Vacation Scheme Student Review

The vacation scheme was packed with activities and presentations from different practice areas to give you a real idea of the firm and break up the work tasks. Each practice area fully respected the timetable and gave challenging, live client tasks to undertake. I felt like a valued member on projects.

The staff were very friendly and not at all daunting, and always had time to feedback to us on tasks we undertook and offer advice. There were some firm events going on during our time there, not specifically for the vacation scheme, which we were welcomed along to.

We had a "buddy" who is a current trainee solicitor made available to us before the scheme for any questions or information we required plus a different supervisor for each practice area who we could speak to about work-specific tasks. We had social events with the current trainee cohort who were very supportive and who we could ask about the culture of the firm.

I had finished my degree and been in full-time work for about 6 months, yet I still learned a lot from observing professionals interacting with their clients, how they went about their work and how they communicated with colleagues. I was impressed with the firms encouragement for its employees to network with the wider PwC firm.

We had specific slots for presentations with practice areas, social events and assessments which were respected by all practice groups. The scheme allowed us some flexibility and independence to meet with people if we were particularly interested in finding out about secondment opportunities, a particular practice group, or a professional's viewpoint on an assessment topic.

Friendly staff, great trainees. Challenging but rewarding work. A great spectrum of practice areas. At no point did I feel unable to ask a stupid question. It also felt very reassuring to know that they had a place for us all if we were good enough so comfortable relationships were made between vacation schemers instead of competitive ones.

We were given access to any resources we required: legal databases for research, the latest technological packages and we were each issued a laptop which showed willingness to give us responsibility from the first step and at the lowest level. The firm offers an attractive GDL and LPC offer and the recruitment staff are there every step of the way. Truly a first class experience.

The firm has an open plan/"hot desking" policy so you sit with everyone in your team and you can approach the partners at any point to ask questions about the firm and their previous experiences. One Director spoke to us about their experience of a traditional law firm and was honest about the perceived advantages and PwC Legal's unique offering. The trainees got us involved in their work too so I believe it was a good insight to what I will be doing when I start working there.

Day to day we experienced the reality of working there. The firm is open and honest and you can see everyone interacting with each other and the respect they have for each other's work. The partners sit in their own offices but these are right next to their team's "pods" for effective communication. The firm does not have the air of a stuffy, segregated, traditional firm but is still able to compete with high earning firms. Each floor has modern, glass architecture so the firm is (quite literally!) transparent in the best way possible!

I think it was useful to work with real clients on real projects and I also had the opportunity to listen to PwC Legal correspond with other professionals on the same project and understand their angle to solve client issues and structure transactions. It gave me a real understanding of what I would be doing day to day, not only as a trainee, but the whole way through my career and how each level of employee contributes to the same project. We also received a presentation from each practice area so I don't feel like I missed out on any part of the firm.

I think the pay was appropriate for the kind of work I undertook. Unfortunately, with London being more and more expensive, the amount we were reimbursed did not even cover my accommodation costs, let alone food and travel costs. Compared to what is being offered for the same kind of scheme in the market, the pay is very competitive, however be prepared to allow yourself some cash flow. The last thing you want to be worrying about is buying lunch or whether you can afford to get the tube to a client meeting. Free boat ticket to their other office and free coffee are noticeable financial perks!

We attended drinks with the partners - a rare opportunity I'm not sure you'd be offered in other firms due to them being very busy people. I met or saw every partner, and we had a lot of exposure to the training principal who would make a decision on whether we would be offered a training contract. He was very friendly and approachable. I also had the opportunity to meet members of the wider PwC firm as I went to their other office in London.

There were scheduled social events throughout the three weeks which were genuinely optional as they were just with the trainees which made us feel at ease and get to better know the people who will be training us on our training contracts in an informal setting. There were other events which were more mandatory to attend, like the partner drinks, but these were never at unreasonable times, usually at the end of the work day. Although the scheme in its entirety was tiring, the hours were not unsociable, we did not feel like we were being used. The fatigue was more from self-pressure and assessments.

There could have been more information made available about this, although I did find out about a number of sporting activities, including a football team and a Friday lunchtime running club. The office has showers and changing rooms which I think is really important, to foster a healthy work lifestyle and work life balance. The canteen also had a variety of good, healthy food (although it is a tad overpriced).

I would 100% recommend this vacation scheme to a friend. The atmosphere is so friendly and approachable, I love Friday dress down! I was nervous before I started but you needn't be, it's not at all daunting. It is very challenging work-wise and the assessments are difficult so you should be prepared to work very hard and put in extra effort, but you would expect this of any vacation scheme (and any working environment like this at a big firm).