Insight Participant

It was good but not excellent - the insight scheme was designed to give us additional information on how to break into the legal sector. I enjoyed being advised on how to make my future applications stand out, but I got the impression that other people on the insight were overly competitive.

I enjoyed my insight day as it enabled my to see how FBD differentiate themselves from other law firms and how we as candidates fits into their vision to become a key player in the industry. The fact that there were so many of us however, diminished our individual significance as it was like being a small fish in a big pond.

I received some very good advice on how to conduct myself as an aspiring barrister. This was enabled through the mentor/mentee system that they have created for insight day attendees as well as the ongoing updates that the company gives exclusively to participants at their insight days - I feel as though this gives me an advantage for training contract applications.

Not too much academically as the theory of the law is very difference from its practice. However, from a professional viewpoint I have learnt some basic rules on how to conduct myself in the legal sector, and what steps I need to take to submit a successful application for a training contract.

Well structured - insight days are held frequently and I get the impression FBD conduct them in a way that shows the firm in a positive light. There was plenty of communication from the application process to the day itself on how the insight day programme was going to be structured.

Good but competitive - a lot of attendees gave me the impressive that they viewed others as competition. This created a hostile environment among some, although the majority were very friendly. The staff worked hard to create a positively-themed insight day despite the high numbers in attendance, and gave us plenty on support prior to the day itself.

Given that it was only an insight day, not much - but the fact that we were selected suggested that they were willing to invest in us as potential employees. This was also helped by the fact that they gave us exclusive application advice both for the firm's application process and in pursuing a career in the legal sector in general.

Well - there were numerous presentations and networking events throughout the day and I was assigned a mentor who has since supported me in my application to the firm. I was also encouraged to ask any questions about the firm and the legal sector - which is always a welcome sign.

Well - they emphasized the differences between themselves and other law firms, and the insight also included more information on the company than other insight days I have attended. This suggested to me that FBD definitely do not conceal their identity, and think it is an integral part of their success.

Valuable in the sense that it gave me more of an idea of what to expect for the application process for training contracts/other opportunities, but I have already been set on breaking into the sector for a while so it did not change many of the perceptions I had previously held.

I covered all of my own expenses.

A networking session at the end and the mentor system

There was a networking session at the end along with the mentor/mentee system that they have in place. I have found the latter to be a lot more useful than the former because the networking session was too short for attendees to be able to gain any meaningful conversations with the employees in attendance.

Not really as the focus of the day was on their workplace environment

Yes - it is advisable to expose yourself to as many insight days as possible as all legal firms are unique