Vacation Scheme Student Review

I had a great time on my vacation scheme, the other students taking part were great and the events that we did together were really lovely and informative as we had the opportunity to speak to other trainees in the firm. Both the associates and my 'buddy' were extremely helpful and supportive enabling me to gain a great insight to the firm.

Everyone was very supportive, if you made mistakes, your feedback was always constructive so that you didn't feel like you were just taking up space in the office. When you complete work everyone is very appreciative of your time so it didn't just feel like you were there to do the work that no one else wanted to do.

Whenever I didn't understand something there was always someone to explain it to me, it didn't feel like you were taking up people's time when you asked a question and everyone was always happy to help and clarify things when you weren't entirely sure.

The skills I learnt I am sure will be useful beyond my studies. Learning to work as a team and undertake presentations with people that you don't really know is a very useful skill to have. The interview practice is also incredibly useful as undoubtedly you will have more interviews throughout your career. sitting in an office, completing tasks and being on top of your time management are also very important skills that I honed in through my time with CMS.

The two weeks were very well structured, the social at the beginning of the first week was well timed as an ice breaker enabling us to relax and make friends. We attended presentations from all the sector groups in the firm thus allowing us all to understand how it worked slightly better. Having the interviews and presentations at the end of our time here was also a good idea, as it allowed us more time to work within our department and have enough time to gain some actual knowledge rather than just doing quick mundane tasks.

I think the atmosphere was great, everyone at CMS is really friendly and they genuinely do have an 'open door' policy. No one is too 'high up' to talk to and the majority of people are genuinely interested in you. The other candidates on the vacation scheme were good fun and between us we developed a nice friendship. I attended a women's network evening and this had a really positive atmosphere. The general feel of the firm is great, if you are a happy, chatty person you are bound to fit in.

The presentation and interview skills and training that I learnt were invaluable skills that I will be able to take with me when I leave. You have the opportunity to do proper work which allows you to develop your skills further.

During my two weeks here I felt like I was treated as a full time employee so I got a really good grasp of what it would be like to work at CMS. The work and opportunities that I was given were as if I was an employee and also there was the opportunity to attend events where you were treated as a member of the firm

I was able to get a great grasp of the company's culture, attending the women's network event enabled me to gain an insight as to what it really meant for the firm. The presentations were helpful in explaining how the firm works and people's attitudes towards the opportunities that were available as well as the work and culture as a whole.

The presentations were extremely helpful as they enabled you to gain an insight in to the different sector groups that are available within CMS thus giving you the choice. The talks by trainees and partners were valuable in helping to decide a career path as they were very honest and open about what their job entailed whilst not being afraid to talk about the negative aspects that are sometimes a part of work.

I was paid for this vacation scheme which was great

Yes, the social events that we attended were also attended by trainees / future trainees so there was always the opportunity to ask questions. further, I attended the women's network event where I was able to meet employees from different sectors within the firm

the social events were great, they were a good opportunity to make friends with the other vac scheme students and also to speak to employees of the firm. Throughout the week there were always opportunities to e-mail / ask questions to whoever you liked thus allowing you to network

there are lots of opportunities outside work. CMS prides itself on its commitment to CSR work which can be in the form of either attending a law centre or helping out at a local school. There are also lots of sports teams for those who are interested with tournaments with a competitive streak.

yes, for those interested in a corporate career