Summer Scheme Student Review

Everything was really clearly planned and the placement really showed me everything I needed to know when deciding what decision was best for me. The people were also really nice which made me enjoy the placement even more. The work I got given was more interesting than most work you get given on vacation placements and I really felt part of the team and not just a work experience person!

I thought it was really great that we were all given feedback in the middle and at the end of the placement. I've never had formal feedback sessions during placements before and this showed that they really cared about us and also that if they felt there was anything that could be improved on, they gave you a chance to show you could do this. There is nothing worse than getting a phone call after you've failed the training contract interview, giving you loads of really useful feedback because by that stage it's too late.

A lot. We were encouraged to always talk to HR about anything and they proved themselves to be really understanding to our needs and not just the needs of Nabarro. This was also mirrored in all departments across the firm. The Knowledge department were particularly supportive - not only in their scheduled sessions but also because they checked up with phone calls and emails to ensure that we were coping okay with the work. This was a really lovely thing to do and really meant that Nabarro went the extra mile.

I think I probably already had quite a few of the skills required because I've worked for a few years since graduating. However, it was great to have refresher sessions on services like Lexis and Westlaw because I had forgotten a lot of the features and there had been some updates made.

Really well. We received a time table and the timetime made a lot of sense, in terms of when certain session were happening in reference to the programme as a whole. We had to undertake a project called 'Project Nabarro', which had three assessments. I thought each assessment was placed perfectly. I also thought that the two socials were placed perfectly. They allowed everyone to get to know each other much better.

Great! Everyone was really friendly and supportive. Being competitive against other participants was expressly discouraged which made me feel really comfortable and able to be myself. The people in my department were also really friendly. I've done placements before where you end up feeling a bit like a fish out of water. My team really made me feel included and always invited me to eat lunch with them. This really added to my experience and made Nabarro a very attractive choice when deciding on firms.

We received a lot of knowledge training sessions which was really helpful not only for the job but to ensure that we felt valued. We also had training on the phone and IT system, which again made life a lot easier. Every bit of work I did was assessed and I was given feedback. This was incredibly helpful because there are bound to be things that could be improved on and to receive this feedback naturally as part of the working process, allowed me to get better over time.

We were encouraged to ask everyone in the firm questions - from trainees, to associates and even partners. This open culture meant that any questions you had could be answered by someone. It was also good that people answered the questions differently, showing the range of people at Nabarro. The work and the culture are probably the things that help people decide whether the job is for them. I felt as if I got more of an insight into the work and culture of Nabarro than any other firm I have completed a placement at.

Being able to spent the majority of my time with people who already worked at Nabarro was very helpful. I was immersed in the daily life so I understood when people take lunch breaks, how different departments cope with workload and under what circumstances people might stay late or work over the weekend. I also saw the different stresses and strains that people cope with and that was really important; that my insight was realistic and not just a performance.

I already had a good idea about what I wanted to do but the placement definitely narrowed down my choice even further and confirmed where I wanted to be. I ended up accepting a job with Nabarro so this confirms that the effect of the placement was very strong indeed!

I was paid to complete the programme.

Yes there was a partners meal, which meant we got to spend time with some of the most important people in the organisation in quite an informal setting. We also had the nights out with the current trainees which were great fun and really relaxed.

Fantastic. The events were really interactive so there were no awkward silences. On the first social event, we went to Pizza Express to make pizzas. This was great fun and it meant we really got stuck in with an activity. The final social was a night out at a comedy club. It was funny because it wasn't very funny! We all had a drink and a meal and the trainees were really caring and made sure we all were given money to get taxis home.

Yes. We had talks about the different activities and clubs that Nabarro has. I also saw most of my department leave one day per week in their whites to go and play cricket. We also got told about the different incentives and discounts we could get as a Nabarro employee. There is also a masseur that comes to the firm once a week that employees can book in to see.

Definitely. Vacation schemes can be scary things - it's like starting a new job but only being able to make your entire impression in a couple of weeks! In order to make it less daunting, a friendly and caring atmosphere is a must. Nabarro really do have this and throughout the programme you're in no doubt that if you had any problems or issues, there would be someone you could go and talk to.