Vacation Scheme Student Review

I loved it. Everyone has been so friendly and welcoming. It's clear that a lot of time and effort has gone into organising the placement, and it has really paid off. I've experienced a broad range of work and met a lot of different people, and this has been really valuable.

I got to help trainees complete their work, which was nice. Because they're only a few steps ahead of me career wise, I was really willing to help them. A trainee said that he had left this task till the last minute, could I help him, and I really appreciated the honesty and it certainly motivated me to get involved.

I received a lot of support. Not just from my buddies, but also from supervisors and Pas. Everyone was really attentive and supportive, and I felt like I could ask people I didn't know for help and they would help me. There's a really great atmosphere. I also felt like I could contact the graduate recruitment/ HR team at any time.

The vac scheme has made me really enthusiastic to get started with my GDL. I feel like I have an idea which departments I would like to choose as a seat, and also which GDL topics will interest me. I also have gained research skills, and learned how to write client emails.

The vac scheme was really well structured. I think it's unique in splitting the time into a week and a half, rather than having one week in one seat and two in another. I think this was good because the first week was presentation/ introduction heavy, and therefore five days wouldn't have been enough time in the first department.

As aforementioned, the atmosphere was great. I applied to Baker & McKenzie because I thought it would be friendly and it definitely is. People I don't know have asked me how my vac scheme is going in the lift, and trainees I don't know have invited me to sit with them at lunch. This makes you feel immediately immersed in a community.

I feel like everyone treated me as though I was a permanent member of staff. For example, on one of my last days someone showed me how to scan documents and where to find them. At no point did I feel like a burden on anyone, and everyone was really grateful for the work I did for them. This in turn made me enthusiastic to get involved in lots of things, and as a result I have gained a lot of experience.

I can definitely envision working here fulltime. I had a lot of opportunities to ask trainees/ associates/ partners lots of questions, and as a result have developed a greater understanding of the work they do on a day-to-day basis. I feel I would be quite happy working here, the morale is great and everyone seems quite happy.

I've mentioned it quite a lot already, but the culture of Baker & McKenzie is great. It was brilliant to have a diversity talk from Justine early on in the scheme (and I am delighted to have gotten my own LGBT Ally mug). I feel like the firm really is working towards inclusion and diversity and it's not just an advertising campaign.

I have really enjoyed the work I have done, and so I think I'll be happy as a trainee here. The presentations were really helpful in describing what sort of work is completed in the different departments, which has been really interesting. It was also great to hear about the department work from a trainee perspective. It was good to hear that some jobs (that perhaps aren't as interesting) are just trainee jobs, and as your career progresses you move past them. Learning this was helpful in understanding the way the type of work you take on changes as your career progresses.

I think the salary was generous.

There were plenty of networking opportunities. I went to the City for ethnic minorities lunch, which was very enjoyable. As well as a large number of social events and this week there is the Baker Mingle event. It's great to have the opportunity to meet people at all levels of the firm. The ManCom lunch was also great.

The social events were fantastic. They clearly took an awful lot of planning (and financing) to arrange. It was nice to have the opportunity to meet your buddy in a laid-back atmosphere. The bowling and karaoke was particularly good, though I did really enjoy the welcome lunch and am looking forward to the goodbye lunch. No one was underfed in the last 3 weeks.

This topic was touched on. We heard quite a lot about tag rugby, and also Baker groups, like BakerWomen, BakerLGBT ect. However I would like I know if there are any other social groups, perhaps ones enjoying activities that aren't sport. I saw a poster for a charity marathon, so presumably there are running groups?

Yes. I was thinking about my friends from QUB and how much they'd enjoy this experience. I really think the level of support and encouragement you receive would ensure that everyone does well here. I think the pay is really good, especially as so many of our meals / drinks are paid for, you don't end up spending very much money. This is good for people who have to travel to the office and pay for accommodation.