First Step Scheme Participant Review

by Norton Rose Fulbright

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

Rating

4.7/5
  • About You
    5.0
  • The Company
    4.6
  • Everything Else
    4.5

    About You

  • 1. To what extent did you enjoy the insight?
  • The buddies, supervisors and departments we were shadowing were all very welcoming and made sure we settled in well for the week. I got to do interesting work during the week and also came away with a better understanding of what kind of work my department is engaged in. The week-long scheme meant we could flexibly toggle between doing "work" and having meaningful conversations with trainees, associates and partners.

    5/5

  • 2. To what extent did you feel valued during your time at the company or firm?
  • Graduate recruitment ensured we were well taken care of - we could turn to them if we needed help, but we also had trainee buddies and supervisors. I also felt that my department went out of their way to make me feel welcome - people who were not directly responsible for me regularly popped by to check if I was settling in well.

    5/5

  • 3. How much guidance/support did you receive during the insight?
  • My supervisor (and whoever else whom had given me work to do) explained the background of the tasks and also comprehensively reviewed the work after I completed it. They also gave a lot of advice with regards to things like the LPC, general interview advice, life advice and also made sure I was coping well with the work.

    5/5

  • 4. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and information you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?
  • The flexibility of the scheme (four days of work-shadowing) allowed me to have meaningful conversations with various people that clarified my own motivations in pursuing a career in commercial law. I felt this scheme pushed me out of my comfort zone because of the level of social interaction over the week. I found that these were soft skills that would be difficult to develop in other environments, however at Norton Rose Fulbright, I was encouraged to speak to many different people.

    5/5

    The Company

  • 5. How well structured was the insight?
  • There was a good mix of structured events (such as negotiation workshop, round-table discussion with a managing partner, panel discussions with trainees) and less-structured work-shadowing where you get to explore the work of the department and make what you want out of the insight scheme. The graduate recruitment team also emphasised that they would be flexible if any of the events clashed.

    5/5

  • 6. How was the general atmosphere during your insight?
  • The firm was generally very warm and welcoming to all of us over the week. I felt that people went out of their way to make sure I was doing well over the week, with various people (who were not directly responsible for me) taking me out for coffee and lunch, or simply popping by to check if everything is going okay.

    5/5

  • 7. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?
  • As the scheme is a week long, there is a limit to how much training and development could take place. I found that the scheme achieved a good balance between exposure to the firm's work as well as personal training - there was a negotiation workshop that was quite helpful for future applications to vacation schemes, etc.

    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?
  • The insight helped with understanding the firm's culture and the nature of the work in the specific department you are being allocated to. As you are only sitting in with one department for the week, it may give a rather limited perspective of the potential work you may do, given that Norton Rose Fulbright is engaged in a large variety of work.

    5/5

  • 9. How much did the insight help you in understanding the company culture?
  • Being in the firm for a week made quite a big difference to my understanding about what the firm's culture is like - it is not something that can be found on the website or even open days. I felt this because I was able to see how the people in the firm interacted with one another on a daily basis, on a personal level.

    5/5

  • 10. How valuable was the content in helping you to decide on your future career path?
  • This scheme gave me a very pleasant impression of a potential career in commercial law and especially a career in Norton Rose Fulbright. It has reaffirmed my interest in this career path and I will definitely be applying to the firm for a vacation scheme or training contract in future.

    4/5

    Everything Else

  • 11. Were you paid or reimbursed adequately for this experience?

  • 12. Were there opportunities for networking and meeting other employees of the company or firm?
  • Yes, there were plenty. This was done on both a formal and informal level, as we were able to speak to various people during the course of work-shadowing, as well as take part in the social events organised by the graduate recruitment team for the scheme's participants and invited trainees.

    4/5

  • 13. How were the networking/ social event opportunities?
  • There was a good mix of formal and informal social networking opportunities. We had a pre-scheme day that allowed us to get to know other participants before starting the scheme the following week, which was helpful in breaking the ice. We also got to go to Swingers for mini-golf and had a nice farewell lunch at the end.

    5/5

  • 14. Did you find out about activities that employees can get involved in outside of work?
  • I sat in for my supervisor's meeting with the charity committee where they discussed upcoming events - though I was not able to take part in the events themselves, I got a better understanding of the contributions they make. Some of the other participants in my batch also got to take part in activities such as the choir.

    4/5

  • 15. Would you recommend this insight to a friend?
  • 5/5

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Details

Insight / Vacation Scheme (< 4 Weeks)

Legal/Law, Property Management

London

April 2018


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