Vacation Scheme Student Review

I had the opportunity to take part in both legal tasks and social events, which made the week extremely varied and interesting.

Every member of the Banking team remembered my name, included me in all conversations and asked me if I wanted to accompany them for lunch. Other members of the firm were equally as friendly and easy to talk to.

I had a host who was my supervisor for the week, I went to her for any questions regarding the work or the week itself. I also received a lot of guidance from graduate recruitment who regularly sent me emails about my assignment and Suzanne Ingram who rang me during the week.

I definitely believe that the information I gained throughout the week combined with my previous legal experiences has now provided me with a well rounded understanding of the legal profession. The vacation scheme itself was excellent in understanding how a private practice works and the culture of Shoosmiths itself.

The vacation scheme was well structured, I was provided with a timetable for the week with set deadlines , I was also briefed on the day's activities by my host every morning.

The general atmosphere was really friendly and informal. I was made to feel like a valuable member of the team from day one rather than a work experience student and I could talk both the employees and the other vacation schemer about anything (work related or not).

Due to the length of my vacation scheme there was very little in terms of my personal training, it was more understanding the culture of the firm and seeing what work Shoosmiths does.

I think by witnessing the other trainees carrying out their day to day tasks I was able to understand what it would be like to have a full time role. I did receive a little bit of insight via the work I was doing however, I do feel I understood more about what it would be like in a full time role by shadowing other trainees.

By seeing the type of work trainees do and how they work I was able to understand a lot more about the firms work ethic. But by also talking to the employees of the firm and what values they endorse when working gave me a better understanding of the company's culture.

I found the content of day to be representative of the work I would be doing as a trainee. As all work set needed to be completed for open matters I was able to quickly determine whether I would or would not enjoy this as my future career.

I was paid a competitive rate of £275.00 for a one week vacation scheme.

There were no set events however, I was still able to meet and network with other employees by going to lunch with them, going to team meetings and/or introducing myself to other employees. This was encouraged by the other members of the team.

Again, I think due to the length of my vacation scheme there were limited networking/social events. However, we were able to go for lunch with members of the firm and network around the office during the day and this was encouraged.

By talking to my host about the things she does outside of her training contract I was able to find out about the activities I could also potentially get involved in outside of work.

I would definitely; the week was a great way to meet other members of the firm, understand how a private practice firm works and gain a thorough understanding of the company's culture.