Summer Vacation Placement Participant Review

We were allocated to a department beforehand and paired up with a trainee buddy to guide us through the placement. I had a really great time at the firm the moment I stepped in as everyone was welcoming and very willing to teach me things, from letting me attend client meetings to letting me review contracts under supervision. We also attended a series of workshops to get to know the firm at a deeper level.

As I had the opportunity to join client calls and analyse documents, I certainly developed my attention to detail skills and learned how to present myself in front of clients. By having the opportunity to chat with different members of the firm, be it when we met in the kitchen, or through formal introduction in the team or lunch or social events, it was an invaluable opportunity to be better at networking. I also developed my time management and organisational skills as I had to prioritise between completing my assignment and completing the work given by my trainee buddy.

As I had the opportunity to speak to a variety of people who have different roles at the office, it was insightful to be able to learn the roles of paralegals, PAs, solicitors, especially on how the partners and heads of office get involved in running the law firm as a business. It was great to be able to listen to members of the firm speak about the services available at the firm and what their day-to-day is like.

Everyone, especially the members of the team I am allocated in, was extremely welcoming and approachable, willing to speak to me. I remember queueing for coffee and having a good chat with a really nice lady, to find out that she was the head of the department she was in. I had a great time getting to know my team that I actually felt sad to leave on the last day.

I absolutely found the summer placement to be a great way to get to know the firm better. Shoosmiths has always been well-known for its friendliness and I was grateful to be able to experience it first-hand. Everyone was very knowledgeable and willing to get me involved in whatever they were doing as much as possible, and some even took time out of their busy schedule to speak to me about their roles. I have made genuine friendship and connections - I still speak to some people I met during the placement!

Yes

Get to know the firm before applying, such as following their social media pages especially Instagram, and attend events with the firm where you can connect with the firm and make a good impression. The firm organises lots of events, from virtual to in person ones so seize the opportunities when they come - it will show that you are genuinely interested and want to get to know the firm (which I mentioned in my application form).