Placement Review

I thoroughly enjoyed working within a team and found all the colleagues very approachable, making it a very comfortable environment to work within. The work provided was challenging and provided a great insight into what to expect when in a trainee role. I also enjoyed being able to work within different departments to achieve an understanding of the work involved.

I was constantly greeted every morning by my host and asked if I was doing ok. This made me feel valued and that I was a member of the team and not just a student on a placement. Not only did my host make me feel valued but also treated me to lunch and to talk over things, and to appreciate the work that I was carrying out.

On the very first day I was provided with guidance on how to operate machinery and how things work around the office, as well as health and safety. I was also provided with many opportunities for networking both within and out with the office. This opportunity was amazing as I got to meet various different individuals from different disciplines.

The skills gained from the insight will help me to be more confident as an individual to work within an office with real life work. My presentation, delivered at the end of the placement, has allowed me to communicate effectively to a panel and given me the motivation to ensure that I produce excellent work at all times.

The structure to the insight was very simple and very well planned - I was working alongside my host and training principal, who provided me with work on a regular basis. The placement provided with the opportunity to learn and to network and to contribute my own ideas. It's definitely the best structured placement I have ever been on.

The atmosphere, initially, was quite daunting because I knew I would be working with some great people and I felt that I would need to ensure that I impress them. However once I started making my way around the office, everyone was very approachable and friendly. It's all about teamwork and that is something that I am passionate about, therefore the insight was very much a collaborative placement.

Shoosmiths have a very strong training programme for potential trainees. They provided me with extensive work to test my skills and to see how I work under pressure. As an innovative and growing firm, it is crucial to recruit the correct employees that will help the firm to grow and excel within a competitive field.

The placement provided me with work that would be carried out by a potential trainee. I was provided with real life client problems and to come up with solutions on tackling each matter. I was also shown around the courts and the structure of the courts and how we would raise any issues.

The firm has 4 values and all employees adhere to it. It's part of the company culture to carry out day to day activities following those values - pulling together, talking business sense, being within each and responsive, taking initiative. These values allow the business to grow, allowing Shoosmiths to grow at a fast pace.

The work that was provided to me allowed me to take an interest in family law, employment law and private client. The work consisted of a mixture of dealing with complex issues, drafting emails to clients, producing agreements and in general having to problem solve various issues, which is something that I thoroughly enjoy. Therefore, the experience has really made me decide that being a solicitor is my future career path and working for Shoosmiths is my perfect employer.

I was paid for the full week.

There was plenty of opportunities to network, whether it be at lunch or during meetings. I got the opportunity to meet various members from various departments to talk to me about how it was to work for Shoosmiths. It opened my eyes up to how much the firm is passionate about its clients, employees and the wider community. A lunch was organised for me to meet other employees.

The networking events were very much relaxed and informal which made it much easier and comfortable for me to get to know others within the team. I got to hear people's experience working within the firm and also what to expect as a trainee, the excitement of the traineeship and how the firm plans to grow over the coming years.

The firm as a whole offers a lot of activities within its other offices, however working at the Edinburgh office I realised that it offers very little sport activities, but this is down to very few males participating in sporting activities. However, they do a monthly round of pubs around the city of Edinburgh, which is something that doesn't interest me as I do not drink.

I would most certainly recommend this insight to anyone studying law as it is very hands on and allows an individual to work within a fast paced environment. It provides you with many opportunities, the ability to work to tight deadlines and tests you to work under pressure. The team are very friendly and the people really get together to work hard.