Vacation Scheme Attendee Review

I thoroughly enjoyed the virtual vacation scheme with Taylor Wessing LLP. The week consisted of a variety of practice area tasks, alongside assessments set by the Graduate Recruitment Team which assessed a multitude of skills and expertise. Despite the week being virtual, the adaptable, organised and meticulous nature of the Grad Recruitment Team ensured that we had a fantastic week, with great exposure to a vast amount of different practice areas and people within the firm. Every individual, even up to Partner level, was completely approachable and friendly and remained very happy to answer all of my questions throughout the week. My trainee buddy and supervisor continuously went above and beyond to ensure the experience I received was of a high-quality and gave me the opportunity to involve myself in virtual conferences and trainee-style tasks. Overall, the experience was a profound one, in which I was made to feel a part of the firm in the very short time I was there.

I felt truly valued at Taylor Wessing LLP. Every individual within the firm treated me as an equal and made the extra effort to organise virtual coffees etc to discuss their role within the firm and to introduce themselves. Not only this, but every member of the firm was very much interested in getting to know me and my journey, and I was made to feel a part of the team from the very first day. Separately, the Grad Recruitment Team made a very conscious effort to ensure they organised daily catch-ups, whilst also being on-call throughout, to assist us if we experienced any issues throughout the week. All the work I completed I received fantastic feedback, which gave me direction on how to approve, whilst also ensuring to acknowledge what I had completed well. The effort and time put into this, and the experience as a whole, really aided in me feeling extremely valued by the firm.

We were provided with guidance and support not just during the week of the virtual experience, but very much from the moment we were offered the virtual scheme opportunity. The Grad Recruitment Team organised a quiz prior to the June Vacation Scheme which allowed us to interact with members of the vacation scheme, alongside receiving an insight into the life of a trainee solicitor at Taylor Wessing from the current trainees at the firm. During the scheme, we were given regular opportunities to catch up with the Grad Recruitment Team to discuss our diaries, our experience and if there were anything that we needed to flag to them or discuss. This was a great way to start our day, and very much made me feel extremely supported. The team had also organised a variety of networking opportunities and socials for us to relax and get to know each other throughout the experience. The support I received from my trainee buddy, supervisor and the practice group I was allocated was remarkable. I received guidance on all my tasks and provided with great feedback following on from the completion of these tasks. Moreover, I regularly received organised catchups with my trainee buddy and supervisor where I could discuss my workload and retrieve further tasks if required. With this in mind, I feel I was provided with unparalleled support and guidance throughout.

The skills and information I received will assist me beyond the vacation scheme, as it has put me in great stead for commercial practice, and the demanding and fluctuating nature of the legal industry. The first skill I was able to enhance through the experience is my interpersonal skills. As the scheme was virtual, it was extremely important to create and maintain exceptional relationships with the members of the firm, and the vacation scheme cohort, throughout the experience. I was able to do this through encouragement by the firm to be my true authentic self, whilst also being confident enough to organise calls with members of the firm I really wanted to get to know better. Moreover, my presentation and teamwork skills were significantly enhanced which is crucial for commercial practice, as we were given the opportunity to work within a group to formulate a presentation on a specific question asked. This experience was vital to ensuring we were able to work successfully as a team, to achieve deadlines and a common goal, whilst listening to other members opinions and working together to find the best way of moving forward. We also had to present in a formal, coherent and clear manner, and this experience gave me the opportunity to strengthen my ability to do this better. The information I received will assist me in the future, as it has allowed me to understand that the legal industry is fast-paced and there is a strong need to be organised and determined to achieve objectives. Equally, I was able to receive information and guidance first hand of what trainee style tasks I would be expected to complete and therefore putting me in a great position, once in commercial practice, to complete these tasks to a high level, exceeding expectations.

The experience was extremely well structured. On the first day of the scheme, we received access to our online calendar which was extremely well-thought-out and organised throughout each individual day to ensure we knew where we needed to be and what it was we were doing no matter the day. This was particularly vital due to the scheme being virtual, as it allowed us to still experience so many different practice areas, sectors and meet a vast amount of the Taylor Wessing Team, despite the very limited time we had. Our socials were even pencilled into our diaries, which ensured everyone attended so we could get to know our group better. My catch ups with the Grad Recruitment Team, alongside those with members of my practice group, were also diarised meaning the entire experience was extremely organised and allowed me to gain so much from it, in such little time.

