insight help you to understand what it would be like to have a full time role with the company or firm?
  • The work that was assigned to me was the same as that handled by trainees. I was also involved in everything the department I was seating at was doing, from conference calls to evening drinks. I was thus given a very accurate image of what working at the firm would be like.

    5/5

  • 9. How much did the insight help you in understanding the company culture?
  • That was probably the vacation scheme's greatest success. I believe that even in three weeks I managed to develop a rather thorough understanding of the firm's culture. The City is very competitive environment and I got the impression that Hogan Lovells is constantly striving to improve and be the best. While top quality work and a strong work ethic are expected, the firm has a very collegiate and supportive atmosphere.

    5/5

  • 10. How valuable was the content in helping you to decide on your future career path?
  • The work that I was given on a daily basis as well as my daily agenda played a determining role on the impression I formed of each department. The work I was given was of the same level handled by trainees and was therefore very informative. Overall, while all that was very illuminating, one has to keep an open mind at this very early stage of a legal career.

    5/5

    Everything Else

  • 11. Were you paid or reimbursed adequately for this experience?
  • The remuneration was the standard one for a vacation scheme at a top City Law Firm.


  • 12. Were there opportunities for networking and meeting other employees of the company or firm?
  • The graduate recruitment team organised a wide variety of networking events which ensured that we were able to meet many associates and partners. I found the weekly lunches with partners particularly useful. At the same time, everyone was very willing to take some time and answer my questions as well as provide career advice over a cup of coffee. You only to need ask.

    5/5

  • 13. How were the networking/ social event opportunities?
  • There was a wide range of social events which helped foster a collegiate atmosphere among vacation scheme students. They were also a great way to make us feel more at ease and to get to know the trainees and the graduate recruitment team outside of the office. They were a particularly good way to learn more about the firm's culture from the trainees.

    5/5

  • 14. Did you find out about activities that employees can get involved in outside of work?
  • There was plenty of information available through various emails detailing the various activities available. There was also a lot of information on the firm's numerous pro bono and citizenship initiatives.

    5/5

  • 15. Would you recommend this insight to a friend?
  • I would absolutely recommend the vacation scheme at Hogan Lovells. Overall it was a wonderful and very illuminating experience. It is the best way to find out about the culture of the firm and the daily duties of trainees and qualified lawyers all the way to partner level. While there is a lot of information on the internet, it is not comparable to a first hand experience.

    5/5

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Details

Insight / Vacation Scheme (< 4 Weeks)

London

November 2015


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