Open Day Review

I thoroughly enjoyed the insight. It was a unique opportunity to get a feel for the firm and meet as many of the employees as possible. The day was well planned, providing us with plenty of information. We were made to feel very welcomed by everyone we met, and many of the employees gave up their time to come and talk to us.

Everyone from the graduate recruitment team to the partners who gave talks emphasized that we were important to them, making us feel very valued. The trainees who came to have lunch with us were also very friendly and helpful, saying that they too felt valued by the associates of the firm and weren't treated differently as trainees.

The guidance we were given relating to the application process was very useful, with tips that we wouldn't have been able to find on the website. They made the process very clear and explained exactly what life as a trainee or on a vacation scheme would be like at Taylor Wessing.

The information we received was really useful, they gave tips on CVs even though we don't apply to their firm with a CV. The interview advice was also something that could be applied to interviews for any firm or company. For the business game we were put into groups and did a presentation, which was great practice for the assessment day but also gave us the opportunity to practice invaluable skills, working as a team and presenting.

The day was extremely well structured, with talks in the morning we got the chance to learn about the firm, then lunch with the trainees offered us the opportunity to ask questions that had arisen from the talks, and the business game in the afternoon was a fun way to interact after all the listening! Ending the day with a drinks reception was a lovely way to wind down and enjoy the amazing view from the office.

Throughout the day there was tea and coffee and snacks available for us to help ourselves to, and we were encouraged to make ourselves comfortable which was really welcoming. It was nice to have a break in between the talks in the morning so that we could get to know each other before the business game.

I think they invested a lot in us by taking the time to give us the skills sessions and advice on not only applying to their firm but also on general advice on things such as CVs, which they didn't have to do. The feedback after the group presentation was very constructive and I will remember all of this for any future presentation I need to give.

The insight gave us the opportunity to meet a variety of employees in different roles, from the trainees who had just started, to the trainees who were in their second year and the partners who had been there almost 9 years. We had plenty of time to ask them about their experience at Taylor Wessing and understand what its like to work there.

It helped a lot in understanding the company culture, as I think its difficult to feel what a firm is really like from its website. It's much more beneficial to go into the office, see where they work in terms of location and what the office is like, and meet all the employees to see whether you would fit in there.

I was already very set on a career in law, but it definitely made me even more sure that it is what I wanted to do. They highlighted the skills and qualities that make a good lawyer, and the group presentation was a good way of actively demonstrating to us what its like to work as a team in that environment.

I only attended the insight day yesterday so I haven't yet been reimbursed, but we were given forms at the beginning of the day to fill out our travel expenses and provide our bank details so that we could be reimbursed. We were also asked to provide receipts where possible.

There were plenty of opportunities to meet all kinds of employees at the firm. We met 3 or 4 partners who were specialized in different sectors, we got to meet the head of graduate recruitment who had organized the day and was with us all day, and we also got to meet plenty of trainees over lunch who told us about the different seats they were in.

It was the perfect atmosphere to socialize and network; the two opportunities were over lunch and over drinks at the end of the day. This made us feel relaxed enough to ask any questions we had, but also to have a conversation and really get to know the people rather than only having a Q&A session.

We were informed that there are plenty of socials, the trainees told us about the Christmas events they have coming up and the Partners told us that there are socials organised by the trainees for people on the vacation schemes. However, I feel they could have stated exactly what these social events are.

I would definitely recommend this insight to a friend. It was a very well planned open day, packed full of information that will be useful not only for the firm but could be applied to other job applications and situations. We got to practice skills we wouldn't have otherwise had the opportunity to, and if an assessment day is offered to us I think we will be much better prepared for it.