Vacation Scheme Review

by Weil, Gotshal & Manges

This review was submitted over 4 years ago, so some of the information it contains may no longer be relevant.

Rating

4.3/5
  • About You
    3.8
  • The Company
    4.5
  • Everything Else
    4.6

    About You

  • 1. To what extent did you enjoy the insight?
  • Weil is a vibrant firm full of energetic and driven individuals. This atmosphere is contagious and it is hard not to enjoy being around the office.

    5/5

  • 2. To what extent did you feel valued during your time at the company or firm?
  • Even as a vac schemer I felt like people were eager to get to know my background and to help me to the extent that they could.

    5/5

  • 3. How much guidance/support did you receive during the insight?
  • We were given some challenging tasks during the scheme but more than enough guidance was provided to help us tackle them. This way we engaged in rewarding work and also learned a lot.

    3/5

  • 4. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and information you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?
  • In terms of skills developed which are directly relevant to a law degree I would say it is hard to get such experience during a vacation scheme. But on the commercial awareness/hands on skills sides I definitely learned a lot about what the different departments did and how they work with one another.

    3/5

    The Company

  • 5. How well structured was the insight?
  • Very well structured. Victoria Wisson (who is the graduate recruiter) is extremely organised and insightful. She is definitely the right face for Weil and did a very good job of finding the right balance between sector presentations, hands on work and more social activities.

    4/5

  • 6. How was the general atmosphere during your insight?
  • Though it sounds cheesy to describe the atmosphere during a vac scheme as 'the fun never stopped' I can definitely say that it was the case for me and some of the other vac schemers. Weil is a very diverse place bursting with personality so to people who are willing to make an effort to discover the vast array of people who end up practicing law it will be a very enjoyable scheme. By the end of it some of us were very sad to have to leave the office. I definitely left feeling I had met some very interesting people who had contributed meaningfully to my development as a job-seeker.

    5/5

  • 7. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?
  • As I previously mentioned, it was quite clear that everyone at Weil was invested in recruiting the best people for the firm to grow. As such, most supervisors made a very big effort to make us feel included but also make sure we engaged in some meaningful and challenging work. Some of them did an exceptionally good job at that and even took on mentoring more than one vac schemer. This means that some of us got to experience more than one department and thus got different perspectives of what it is like to practice commercial law.

    5/5

  • 8. To what extent did the insight help you to understand what it would be like to have a full time role with the company or firm?
  • Definitely gave a better insight into what working at a big city firm is like. Not just in terms of the nature of the work, but also in terms of intensity and length. May I just add that the myth regarding the longer hours at American firms either does not apply to Weil or is plainly false. On two occasions I stayed late with another vac schemer to have dinner at the lovely canteen and by 19h most of the partners and associates had left.

    5/5

  • 9. How much did the insight help you in understanding the company culture?
  • I leave Weil with the idea that it is a driven, focussed and intelligent firm. If you are not afraid to voice your ideas and are motivated to see them through it is probably the place for you from the impression I got. A very open, friendly culture with all the partners being very accessible. We even got to talk with the head of the Banking department about career prospects and he was more than glad to share his experience with us one on one for those of us who asked.

    5/5

  • 10. How valuable was the content in helping you to decide on your future career path?
  • Though choosing a firm is a very personal subjective choice, these two weeks at Weil have done a good job of tipping the balance heavily in favour of Weil. With a small and exclusive intake, a devoted graduate recruitment team, and a focussed and tailored approach to clients, Weil is so far my number one choice.

    5/5

    Everything Else

  • 11. Were you paid or reimbursed adequately for this experience?
  • We are paid £400 a week (placement is 2 weeks long).


  • 12. Were there opportunities for networking and meeting other employees of the company or firm?
  • If you are the kind of person who likes taking initiative and introducing yourself to people, Weil is a very fruitful ground for networking. We were lucky enough to attend the summer party during our vac scheme. There we got to talk from everyone from trainees to partners. But even on a day-to-day basis, if you are willing to make the effort and ask politely, you can easily have a chat with anyone from the front house manager to some of the most senior partners.

    5/5

  • 13. How were the networking/ social event opportunities?
  • We had a fun mixology workshop and the annual summer party which all the Weil employees attended.

    5/5

  • 14. Did you find out about activities that employees can get involved in outside of work?
  • There are a range of formal and informal activities that employees can get involving.

    4/5

  • 15. Would you recommend this insight to a friend?
  • It is one of the work placements I have enjoyed the most and would definitely recommend it for someone who is looking for a smaller firm with a lot of ambition.

    5/5

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Details

Insight / Vacation Scheme (< 4 Weeks)

Legal/Law

London

July 2013


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