Business Analyst Review

I have participated in an open day at in of CMS Cameron McKenna London offices and I left at the end of a day feeling really positive about the experience and insight I received. The main reasons why I decided to attend was to get some advice and an insider’s knowledge about the application process, and also meet the current trainees to get the feeling and feedback about the type of work they are doing, the atmosphere in the office, the workload and company culture in general. I definitely found out all of that and more, and met a lot of like-minded people as well as having a chance to talk to recruiters and one of the partners.

The open day only lasts a day and therefore it is not easy to say whether you are valued at the company. However I could definitely tell how much effort was put into organising the open day, and everyone with no exception seemed to try and make all the attendees feel very welcome and constantly engaged which shows they really appreciate our time and commitment to come and experience the company for ourselves

The whole day was planned really thoroughly and every minute of it seemed devoted to keeping us occupied and engaged without making it rushed or stressful. There were always other attendees or organisers around you to make sure you had all your questions answered and got all the help you needed.

I developed a deeper understanding of what the commercial awareness means to an employer in general and CMS Cameron McKenna in particular, and why it is so important to demonstrate that you have this skill. I also participated in a commercial awareness exercise which helped me gain more understanding about the methods recruiters at the firm use to test your commercial awareness and what steps to take in order to improve it.

The open day was very well organised, with a clear agenda and timetable that organisers followed vigorously and made sure everybody was aware of. There were no disruptions and no speeches, breaks or exercises were running behind schedule, no one was late to their part of presentation or talk. This also resulted in the open day finishing on time.

I enjoyed meeting the people in CMS Cameron Makenna as well as the fellow attendees. The atmosphere was formal and relaxed at the same time. Everyone seemed friendly and helpful, and there were breaks in between every activity to grab a coffee or a snack, have a chat or ask a question.

Again, because it was just an open day it is hard to answer this question. The eagerness to get the right candidates, help them through the application process and present the company in the best way best showed through a great organisation of the whole experience. The firm also refunded the travel costs which I though was an extremely appreciated gesture ensuring that people have no financial obstacles to come from further destinations.

The insight into the company as an attendee of an open day is of course not as great as if you actually get to work in the office as an intern for a couple of weeks, but I tried to get the most out of it and spend a lot of time talking to the current trainees. They answered all the questions and seemed extremely honest and helpful hence I think I got invaluable information that I could not find out by just browsing the company website or social media.

I would like to believe that I had quite a solid understanding of the company culture even before coming to an open day, but I was very pleased to have all of it confirmed by what I heard and saw at the open day. The people at the open day also seemed to have adopted the firm’s culture and be very consistent in the way the spoke about it to the attendees.

The content of the day did not help me much to decide on my career path but I do not think it was intended to do just that. The people that have come were very certain about the career path they wanted to pursue so it was more centered on how to get there and what different options you face as a trainee lawyer.

The participants of the open day were reimbursed all travel expenses up to £70 if they had to come from other cities. There were also refreshments and a lunch provided.

There were breaks between every planned activity to grab a drink and network with the other attendees and recruiters. Also all the partners and trainees that came to present or give a speech at the open day stayed behind for at least 5 minutes to answer remaining questions and network with us.

The networking opportunities were really good and the atmosphere was very friendly and professional. Everyone was helpful and answered all the questions I had to their best ability. The social event opportunities were not available since it was an open day, but I found out about various social events that trainees have in their teams and offices.

I have spoken to quite a few trainees and they have all told be about the rich and diverse social life after office hours at CMS Cameron McKenna. It seems like there is something for anyone to make them feel welcome – from sports to just a drink at the pub with colleagues.

I would certainly recommend a friend pursuing or considering a career in law to apply to CMS Cameron McKenna, and if they decide to do so or even if they are not sure, I would definitely advise to attend an open day. There is a lot you can learn and nothing you can lose.