Vacation scheme student Review

The insight was an excellent way to work on a variety of projects with numerous members of the team. A longer scheme with involvement in more than one team may have been useful to provide a wider range of experiences at the firm. The social events organised by the GR team were well-thought out and an excellent way to meet other members of the firm however.

I was immediately valued by the team and given important work to do, as well as there being people available to answer questions throughout in case there was anything I was struggling with. I was introduced to the whole team and received work from numerous members, which made the experience a very positive one.

I received a great deal of support throughout the scheme, including from graduate recruitment and members of my team. The system of having a trainee buddy, as well as a more senior supervisor, means that work can often be allocated from both levels, whilst there is always someone you feel comfortable asking the more obvious questions.

In terms of my degree, though I study law, there is probably not so much which is transferable because the university courses do not really reflect the type of work done by a law firm. Beyond this however the skills I developed and information picked up will be invaluable to practicing as a lawyer, including drafting skills, communication and teamwork.

The insight was well-structured throughout, with a calendar of all events and timings provided on the first day. This included daily practice area presentations, assessment times and social events. The only glitch was that events often overran a little, though my supervisor was aware of this and so it did not prove a problem.

The atmosphere during my insight was always upbeat and lively, whether there was a lot of work to be done in the office or not. This transferred onto the social events, where a number of my team (including senior partners) would attend and make themselves available to talk for several hours.

I felt the firm greatly invested in me during my time here, and I was taken to important meetings by a Partner regularly, while more junior members would also talk me through work and give me different tasks. There were daily presentations given my members of the firm about various aspects also, which was a very valuable experience.

It felt like the daily matters I was involved with were in line with the type of work other members of the team were doing, and therefore that these are the things I would regularly undertake when working here full-time. My hours worked also appeared reflective of those which the rest of my team were doing.

There were opportunities for this both throughout the day, after presentations for example, but also largely at the social events, where numerous members of various seniority would attend. These events were fun and comfortable, meaning that it was easy to speak to employees from all over the firm.

There was a lot of both formal/presentation type information, as well as informal/networking where I was able to find out about different activities to be involved in. This included various sports tours, CSR events and different groups and networks within the firm. On the whole, it seems that many employees get involved with the activities on offer, which are wide-ranging so as to offer something to everyone.

I would certainly recommend the insight to others, as it was enjoyable throughout and allowed me to experience what it would be like working as an employee here full-time. There is also useful training and picking up of skills throughout, which will be invaluable throughout my career, and opportunity to make useful contacts who I hope to be working alongside in the near future.