Vac Scheme Participant Review

I throughly enjoyed this hands-on experience at Linklaters! The scheme included a good number of socials at destinations across London that enabled social interaction with fellow vac-schemers, trainees as well as partners. In addition, the vac-schemers were offered orientation with respect to the various practice areas within the firm as well as other facilities offered to their employees. Overall, a very enjoyable experience!

I received a good amount of support from my trainee buddies and principals. They were patient and clear in explaining the details of a particular transaction, giving me feedback on my work, and my trainee buddies regularly dropped by (physically or via email) to check that I was doing alright with work.

My supervisors were always clear in their instructions when giving me work. They set aside time to go over all the work I had completed and offer any comments/suggestions. I always felt like I could ask them questions. I was set some work by a partner in one of my seats, where he set aside 1 hour to discuss the work with me both before and after I had completed it. This amount of support really impressed me as all the partners are incredibly busy!

Juggling the presentations, workshops, social events, and work given to me developed a whole host of new skills! The vacation scheme definitely polished my time management skills and ability to prioritise workloads, which will be extremely useful throughout my degree and for when I begin my graduate job in the future.

The insight was very clearly structured. We received a timetable of events which was followed throughout the duration of the scheme. There were regular social events and also talks by members of different practice areas. Assessments were also structured so that everyone always had something to do if their department was quiet.

The general atmosphere was warm and welcoming, from the first moment I entered the firm to the farewell lunch. Almost everyone I met was friendly and enthusiastic, and the social events helped vacation scheme participants get to know each other better over the four weeks. Group activities like the mediation and pitching were also exciting and fun.

From the beginning of the vacation scheme, the time and effort put in by the firm's recruitment team was very evident. The firm considers each and every vac-schemer as a potential trainee and thus, invests excessively into us. Each of the session seeks to inculcate a specific set of skills or knowledge to enable us to tackle the interview towards the end of the scheme and career thereafter.

While the experience of a vacation scheme student would doubtless differ quite greatly from a full-time Linklaters trainee or associate's (e.g. we get to leave early in the evening every day), speaking to the people around me definitely gave me a glimpse into the role and responsibilities of a Linklaters lawyer.

Following the scheme I have a good insight into what life would be like at Linklaters in a full-time position. Being a vacation scheme student could only give a realistic insight up to a certain point, but I was always able to ask my supervisors and trainee buddies questions about working at the firm and they answered me honestly.

Completing the scheme showed me what working as a solicitor in London would actually be like. I thoroughly enjoyed my time there and found the work fascinating. having completed this vacation scheme, I am now clear that I wish to pursue a career in this field and moreover at Linklaters should the opportunity arise.

I was paid £400 during my time at Linklaters, which more than adequately covered my accommodation and travel expenses. Moreover, the salary at Linklaters is one of the most competitive around for vacation schemes.

Plenty of opportunities were available to meet other employees at all rungs of the firm, including partners. Such opportunities were available during the various socials planned during the scheme as well as during offers. Moreover, you may also speak to people when you are in the cafeteria etc. Also, since you will be sitting with two different teams during your scheme, you get to meet a lot more people than it is possible if you are assigned to a single seat.

Really enjoyable!

Yes, I found out about different activities employees can get involved in!

Yes, 100% I would recommend this insight to a friend!