Spring Vacation Scheme Student Review

I really enjoyed the vacation scheme and it exceeded all my expectations. Everyone was friendly and helpful from the first day I arrived and I always felt as though there was someone I could speak to with any questions or problems. The vacation scheme was a great combination of hard work and social activities. I felt as though I got an insight to a career in law as well as to the culture of the firm.

In terms of the tasks I was given, I was always given extensive instructions and background information and then given feedback after. The people in my departments seemed to want to give me work and not to just do it because they had to. Also, the trainees were always keen to talk to everyone on the vacation scheme and my trainee 'buddy' always checked I was okay and whether I wanted to go for coffee or lunch etc.

The whole first day was dedicated to induction and training sessions so that we felt we had an idea of what to expect. This included library training which gave details on how to use the various research resources available (and this came in very helpful with research tasks I was given!). There wasn't a day of the vacation scheme when I didn't see someone in Graduate Recruitment - they also sent emails to check everything was going okay and to update us on any plans for that day/evening. It is also great sitting in an office with an associate as your supervisor as they are available to answer any questions you have.

The research skills I have gained will be really helpful in both my studies at university and in my future career, whether that is in law or anything else. I also feel as though I've gained skills in communicating with people, taking onboard information quickly and accurately, presenting research in a clear and concise way and organising and prioritising different tasks that I need to do.

Very well structured. We knew at all times where we should be, what events were on that day and what times we needed to be there. We were given a schedule for the two weeks on the first day and we were notified of any changes or updates by email. Thought was put into which events should be held when, to ensure that we were all available and would make the most of all the opportunities.

It was a great atmosphere. Everyone was always smiling, friendly and ready to help. There were so many opportunities for chatting to people and getting a feel for the culture of the firm on a daily basis. We also had lots of social events, some formal and some informal, which gave the chance to find things out about the firm and a career in law! Most of all, the social events were really fun and relaxed!

It was difficult to do any work that was technical or legal, but I still got an idea of the sorts of tasks I would do as a trainee. Also talking to trainees, associates and partners and listening in on meeting/phone calls gave a further insight to the sorts of roles people have.

The social events were a really good way to see what the more informal side of Baker & McKenzie is like. It was also a great opportunity to chat to trainees and graduate recruitment in a less formal setting. It was also very nice (and quite unusual) to be able to talk to all levels of people within the firm, including partners. There wasn't as strict or defined a hierarchy as in some other firms.

I was paid for the two weeks which was enough for living and travel expenses plus a bit extra. When I had to travel in to London for the assessment centre and also for my partner interview for a training contract, I was reimbursed for those travel expenses too, up to a limit of £100.

There was an event on almost every day. This included a corporate networking lunch (with a variety of members from the corporate department), a lunch with trainees about their route into Baker & McKenzie, a talk by a partner and an associate about their careers, and a lunch with the Managing Committee of the London office.

They were very fun and varied. There were some relatively formal and some very informal; it was nice to have this variety. For example we had a welcome lunch, a curry night, a ping pong night and a farewell lunch at the Shard. There was also a welcome drinks at the Baker & McKenzie office which was attended by a range of people from the firm.

We had a specific talk about the diversity focus groups that employees can get involved in and there was a really great range. We were also told about the sports teams that employees can play for; we received emails from the captains of some of those teams asking if we would like to play with them during our two weeks (and a couple of the vac schemers did).