Vacation Scheme Student Review

I thoroughly enjoyed my time during the vacation scheme and it lived up to every expectation and beyond. I really enjoyed the variety of work and experiences. The ability to take part in two seats supported by other talks/workshops meant that I gained a really broad insight into the firm. Besides the work, there was also plenty of time to find out more about the firm and meet everyone there. The graduate recruitment team did a fantastic job as recruiting like minded vacations schemers and I found my social time spent with them and the trainees really enjoyable. The culture and mindset of the firm is really inspiring, positive and motivational. I had a really busy time at the firm which I would not change for anything because it gave me as many opportunities as possible! The scheme really did fly by which I think shows how much I enjoyed it. I had only positive experiences!

Despite only being at the firm for 2 working weeks, I felt incredibly valued during my time at the firm. Everyone in my departments was really enthusiastic and were desperate to get me involved in anything possible and tell me about their work. I hardly had to ask for work because I found that everyone took an interest in me and wanted to get me so involved! When I completed a task, I always was praised and thanked for my contributions and everyone was happy to take the time to talk through any related issues with me and give me feedback. My supervisors were fantastic and really took the time to get to know me and support me wherever I needed it.

I found the support at Taylor Wessing really great. I had a supervisor and a buddy in each seat. Despite being busy themselves, they always had the time to help me and answer questions. They would check on me and ask me personally how I was doing, if I needed any support and If I was coping with my workload/tasks. In addition to this allocated support, other members of each team were also very welcoming and also took the time to support me through answering questions and giving me feedback. I felt like I always had multiple people to turn to and everyone was more than approachable. My supervisors and buddies also really took the time to get to know me on a personal level which was fantastic as advice and feedback was really tailored to suit me. The graduate recruitment team were also always on hand to answer questions and help with problems.

I had a go at many tasks, all which involved a practical use of my legal knowledge. Examples of these are: research, amending agreements, writing articles, reports and letters, attending meetings, site visits and court visits and collecting and analysing data, These will definitely assist me in my studies and beyond as I was able to practice applying the law and seeing how it operates in real life situations. In addition to this, I generally furthered my legal and commercial knowledge in the two seats. The information I received through the Focus On talks was really useful and will really help to inform me in the future when I choose modules/consider seat options.

The vacation scheme was very well structured. Gaining experience in two seats as I left the firm with two very different experiences in terms of team dynamics and the application of the law within those. The Focus On talks added more breadth to the scheme which meant that we all left with a wide oversight of the firm so that we were not left with gaps in our knowledge. The talks were spread across the two weeks which added structure to the programme and provided a great meeting opportunity with the other vacation schemers. Many of these talks included activities within them such as case studies, debates and even a mock bidding challenge which allowed us to gain further insight into the other departments. There was plenty of social opportunity with a great range of socials which were really fun and suited to everyone, giving everyone the time to get to know each other on a personal level. We had to prepare a presentation in teams in addition to the scheduled programme. This gave us an experience of real work life and an opportunity for us to organise, time manage and lead our own project.

The atmosphere could not be faulted which I feel is down to a number of factors. The vacation schemers were all very like minded, got on really well as a group and were interested in going beyond what was scheduled to work with each other and socialise. The culture of the firm is really something to be proud of. It is friendly, open, motivating and extremely positive. This creates a really inspiring environment to work in. Everyone was welcoming and supportive yet driven, focused and highly motivated. The working atmosphere was buzzy, exciting and energetic.

The firm invested a lot of time in supporting us and helping us develop within the two weeks. With seat based tasks, I received so much help and support wherever I needed it. It was also really useful to receive an appraisal and feedback session from a supervisor at the end of each week, which allowed me to take into consideration what I am able to improve and discuss my own thoughts and experiences. I had contact with a huge range of people in the firm, from partners and senior counsel, associates and trainees even to the managing partner himself! All were willing to invest time in me and meant that I learnt from a range of perspectives. The Focus On showed how the firm were interested in developing us as they were really useful for gaining a wider insight and knowledge of sectors and the operation of the firm as a whole. The firm seemed really flexible and open towards development, help was available in all fields wherever needed. A court visit was even arranged by vacation schemers which shows the firms positive approach to personal development!

I felt that the scheme was a very real insight into what a full time role would be like with the firm. I never expected to be so involved with different matters or to be given so much work with real responsibility. In addition to this, we had to arrange our time wisely to prepare a presentation which reflected the working life of a normal trainee. It was a great way to practice balancing work and time management. I even stayed a bi later and started a bit earlier than the allocated work because I was so determined to get everything finished! I undertook a really full range of work which allowed me to really see the full rang of tasks which I could be getting involved in with the firm. Through socials and many contact opportunities with other members of the firm, I gained a real feel of the firm's culture. Therefore not only do I understand the type and amount of work but the environment in which I would be carrying it out.

I felt like I had a good idea of the company culture before the vacation scheme and it was one of the main drivers for my application. However the vacation scheme did nothing but confirm this. The company's culture is everywhere: in the people, the way the people work and the company's visions. It is hard to come away from the scheme and not understand the culture of the firm after contact with everyone there and an insight into the firm's operation and visions. We even heard two speeches from the managing partner himself, which was really great to almost see the culture of the firm embodied and expressed from one single person.

I was sure about how I felt about the firm before my scheme but the scheme confirmed this and furthered this even more. The scheme has done nothing but increase my motivation for joining the firm. The insight into the different practice areas and experience in two has really helped inform me as to what practice areas I would be more likely to be interested in and the culture of the firm has really helped me decide exactly what kind of firm I would suit. It was very helpful not in helping me decide but confirming me ideas about my future career path.

I was paid £275 per week for the placement.

There were a real variety of opportunities for networking. There were several more drinks opportunities with a wide variety of employees as well as some with just vacation schemers and trainees. In addition to this there was a lunch with partners which I was thought was fantastic to gain real contact time and to ask questions. The talks provided opportunities to ask questions and meet employees from all departments. On our first day in each seat, our buddies introduced us to everyone in the departments we were working in which was a really great was to make everybody aware that were about and to introduce us to the team.

Really varied and suitable for everyone. The activities chosen facilitated socialising and were really fun! From informal drinks, to dinners, and a cocktail making class to a table tennis tournament! There were also really good networking opportunities within work time through talks and lunches.

Unfortunately there were not spaces for everyone to get involved with the pro bono scheme. However through discussions with other employees I managed to find out about a whole range of things that employees can get involved in from ski trips and triathlons to art workshops. Everyone at the firm seemed outgoing and were able to talk to me about their experiences with the firm.

I can only recommend the scheme. The variety of work, broad knowledge gained, support and contact available and exposure to the firm's culture leave vacation schemers with an all round insight.