Vacation Placement Review

The placement was really enjoyable. Before starting I felt really welcomed through communicating with my host for the week- this really helped me not to feel nervous on the first day as I had the opportunity to ask them any questions prior to starting. Everyone was really friendly there and it felt like they wanted to talk to me rather than I was an inconvenience.

Although it can be hard to feel valued during legal placements when you are a student. At Shoosmiths I was given "real client work" throughout the week to try making the first drafts of. Even though this would be checked over by multiple people, the work was eventually sent to the client- this felt really good to have had some input to the real work carried out.

My host was so supportive throughout the week, not only with the work we were doing but during the social times if I had any other questions at all. I also found that a lot of the other people in the team I was with were asking if I was okay and willing to explain things to me in more depth if I needed it, which was nice for them to offer and didn't make me feel like I was constantly asking.

I was able to do so much real work in an area I was passionate about that it gave me a really good insight into the type of general work that the department receive. This work will be so useful to show my experience within the area during interviews and giving examples in real life situations. I also got such a good insight and feel to the firm's culture so I know what kind of work environment to expect and why it appeals to me.

The insight week was really well structured. I got a lot of information prior to the week so I knew where to be and at what time. I also had a lot of contact with grad recruitment before and throughout the week and with my host. There were no time where I didn't have any work to do, I had a good balance of "real life work" and projects for grad recruitment.

The atmosphere was welcoming and relaxed. The office was fairly chilled and the open plan/hot desks made it easy to talk to lots of different people throughout the week. The current trainees seemed really good friends with each other and made me feel like I was part of their group and not an outsider which is nice - they invited me and the other student to lunch throughout the week and also to drinks at the end of the week.

I was given a lot of resources and access to information about the firm, which isn't necessarily available online. This helped me understand their business strategy and values a lot better. Other than that most of the time was spend hands on in the department so there wasn't a huge focus on personal development.

The insight helped a lot in deciding if this was somewhere I could see myself working at. I got a feel for the people and also the atmosphere which is a big factor for me. The trainees I spoke to were very honest about what it was like working at the firm.

The placement made me understand how much Shoosmiths stick to their values and how their employees reflect them through their work and personalities.

The content was really useful because I had chosen the department I was sitting in, so it was already an interested area for me. I was able to speak to employees at all different stages of their careers, from paralegals and trainees to partners, so it gave a really wide perspective of opinions.

I was paid for the week plus expenses to visit another office.

There were no specific networking events, but the office was open plan so I was easily able to approach other employees and talk to them during the working day. All of them were more than happy to talk to me if i approached them. I was able to meet other trainees when we went out for a lunch organised by them.

There was a trainee lunch, and after work drinks with the trainees at the end of the week. These were nice and chilled events and felt a lot more like a group of friends rather than a work event.

Yes, through talking to the trainees.They particularly emphasised how good the department days out but also told us about the smaller events such as after work drinks.

Definitely, it was so enjoyable and I learnt so much!