Spring Intern Review

by Simmons & Simmons LLP

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

Rating

4.2/5
  • About You
    4.4
  • The Company
    4.0
  • Everything Else
    4.3

    About You

  • 1. To what extent did you enjoy the insight?
  • I thoroughly enjoyed the insight scheme, particularly the time spent in my department where I was given really interesting, relevant work.

    5/5

  • 2. To what extent did you feel valued during your time at the company or firm?
  • The graduate recruitment team were brilliant at talking to us throughout and trying to get a sense of what we wanted out of the scheme, and the trainee supervisors ensured that we didn't feel like we were an annoyance, they made us feel like we could genuinely contribute and helpw ith what they were doing.

    5/5

  • 3. How much guidance/support did you receive during the insight?
  • We received just the right amount: the trainees were careful not to 'breathe down our necks' or try and overly control what we were doing, but clearly were always aware that we were new to this and would need some help. It very much felt like there was an 'open door' policy and that if we had questions, all of the trainees were happy to help and similarly graduate recruitment were happy to answer any questions throughout

    5/5

  • 4. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and information you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?
  • I think that the skills developed will be really useful when it comes to interviews for vacation schemes and training contracts - we learned a lot about the kind of image we project and how to come across which will help us in all areas of life.

    4/5

    The Company

  • 5. How well structured was the insight?
  • I thought it was well structured, although perhaps the talks of the first day could have been spread across the two days, so that we would have had two afternoons in our department as opposed to one full day.

    4/5

  • 6. How was the general atmosphere during your insight?
  • The atmosphere was generally good, it was fairly relaxed and informal meaning we were able to chat amongst ourselves.

    4/5

  • 7. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?
  • I think this is a difficult question to answer as the scheme was only 2 days long, but the whole scheme definitely made us feel like the firm wanted us to be there and was willing to invest the time into ensuring we had a good time - from the talks to the events to the social/

    4/5

  • 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?
  • I thought we got a really accurate glimpse of the culture of the firm, and therefore what t would like to be a trainee there. The trainees were more than happy to answer endless questions which was brilliant as we could get an honest and accurate reflection of what it would be like.

    4/5

  • 9. How much did the insight help you in understanding the company culture?
  • As I said above, I feel this was something we really got a lot of in the two days taht we were there - everyone was happy to answer questions, and in an honest way: people were realistic about the hours to expect, but also complimentary of the atmosphere and environment in which you would spend those long hours.

    4/5

  • 10. How valuable was the content in helping you to decide on your future career path?
  • My participation in the scheme definitely confirmed to me that I want to pursue commercial law, and I will definitely consider applying to Simmons & Simmons for a vac scheme after such an enjoyable placement.

    4/5

    Everything Else

  • 11. Were you paid or reimbursed adequately for this experience?
  • I was paid a salary of £120, which was brilliant although it is worth bearing in mind that no expenses were reimbursed, so if you live outside of London (like me) it can end up costing almost that in expenses! It was still definitely great that we received a salary though.


  • 12. Were there opportunities for networking and meeting other employees of the company or firm?
  • Each day we would have lunch with a number of trainees and associates, and sitting with an associate from a different department on the second day was also really useful for meeting a wider range of people who worked there.

    4/5

  • 13. How were the networking/ social event opportunities?
  • I thought that Bounce was a really good idea for a social (ping pong/bar), as everyone got involved but there was no pressure to drink if people weren't keen, and there was a lot of great food in a really relaxed environment.

    4/5

  • 14. Did you find out about activities that employees can get involved in outside of work?
  • Mainly through my conversations with the trainees, who were more than happy to explain the various activities on offer.

    4/5

  • 15. Would you recommend this insight to a friend?
  • I really would - I thought that the type of work we were given exceeded expectations. I was honestly expecting to be photocopying and proofreading, whereas actually I was doing really interesting work that was challenging to just the right extent!

    5/5

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Details

Insight / Vacation Scheme (< 4 Weeks)

London

April 2016


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