Open Day Review

I really enjoyed the insight open day at Baker & McKenzie. The trainees, associates and partners were friendly and approachable, and the activities were well structured, allowing me to learn about the skills needed to succeed in commercial law.

Nothing was too much trouble. Any questions I had, whether it be to trainees, associates or partners, or even graduate recruitment, were answered fully. The Trainees in particular made me feel valued as they took time to answer any concerns we had with issues such as the adjustment from University to a legal career.

Before each exercise, the aims and objectives were clearly explained and articulated to the students. Members of Baker & McKenzie were on hand at all times to deal with any concerns we had, and I did not at any time feel like I did not know what I was doing. In the exercises we took part in, such as the Commercial Awareness and Negotiation Skills exercise we did not get everything right, however the trainees explained to us that we are not expected to get everything correct first time and provided the support to explain to us where we fell down. In terms of support and guidance, I felt the Application skills session led by May of Graduate Recruitment was excellent in showing us the quality needed in an application for vacation schemes and also the pitfalls to avoid.

During the Baker & McKenzie Open Day I had the opportunity to develop my negotiation skills during the said exercise. Learning about the pragmatic approach that can be taken when negotiating will be valuable beyond my degree studies and will be a developing skill that will be useful in any legal career that I intend to pursue. The skills of being able to sum up the type of person you are, your attributes and also why you would fit into the firm you are applying for on an application form is one skill that will be invaluable when it comes to applying for vacation schemes, training contracts and jobs in the future.

I felt the Open Day was very well structured. The day started with a welcome presentation from one of the senior partners which served to give us a bit of background on Baker & McKenzie. Then each table was visited by trainees, who rotated around the room and told us about their experiences in the firm thus far along with what we could expect from the LPC. These two sections allowed us to see how would we would fit in with a firm like Baker & McKenzie. The late morning and afternoon sections were split into exercises that allowed us to see what kind of skills we would need to have and develop to be successful at Bakers. The final section of the day dealt with the application skills needed to be considered by major firms such as Baker & McKenzie. I felt these three separate sections were very well structured within the timetable of the day, and as a result the each session did not run on too long, allowing the timetable to run smoothly.

I am not comfortable with the expression 'fun never stopped' because although the day was fun in it's own right, we were there to learn about ourselves and the firm of Baker & McKenzie. The atmosphere as a result was relaxed but focus. It was relaxed in that the trainees and associates were friendly and approachable right from the beginning and made us feel at home. The atmosphere was also focused as we received very good guidance and support from the trainees during the exercises and we were determined to do our best and develop our skills.

I was very happy with the level of personal attention paid to me by trainees and associates as well as graduate recruitment. The application skills sessions were particularly helpful in this regard.

The Open Day gave me a definite feel of what it would be like to work at Baker & McKenzie full time. The tour of the office allowed us to see how employees interact with each other, and everyone we met had something in common. They were passionate and focused, but also friendly, collaborative and genuinely interested in talking to us. The skills sessions allowed me to observe the skills and level of commercial awareness necessary to be successful in terms of the work, but the way trainees and associates not only interacted with us but how they interacted with each other allowed me to see the interpersonal skills needed to thrive in such a collaborative atmosphere.

The Open Day was great in conveying the culture of Baker & McKenzie. From talking to associates over lunch, we learned about how Baker and McKenzie puts their international focus into practice. Trainees are encouraged to visit and work in one of their international offices, and we learned about how almost every deal at Bakers involved co-operation with different countries. The 'Life as a Trainee' session was very helpful in conveying to us the friendly and supportive culture within the firm, particularly the way trainees are paired up with senior members of the firm in the first year.

The content of the day was extremely important in confirming to myself that commercial law is a career path that I wish to embark on. The skills needed from the sessions, as well as the relaxing and collaborative culture demonstrated by Bakers has made me optimistic about a future career in commercial law.

We were provided an expense form for up to 100 pounds to cover our travel to and from the office. I've filled in my form and Bakers are sending a cheque in the post.

There were lots of opportunities to meet and network with employees in different levels and departments within the firm. The 'Life as a Trainee' session was great as it provided the opportunity to meet trainees working in different departments within the firm and listening to their experiences of their first few years. The buffet lunch was also effective in allowing us to move around the room and meet different associates and partners, finding out how their own career paths took shape and the kind of work they are involved in. The office tour also allowed us to move around and meet associates and trainees in their own offices and gave us the opportunity to see them at work.

The networking and social event opportunities were great, as mentioned above they were varied in terms of the employees that we were able to socialise and network with.

From speaking to trainees and associates, we were told about the variety of activities employees can get involved with outside of work. Everything from football and netball teams, to Arabic lessons! This gave me the impression that Baker & McKenzie is committed to the happiness of their employees.

I would definitely recommend the Open Day at Baker & McKenzie. It is one thing to research the firm, but is another to actually go to the London office and meet with the people who work there. The exercises in developing our critical skills relating to commercial law were fantastic. Overall the open day was a great experience.