Summer Placement - Vacation Scheme Review

by Shoosmiths

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

Rating

4.5/5
  • About You
    5.0
  • The Company
    4.6
  • Everything Else
    3.8

    About You

  • 1. To what extent did you enjoy the insight?
  • I thoroughly enjoyed the vacation scheme. I sat with the Corporate department for a week, and not only did it give me a better understanding of the practical work that the departments do, but also enabled me to see the true culture of the firm, and how the different departments pull together to generate work.

    5/5

  • 2. To what extent did you feel valued during your time at the company or firm?
  • I felt extremely valued. I was introduced to everyone at the firm, and each person greeted me with a smile and took an interest on my journey in to a career in law. I was entrusted with the completion of real tasks and was given constructive and honest feedback after each one, which was extremely valuable. I was invited to various networking events and socials, which made me feel like I belonged to the Shoosmiths team.

    5/5

  • 3. How much guidance/support did you receive during the insight?
  • I was paired with a current trainee who set me tasks and gave me constant support and guidance throughout the week. She was always on hand to answer questions and encouraged me to network and build relationships outside of the department that I was placed in. The Graduate Recruitment team were in contact every day to either set tasks or just make sure that everything was ok. This was really reassuring.

    5/5

  • 4. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and information you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?
  • It made me understand how easy networking could be if it was with the right people. The networking events I had attended prior to my placement had always seemed forced and I found some people difficult to engage with. At Shoosmiths everyone was engaging, interested and keen to answer questions. The placement developed my ability to work to deadlines and also increased my research and presentation skills.

    5/5

    The Company

  • 5. How well structured was the insight?
  • The placement was extremely well structured. When I arrived on Monday morning I received and email from Graduate Recruitment setting a ‘Mini Assignment’ due for the Wednesday and a presentation to be given on the Friday. I had to balance these around other tasks set by the Corporate department. This was great because it meant that I always had something to do and I never felt as though I was doing something just for the sake of filling time.

    5/5

  • 6. How was the general atmosphere during your insight?
  • The culture of the firm really shone through at an office meeting. It was an opportunity for each department to tell the office about their achievements and what they were working on. What was particularly noticeable was that every single department congratulated a member of their team for doing well, or thanked another department for helping them. The teamwork and appreciation was really obvious, which I found inspiring given how busy the office was and how hard everyone was working.

    5/5

  • 7. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?
  • 3/5

  • 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 trainee that I was paired with took the time to explain every task in full to me, but also how it would fit in to her daily routine. She explained the type of work she would execute and the importance of it in the bigger picture which I found to be invaluable. It was great to see how a small piece of work was so important on a bigger scale.

    5/5

  • 9. How much did the insight help you in understanding the company culture?
  • 5/5

  • 10. How valuable was the content in helping you to decide on your future career path?
  • There was plenty of opportunity to discuss the duties of different departments with the solicitors working in them. Although I was sat with the Corporate department, I took the opportunity to speak with various members of the Planning team to find out more about the day to day running of the department. It was a sector I had heard about but had not had the opportunity to encounter before.

    5/5

    Everything Else

  • 11. Were you paid or reimbursed adequately for this experience?
  • I was paid £275 for the week. The company also paid for me to participate in activities during networking events, including a ticket for rounders with the Junior Lawyers Division as well as food. They also paid for my lunch at a networking event with the current trainees and new solicitors.


  • 12. Were there opportunities for networking and meeting other employees of the company or firm?
  • 5/5

  • 13. How were the networking/ social event opportunities?
  • 3/5

  • 14. Did you find out about activities that employees can get involved in outside of work?
  • 3/5

  • 15. Would you recommend this insight to a friend?
  • I would definitely recommend the opportunity to a friend, mainly due to the culture of the firm. Every single person was working hard but you could tell they wanted to be there. I felt like part of the team and really wanted to impress. I think it provided an excellent opportunity to experience working in a law firm first hand.

    5/5

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Details

Insight / Vacation Scheme (< 4 Weeks)

South West

June 2018


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