Prospective Applicant Review

I felt the insight day was extremely informative and gave me a clear understanding about the culture of the firm, which I would have not deduced from merely researching the firm online. I thoroughly enjoyed the company of everybody I met on the day, which convinced me of the impact that people can make on one's impression of a firm.

The activities in the afternoon made everybody feel truly involved in the day, which I think made me and my efforts feel valued. The day welcomed the opportunity to ask questions, which I believe really made all the candidates feel that they could express themselves. I took a day off to attend the day so it felt good that my time was not wasted throughout the day, as I was constantly engaged.

I would say that extensive guidance and support was given compared to what I expected. Sarah Harte was extremely helpful throughout the day by giving us tips on how to really maximise our potential when it comes to applications and interviews. The trainees were also supportive in their approach and it was useful to understand their experiences when applying for training contracts.

The most important skill I developed was the confidence to believe in my own skill set. I think the day gave everybody a chance to prove themselves, without the nerves of being actually assessed and so this allowed me to really be very open with my questions that informed me of exactly what I needed to know about the firm. The information we received about the firm, its work and its people really gave me a true insight about why I want apply to work at the firm, which will clearly assist in my future.

The insight day was extremely well organised and structured in such a way that I did not feel that there was no chance to talk to others and ask questions. My only criticism would be that the lunch should have had a seating arrangement with one trainee for each table so that the applications could actually eat. I felt on the day I used up all my time speaking to trainees that I did not get the chance to eat any of the food at the buffet lunch.

The open day created a very friendly atmosphere, which enabled me to actually make friends on the day and I am still in contact with them. I think the warmth of people, be it candidates or those working at the firm, made me feel welcome and emphasised the firm's collegiate culture. Any open day's atmosphere is essentially created by the people and luckily the candidates I met were all like-minded and added to my strong impression of the firm. I feel the people who want to apply to the firm also assist in whether or not you would be able to see yourself with such individuals in the future. I felt at ease because the people were relaxed and open, especially those working at the firm, which certainly convinced me to apply to the firm.

The firm invested in us by the fact that we were invited for the whole day. I think the fact that the agenda was so well planned and involved so many different people says a lot about how much time was invested in making all the applicants feel welcome.

The talks and speaking to trainees themselves game me a clear view of how life would be if I was to work their in the future. Moreover, the fact that partners also touched upon the changes that the firm will be undergoing made me understand the direction in which the firm is going and how I can place myself in that direction.

The people of the firm make its culture and by being able to actually speak with them directly gave me the chance to know whether or not I am a cultural fit for them firm. The culture is very open and upfront, which I like as it is suited to my own personality.

The content mapped out the path of training contract for people at all stages and so I felt I got good overview of the direction I see myself going and how I slot myself into the application process of the firm. It was invaluable to be given hints of how to improve your chances when applying and consequently I feel more confident with my future career path.

I had an Oyster travel card and my office is walking distance from the firm so I did not feel the need to reimbursed for my travel expenses.

Yes the whole day offered plenty of opportunities for everybody to get a chance to network with those working at the firm. However, I do feel that more trainees should have been invited to the lunch or perhaps even others working at the firm to allow us to speak to people who were at different stages in their legal career.

The drinks organised at the end of the day was a great way to socialise with all the people I met during the day in a more formal setting. I feel that more people working at the firm should have also been included in the drinks so that we got the opportunity to speak to more people working at the firm. However, it is understandable that the time taken out of people's day to participate in the open day was more than adequate.

Yes we got the opportunity to speak to trainees about the work-life balance. However, it could be worth exploring an activity being organised to demonstrate the activities that one can get involved with in order to really highlight the importance of extra-curricular activities.

Yes I would recommend going to insight days to anybody considering training contract applications as it gives you a real opportunity to get to know a firm and prove yourself amongst people who may be potentially selecting you to work at the firm in the future.