Vacation Scheme Review

I thought the insight was very enjoyable indeed. There were no aspects of the insight which could be considered boring, dull or unappealing. We were involved in a good range of activities and tasks, with fun activities mixed with more serious ones and, overall, the week went past very quickly.

I absolutely felt valued during my time at the firm. We were all very warmly welcomed by a range of employees and everyone in the firm knew that we would be spending the week with them. We were asked for contributions and given pieces of work to do, which were then reviewed and discussed so they felt worthwhile.

We received a good amount of guidance and support. There were many friendly faces and experienced people to talk to and they were very happy to take questions and offer wisdom. They were very reasonable and we were encouraged to speak up if we had any concerns or worries. The environment was very supportive generally.

I am sure that the skills that I have developed and the information that I have received will assist me in my degree studies and beyond. I will remember them and how I put them into practice when I need to use them in future. I have learned academic skills, people skills and negotiating skills.

The insight was exceptionally well structured. It was arranged a long time in advance. We received details prior to joining by email. When we arrived we received a detailed booklet with everything we would need in it. The structure was very manageable and it made a lot of sense. It was just the right amount.

The general atmosphere overall during the insight was welcoming, positive, supportive, friendly and encouraging. We were given many opportunities to meet and speak with a range of employees. We were encouraged to be proactive about asking questions and seizing a range of different opportunities. It was competitive, but not overtly and in a very friendly way.

We did attend a lunchtime learning talk which was very useful and extended our learning beyond the immediate week. There wasn't much talk of wider development outside of the firm or advice about what to do beyond or outside, but within the firm we were given lots of information about the career and could get information from anyone we spoke to about how they had developed.

The insight gave me a very strong and clear sense of what it would be like to have a full time role with the firm. I met many people in a range of different roles and got a clear sense of what they did, how they felt about them and how they got there. I didn’t feel that anything had been hidden away and it all seemed to be an authentic version of what daily life at the firm was like.

Spending an entire week in the midst of the company provides an invaluable insight into the company culture. I spent every day doing real tasks and meeting real employees, reading and researching matters that came up. I asked people questions and felt I got very open and detailed responses which greatly aided my understanding even further.

I would certainly say that the content of the day was very valuable indeed in helping me to decide on my future career path. The content was honest and wide ranging so that I got a very good feel for what the career is like and gave me a very strong overall impression of what I would get out of this type of career and how it would work with my personality.

My travel expenses were paid and I was reimbursed a good amount. Because I live far away, I had to pay for additional accommodation which was about double the amount of the reimbursement. However, the amount would have been adequate for anyone living locally or getting the train in each morning. Lunch was provided on one of the days and there was dinner and drinks on the social evening.

We were given many opportunities to meet people – from group events and tours. We were also encouraged to wander around the offices and randomly drop in to say hello to people or ask them for work. This gave an opportunity to meet as many people as you wished to and was a good way of informally saying hello.

During the week there were many networking and socialising opportunities, but the main one was an evening out during the middle of the week. It was a very nice and relaxed opportunity to chat to various people and also see a very nice venue in the city. There were food and drinks paid for by the firm, which was very nice. People stayed for varying lengths of time and it was quite informal.

I found out a lot about the various opportunities that employees can get involved in outside of work. They included charitable activities, such as bake sales, fun runs and other events. They also socialise with each other on a regular basis. There seemed to be a nice culture outside of work.

I would absolutely recommend this insight to a friend or colleague. Everything about it was truly positive and it has definitely made a significant impact on my career choices and development. I learned a huge amount. I think it would be helpful to anyone considering a career in law or this firm.