Vacation Scheme Student Review

I had a great time at Taylor Wessing, the atmosphere was friendly, the other vacation scheme students were very easy to get on with and the work we received was interesting. The organised social events were fun and gave us enough time to get to know each other as well as some of the trainees already at the firm.

I definitely felt valued during my time at Taylor Wessing. Everyone, from support staff all the way up to partners were willing to talk to you if you had any questions. When introduced to the people within the departments I was sat in, everyone took an interest in me and the stage of my studies I was at. I got to get stuck in to some real work and the feedback I got from this was very positive.

As part of the scheme I had a trainee buddy and supervisor in both of the departments I sat in. My buddies were both very friendly and approachable and were clearly happy to answer any questions I had. Both of my supervisors gave me detailed feedback and constructive criticism. Everyone I did work for gave me clear instructions, were willing to answer any questions I had and were prepared to sit and go through the work I did for them.

As part of the scheme, we had to prepare for and give a group presentation to two partners. This required us to carry out research and brainstorm ideas together. The research, teamworking and presentation skills I developed will help me in the remainder of my studies. I study law and it was also useful to gain more of an insight into how law is used practically rather than just the academic way in which I currently apply the law. A key aspect of this is looking at issues in a commercial and not just a legal way.

The scheme was very clearly structured, at all times I knew what I had to and where I had to be. We had sessions throughout the two weeks focusing on different departments within the firm. Most of the time was spent within the departments we had been assigned and I always had work to do or knew where to go to find work. The scheme was well structured but not so tightly structured as to prevent us being able to speak to people about areas of the firm we were interested in.

The atmosphere was fantastic. My experience of Taylor Wessing was that it is a very friendly and inviting firm. The working environment is collegiate and there was no obvious sense of hierarchy. Everyone I approached was prepared to answer any questions about the firm or a career in law that I had. From the social events we attended and the lunch with partners we had at the end of the scheme, it was clear that everyone is very friendly, easy to talk to and that conversations never felt forced.

The firm did not overly invest in my personal training and development but I was only at the firm for two weeks so it is hard to see how they could have done more. We had appraisals with our supervisors at the end of each week which allowed us to get some honest feedback on what we had done well and what we could improve on in future.

The insight really helped me to see what a full time role with the firm would involve. I was able to carry out examples of work that I would carry out if I became a trainee at the firm. I was also able to ask current trainees questions about the type of work they do. Being sat in an office with more senior solicitors during both weeks I was also able to get an insight into their roles within the firm as well.

The insight was incredibly useful for gaining an insight into the firm's culture as I got the opportunity to see how individuals within the firm interact. Being sat in two different departments I was also able to see how the cultures differ between departments. By asking questions I was also able to get more of an insight into the culture.

I had been in law firms before this scheme so I had already decided that a career in a law firm is what I want to do. However, the departments I sat in made me think more about the areas of law I may want to work in. The scheme also helped me to identify differences between law firms more clearly.

The pay was not quite enough to cover my accommodation and travel expenses for the two weeks which meant I was left slightly out of pocket. The pay was the same for everyone irrespective of whether they lived within commutable distance from London or further afield. The pay was not an issue for me though.

There were a lot of opportunities to network within the company. On our first day we had lunch with the trainees and evening drinks with people throughout the firm which allowed us to meet people from across the company. The focus on sessions allowed us to meet individuals from different departments and we were always encouraged to send people emails or ask to meet them if we wanted to learn more.

The networking and social opportunities were very good. The social events were original and inventive while also giving us enough time to talk to the other people on the scheme and the trainees who were also there. The networking events were structured enough to allow conversation to develop while still being open enough for us to talk about the things that interested us.

We found out about some of the activities that employees can get involved in outside of work and some of us were even given an opportunity to engage in some pro bono work. Finding out about the activities was left to our initiative. We had to ask people already at the firm to learn about them but everyone I approached was willing to talk about them.

I really enjoyed my time at Taylor Wessing and got a really valuable insight into the firm's culture and the work that it does. All the employees are very friendly and willing for you to get involved. The work I got to do was interesting and engaging. The scheme was well structured and I never felt bored or that I had nothing to do.