Vacation Scheme Student Review

The insight was both fun in terms of the social activities that the graduate recruitment team had organised and, perhaps more importantly, the work that we were able to observe and contribute towards. There was a real effort also to make development sessions engaging.

Of course at my stage in my career I could not contribute all that much to a lot of the work, but you were made to feel valued insofar as lawyers did a lot to involve you as best they could and gave plenty of time to answering questions. Overall they really wanted to help you understand what it would be like to work there and the role you could one day play.

Everyone was always eager to ensure you understood what was going on and answer any questions that you had. The number of development sessions and graduate recruitment meetings was also great in ensuring that you came to understand the working of the firm. Being assigned a trainee buddy also helped in making sure that you always had someone to rely upon in explaining anything from what a particular deal involved or how to use the photocopier.

My time here wasn't all that useful in terms of my degree, but that's largely because I'm a historian. In terms of wider skills -from commercial awareness, networking and dealing with the work here- the insight was invaluable. By the end you should really understand how best to work in the office environment, the broader issues impacting Linklaters' work and how to get the most out of what Linklaters has to offer.

The graduate recruitment team had clearly put a lot of time into organizing the insight. There was a great blend of social events, talks and practical opportunities to work in practice. You were always kept busy and knew what you would be doing over the next couple of days.

Three were of course some quieter times where there was less to do, but overall the work was usually really interesting and the social activities engaging. The culture is incredibly friendly- there is always a door open for questions and someone wanting to take you out to lunch. This was true of the entire firm- partners were also keen to make you feel at home.

The firm provided numerous training opportunities. There were regular talks from different practice areas, partners, associates and the graduate recruitment team. Each gave you a different flavor of the kind of work you could be doing at Linklaters and the skills you need to develop to achieve the best results. The firm is also always eager to assess your performance and theirs, so there was always the opportunity to ask how you could improve on the work that you were doing.

Naturally you could not always rely upon too much pressure being applied to you because you are only an intern, so you don't get first hand experience of exactly what it would be like to be a trainee. That said, you of course get a chance to observe life at Linklaters and ask people about their experience. Everyone is also eager to give you something to do and to involve you in different types of work so that you get a feel for how varied your experience would be there. Sitting in two seats was incredibly useful too as you soon came to understand how much variety there was between practice areas.

Very much so. You quickly come to see that there really is a culture of open doors, regular evaluation and a great team spirit. The firm is not all that hierarchical, and you quickly get to know the people you are working with. Graduate recruitment brochures can't really show like a real insight how this culture really impacts the work you are able to perform.

You really get a sense of whether or not you wish to work here both in terms of the work that you'll be doing and the people that you meet. Linklaters are really clear on what they can offer you, from secondments to training sessions, and so you get a sense that Linklaters will be supportive in the future.

The pay was quite generous overall, especially when you consider the expense that the firm goes to in social events.

Numerous occasions were provided, and in a variety of settings. There were the more formal talks by lawyers, but also the socials that allowed for meeting all levels of the firm from partners to trainees.

There are a good number of them, so you always have something to look forward to. Many trainees also attend them so you are both networking and having fun. By the end of the scheme you should have made quite a number of friends and have some good memories to look back on.

This was not done all that explicitly, but there was always the opportunity to ask people working there. You can also learn a lot about this simply by asking what people are doing on the evenings, as they will often say that they are doing something with colleagues i.e. my trainee buddy was part of the firm's football team. Failing that, the graduate recruitment reams do fill you in should you ask.

Yes, and I have done so.