Vacation Scheme Student Review

I sat in the Infrastructure Project Finance team for a fortnight - the whole department was extremely friendly and collaborative. I was made to feel at ease when told that no question was a 'stupid' one. There were plenty of social events/opportunities to meet with current trainees and people who work at CMS. My only criticism would be that the first social event took place later on in the first week than at other placements I have attended - because of this, I felt the vac schemers didn't 'gel' as quickly as we could have done.

I was fortunate to be at CMS whilst a completion was being carried out - throughout the whole process I was made to feel valued and included on this important piece of work, something I doubt would have happened at other firms.

My trainee 'buddy' was extremely supportive - I received an introductory email even prior to my placement which really helped me to settle in.

Exposure to clients during the 'completion' I experienced were invaluable for coming into contact with clients in the future. For somebody doing a law degree, you can never do too many 'attention to detail-type' exercises. Drafting documents was also very helpful for my future job.

I felt that the first social event could have been brought forward to the Tuesday night instead of the Thursday - having said this, the cocktail making and meal in particular were very enjoyable! There were lots of talks on different areas of the firm - I felt that we could have perhaps had fewer of these talks and more exposure in our departments.

The department that I sat in seemed to enjoy being at work - in turn, this made my experience an enjoyable one! My trainee buddy took myself and another vac schemer + trainee buddy out for lunch towards the end of the scheme, too.

I enjoyed having talks on how to give a presentation and negotiation skills, workshops which weren't offered on other vac schemes that I carried out.

The insight was particularly useful as I was exposed to non-contentious work - I had previously been involved in more contentious issues.

The mix of work and social events highlighted how CMS is a firm that works hard but also plays hard. Even one of the graduate recruitment offices had a 'shot' at cocktail making.

I was exposed to a wide range of work within the IPF department and encouraged to attend a firm-wide talk on Energy.

Whether through organised events or meeting friends of my 'buddy', I was exposed to a lot of people who worked at the firm.

It was lovely to have a formal 'sit-down' meal. At other vac schemes we went for a curry (as much as I like curry, a proper meal was a refreshing change!)

We were given a talk on Pro-Bono opportunities within the band, as well as being told about the CMS rock band. I was fortunate to go to the Citizens Advice Bureau to experience their work first-hand.

For a great balance of exposure to quality work and a broad range of social events, I really enjoyed the vacation scheme. I definitely think that having two weeks in one department was beneficial too - it really enabled me to get a proper 'feel' for the work, as opposed to having my time 'cut short'.