Vacation scheme student Review

I thought this vacation scheme gave a really fantastic insight into what it would be like to work at the firm. I was given plenty of interesting and varied tasks, typical of those that a trainee would undertake. I was able to sit in two different areas of the firm, which gave a broader view of the different type of work done in different practice areas. The social events were also great fun and well attended by representatives from the firm.

I genuinely felt like the work I was doing assisted my supervisors. I was given a fair amount of responsibility, for example speaking directly with clients, and was always made to feel like part of the team.

Both my supervisors were great - really friendly and helpful. I was also given a trainee buddy in each seat, which meant that there was always someone around who could answer my questions. The other trainees, associates and PAs were also very helpful.

I learnt about drafting, negotiation and did a fair amount of legal research and was given feedback throughout. The negotiation skills workshop was especially enjoyable.

Very well structured. The only comment I would say is that I know that some students on the scheme did not know where to go when they started their second seat because they hadn't been able to get in touch with their trainee buddy. It would probably be worth contacting your buddy early at some point during the second week if you are doing the three week scheme.

Very positive and friendly. The people working at HSF are incredibly approachable and nice.

We learnt a lot about the firm itself, but there was only one workshop on personal skills (negotiation). The negotiation skills workshop was very enjoyable and it would have been nice to have had another personal skills workshop.

It was very easy to envisage being a trainee at the firm. I was given lots of tasks typical of a trainee and left to my own devices to manage my time accordingly.

There were lots of great social events were I was able to meet people working at the firm, however the best insight into the company culture was working there for 3 weeks. This scheme is slightly longer then most of the schemes on offer at other law firms so it really does offer great insight.

I already knew that I wanted to be a solicitor at a commercial firm but doing this vacation scheme confirmed this for me. I was surprised by the level of responsibility I was given and the amount tasks which actually required quite a lot of thought, as opposed to easier, more mundane tasks.

The pay is at a competitive rate for law firm vacation schemes.

Yes, there were plenty of opportunities for networking and a drinks evening specifically with partners at the firm as well.

My favourite social event was at Flight Club where you play darts in teams. I wasn't sure about the darts beforehand but it turned out to be fantastic fun as we all played in teams. On the first evening we had dinner organized just for the vacation schemers with no one from the firm there which was great as we felt like we could get to know each other without being assessed, and helped to promote an inclusive environment within the group. There was always plenty of great food and drink at all of the events.

There was a networks fair where we found out about the various support networks and some charity events were mentioned, but other than that there weren't many activities to get involved with outside of work that I heard about.

Yes, it's a great way to gauge whether or not you would like to work at the firm before committing to a 2 year training contract.