Vacation Scheme Student Review

The placement at TW was such an enjoyable experience and I learnt lots at every point. The firm and all of its employees at every level were welcoming and I was exposed to some real cutting-edge work which gave me an incredible level of responsibility despite only being a vacation scheme student.

The firm invested so much in my development before and during the scheme. TW stayed in contact, organising networking drinks and inviting me to take part in a focus group session, in Easter. During the scheme, the talent team was on hand for any queries/concerns I had. There were frequent appraisals in both weeks of the scheme with supervisors (who were associates at the firm) to provide feedback and really support my future development.

The support system in place during the vac scheme included a supervisor in both seats as well as a trainee buddy. The trainee buddy system was particularly helpful and provided key support throughout. Any questions I had were well-answered by anyone I asked them to; it felt like everyone had time for me and this really supported me whilst at TW.

The benefit of the exposure to the work of a trainee will stick with me moving forwards in my career. The skills I worked on, and will continue to work on following the feedback I received, will be useful in the future in my career too. I will carry these forwards in my final year of my degree too.

The timetable for the two weeks was circulated well in advance and was organised so well. In particular, I was able to spend a good amount of time in the departments I was in as well as learning about other areas. The socials fitted in well within my time at the firm too.

The atmosphere was hugely welcoming and TW's strong open door policy really helped with this. Everyone I met was interested in the stage I was at and the work I had been up to on the vacation scheme. This helped me feel comfortable and at ease at the firm. The scheme was generally fun and enjoyable!

The firm organised appraisals at the end of each seat I did. This was a chance to reflect on my week and receive feedback from my supervisor. I was also able to receive feedback from those I had worked with. The talent team also provided a link for feedback to circulate to anyone I worked with. This is simple evidence of the firm's investment in my development during the two weeks I spent there.

I was exposed to the work of a trainee on a daily basis as well as life more generally within the firm. This revealed to me what it would be like to train at the firm. I shared offices with partners at the firm too during my time there. This revealed to me the nature of a career at TW in the distant future too.

Taylor Wessing's culture is so friendly and welcoming. It was only after spending a fortnight at the firm that I really appreciated this. In particular, the topic for a our group presentation over the two weeks revealed much about the culture of the firm and its commitment to various issues at work.

The days were structured to allow us to learn more about other areas of the firm alongside the ones we were sitting in. This encouraged me to consider areas which I was not previously interested in. Learning about all of the areas of work at Taylor Wessing also encouraged me further to want to train there in the future.

We are paid a good salary for the two weeks at Taylor Wessing. This payment is standard for law vacation schemes, I think. It will sufficiently reimburse me for the travel expenses I paid to get to the firm and back again. Although, I did not do it for the money!

There were socials with the trainees which allowed us to network with them. We also had a lunch with more senior members of the firm which gave us a great chance to network with all levels of the firm. Most networking opportunities were fairly relaxed too which made it easier to approach lawyers at the firm.

The socials were great fun and we did some great things whilst there. There was one social organised by the Trainee Council each week at the firm. There were less formal drinks and lunches at the firm too which provided a good opportunity to network. The Pride drinks held at the firm were a good chance to socialise and network too.

We found out about various activities that the employees of the firm are able to get involved in. This included sports teams and other committees. We were also told about the pro bono scheme TW is involved with and I was lucky enough to attend the pro bono clinic whilst at the firm. This was very interesting and seems to be a key part of trainee life at the firm.

The firm was hugely welcoming and was invested in my development during the scheme. It was great to feel that the firm and its employees wanted us there. The work I was trusted with gave me huge responsibility and I was able to be involved in high quality work with some weight and importance attached to everything I did.