I believe I was extremely lucky to be a part of such a fantastic experience where the atmosphere was always inclusive and friendly. I developed exceptional relationships with my vacation scheme cohort, whilst also being very fortunate to be able to develop and maintain exceptional relationships with a large number of the Taylor Wessing Team that I had the pleasure of working alongside. Despite this being a very different experience, we were thoroughly put at ease and encouraged to be ourselves and ask if we required any assistance or had any questions. No question was ever not worth asking, and I feel the entire firm made a very conscious effort to ensure not only did they get to know us, but we got to know them and what a career at Taylor Wessing LLP would consist of, despite not being able to experience this at the firm's remarkable offices. To conclude, the atmosphere and culture the firm operates really stood out to me. I felt extremely comfortable and valued throughout the entire process, and the atmosphere was simply brilliant.

I believe the firm invested in me very much from the onset of the process. The Graduate Recruitment Team do a brilliant job of preparing us for the experience, and putting us at ease. The extremely thoughtful guide and goodie bag we received prior to the vacation scheme was such a kind gesture and really made me relax starting the experience. We had a number of training opportunities in the form of skill sessions, which allowed us to work as a team to discuss ideas and encourage us to put forward our opinions whilst being open to learning more. We also had the opportunity to learn about every individual practice area the firm operates within, so we were able to receive exposure to areas we may not have had before, and ensure we received a 'full' experience of all aspects of the firm. We gained great insights on researching for our assessments, and how to operate systems before commencing the scheme, ensuring we could put our best foot forward as much as possible, and avoid any unnecessary hitches.

The virtual experience gave me a great insight into what a full-time role with the firm would consist of, as despite it being virtual, we were still expected to complete trainee tasks as we would if we were in the office, we were expected to create and maintain relationships with members of the firm, and I truly felt that the nature of the firm meant that every member went above and beyond to ensure we got to experience the scheme as if it were not virtual.

The company culture is innovative, friendly and inclusive. The firm encourages you to be yourself and finds it important that their employees feel encouraged to grow and develop, whilst feeling supported throughout their time with the firm. The way the virtual experience was organised ensured that I experienced this first hand, and I believe the firm's values and culture very much align with my own personal values and what I would want for my future career prospects.

The content of the experience is vital to my desire to want to continue within the legal industry, as the tasks and role I was presented with were extremely thought-provoking and enjoyable. Whilst there were some challenging tasks, I really enjoyed being challenged, with no day being the same throughout the entire week. Moreover, the need to stay ahead of change and innovation to be successful and further both clients and the firm's objectives, excites me and is why I think this career path is right for me.

I received more than adequate remuneration for the week experience. I really did not feel that this was necessary as I believed I gained so much more out of the experience that I would have happily completely it voluntarily. However, it was a great added extra and again highlighted how much Taylor Wessing values all members of their firm, even those that are not official employees of the firm, from the onset. It was an overall great experience.

There were a variety of opportunities organised throughout the week to network and meet other members of the firm. There was a quiz held before the vacation scheme where we were encouraged to connect with trainees of the firm and ask any questions that we may have, whilst also having a number of catch-up calls with people within our practice groups, and those not, to ensure we received exposure to a variety of sectors and different members of the firm.

The social events were a great way to get to know people in the vacation scheme cohort and within Taylor Wessing itself. We were encouraged to aks questions we had, and enjoy downtime from often extremely busy days. We completed a scavenger hunt, which allowed us to relax any barriers that may have been up with members of the scheme, and be ourselves and work together. Not forgetting it was a fantastic and fun experience! However, I feel it may have been easier to socialise and network with members of the firm if we were face to face.

Yes, we received a great insight into the variety of volunteer opportunities such as the legal clinic the firm encourages trainees to involve themselves with, whilst other social activities and committees such as the LGBTQ+ Committee etc. It was very interesting to understand how important the firm deemed it to be to give back to the local community, involve themselves with committees they really wanted to make a difference through, and offer services for free to those who may not be able to receive them. It is something very important to me, and I really want to join a firm that has this ideology in mind.

I would most definitely recommend this experience to a friend. There is a reason the firm has ranked so highly previously on their vacation scheme experience, as every member of the firm goes above and beyond to ensure the experience is a great one, with exceptional exposure and fantastic networking opportunities. I have never felt so comfortable through what has often deemed a tense and nervous experience for candidates knowing such experience could lead to a TC offer. I was encouraged to be my true authentic self, and the firm really made me feel valued from the very first to the very last day.