Vacation Scheme Review

The two week scheme gave students the opportunity to sit in 2 departments at the firm, for which we gave a preference before we started. The firm provided a welcome morning and gave us all the relevant information. On a day-to-day basis, we attended practice area talks, more general skills based talks and meetings with supervisors if invited. The firm also arranged many social events for us, and trainee buddies were also on hand to get lunch with and ask questions to.

The main skill that I've learnt is how to conduct myself in a professional environment. I also learnt that being receptive to feedback is invaluable and will help me immensely as my career progresses. I also learnt key skills needed to succeed as a trainee. My supervisors provided feedback on how to structure my work and the type of approach that I should take to completing legal research. This has been incredibly helpful for me.

The firm provided a comprehensive suite of talks to tell us about the firm, the departments within the firm, and other opportunities that we would get as trainees. This included meeting the CEO and learning about the firm's global structure, and how the London office interacts with offices abroad. The opportunities available to future joiners and trainees at the firm are wide-ranging and I felt confident in my ability to progress in my career at HSF.

Incredibly friendly, open and accepting. I would walk down corridors and every single person I met would smile or say hello. Partners welcomed questions, as did senior associates and other senior figures that we met. There is such a great balance between work and personal life, and I felt that everyone tried to prioritise others and help out, if needed. It was also great to see the diversity at the firm, which was reflected in vacation scheme candidates.

I enjoyed the insight more than I expected to. I did not know what o expect in a big commercial firm and thought it might be imposing and unfriendly - it was not. The other students on the vacation scheme were really supportive and helpful, and I got more of an insight into firm matters than I expected to, given that I was only there for two weeks. The work was incredibly interesting and it's proven to me that this is the career for me.

Yes

Personality is what matters. The firm do not want to hire a robot, they want to hire someone who will fit into a diverse and vibrant culture, like the culture at HSF. In your applications/interviews, show your good side, talk about your true interests and try to not be intimidated by the size of the firm. They are looking for people who will add to the positive culture at HSF and who will bring unique view of the world with them.