Vacation Scheme Review

The meetings on Zoom worked flawlessly and the entire week was well organised. Some days were better than others, for example on days where we were very active and directly participating compared to days where there were a number of presentations. However, the presentations were still useful and insightful but it was difficult to concentrate for the entire day at times. The Managing Complex Stakeholders task was particularly enjoyable as we got to see how each decision affected our ratings and profits we were making.

I think it is always difficult in such a big group of candidates (over 120) to always feel valued during the meetings. Although, this isn't solely because of the company I appreciate that I am not as outgoing as other candidates so of course they may feel more valued. However, during the smaller breakout rooms it was a lot easier to communicate with everyone and ensure that I got my point across. I think on the whole CMS certainly didn't neglect anyone and if you wanted to get more involved you could.

The level of guidance and support seemed to depend on whether you requested it or not (in a good way). On tasks where you felt comfortable and confident you were left to your own devices and could complete the task freely. However, on tasks where you were struggling a bit more, members of the CMS team would often enter the breakout rooms if a member of your group raised a hand to resolve the issue.

The skills I developed and the information received did not particularly help with my studies as I only had a dissertation to finish once the vacation scheme was completed, hence the lower score. However I think they will be particularly useful for beyond my studies when going into practice. The presentation on how to present to people virtually was particularly useful and myself and my Innovation Den partner actually modified our presentation to incorporate some of the tips we received. The stakeholder task was also useful to highlight the importance of communication.

Incredibly well structured and everything ran smoothly. There appeared to be no problems with the day-to-day running of the virtual experience, which was particularly impressive given it was the first time the experience had run in this way. CMS seemed to think of everything and even scheduled in 'oxygen breaks' to allow people to stretch and refocus their mind. One issue I did have was on the 'working lunch' no-one actually seemed to be eating lunch, so I had to wait for a later break to eat but this was not particularly a problem.

The general atmosphere was very good during the virtual experience. I think this was in part down to CMS and to the other candidates who were very active and willing to get involved. There was music played in between breaks and the days often started with fun questions to get people talking. There was ample opportunity to meet people on a more personal level in the breakout rooms, which I feared would be difficult given the virtual nature of the experience.

The pay from CMS for the week vacation scheme was very generous and as it resulted in me accepting a training contract from them I would say the investment in me is significant. Speaking to trainees on the week it was clear that this continues after the vacation scheme right the way through your career at CMS! The reason for only 9 stars and not 10 is because I did not receive the package of CMS goodies like everyone else seemed to. Although this wasn't actually needed to complete the week.

During the week we communicated with a number of people across the CMS team, from EarlyTalentAcquisition to trainees to Senior Associates to Partners so it gave a holistic sense of what it would be like to have a full time role at the firm. Everyone was more than willing to answer any questions we had and actually seemed to enjoy their time on the virtual week so it was particularly insightful. The regional drinks was also a nice touch.

I had already got a sense of what the culture would be like at CMS through my experience at the assessment day. I also knew a number of future trainees through my LPC, who assured me that everyone was friendly. Getting to know the other vacation schemers as well as those who already worked at CMS confirmed that this is true. The culture is very inclusive and they want everyone to be involved as demonstrated by the number of social events organised.

I had already decided on my career path at this stage so it did not help me decide. I suppose it did help to confirm my decision but I didn't expect anything different.

I thought the pay was very generous for the week.

There were two or three across the week so there was plenty of opportunity to meet people and probably more if you went looking for it. It was difficult to network fully online because it can be hard to get that personal connection with people. Also because of the timed breakout rooms with the automatic cut off I think people were conscious of the time restraints and so maybe reluctant to ask further questions, which might not have been the case in person.

A few but I'd have liked to have learned more. I think with the current COVID climate it is difficult to do much outside of work. I did however get the impression that CMS is a very social firm and I'm particularly excited to partake in the Northern Christmas do with the Manchester and Sheffield offices coming together. I would've liked to have heard more about sporting and charity activities but I suppose this may be more specific to individual offices.

100%, it was a fantastic experience.