Spring Vacation Scheme Review

I worked as part of the marine finance department under an associate mentor, where I got involved in department work like drafting letters and documents and reading over casework. I was also able to oversee work for other departments like international arbitration and aviation, with the assistance of my trainee buddy, who also answered any questions I had about the firm. I got involved in several networking opportunities, with both the graduate recruitment team and my wider department.

I feel that I was given several opportunities to develop my team-working skills, as I regularly worked with my team to conduct tasks, often under tight deadlines. I was also able to improve my confidence and competency to work within a corporate environment, which I feel will really help me in my future career. Through speaking with both other vacation scheming and my department, I built upon my commercial awareness, which is a skill vital to a career in commercial law.

I was able to work on several tasks independently, such as drafting documents for sale and purchase agreements and conducting relevant research tasks, and my work was used for real deals and meetings, which was very fulfilling. I was also able to read over casework for other departments and this worked was also used and I was able to get more involved as I received feedback from all of the tasks I was involved in.

My department offered me a great deal of support throughout the internship experience. My supervisor checked in with me, either through Teams or in person, every day to see how I was getting on. He also checked through my work with me and offered feedback and support throughout the process. I also had a trainee buddy who answered my questions and offered more personal feedback whenever I requested this. As I was able to get involved in work from his department, I also got further feedback from him.

I found the company to be very welcoming, and the culture was a major feature in attracting me to the company. I attended several company events, where I was able to meet other employees and network, and this enabled me to gain a greater insight into the workplace culture. I also found the atmosphere to be very welcoming, even in my department which made my work more enjoyable and easier as I felt I was able to ask questions.

Overall, I really enjoyed my internship experience. I found the work to be fulfilling, useful and interesting, and this helped me to decide that I want to work in the field. Moreover, the social opportunities were exciting and engaging and meant that I had several opportunities to take a break from my work, which I also enjoyed. The experience cemented my decision to work for the company, which I look forward to after my placement.

Yes

I would recommend them to research the company well, both for the interview and when picking a department to work within. I was really interested in my department, and this meant I was able to take a great deal from the experience, so I would recommend others to do the same. I also would have loved to have known how welcoming and helpful people at the firm are, so I would say always ask questions, as this helped me to gain the most from my work.