A&O First Review

I enjoyed the insight massively. The tips given for applications were excellent and I am extremely grateful for the time and effort put in by the graduate recruitment team to make the presentations as informative as possible. I also really enjoyed the group activities (both the negotiation and business game) as these were fun but also gave us an insight as to what the kind of work is like at A&O. The opportunity to interact with Trainees, Associates and Partners was also really helpful as these conversations help to build up a profile of the firm in your head. I really liked shadowing my trainee buddy on the first day and speaking to another buddy on the second day.

The Team made us feel very welcome and valued at the firm. I felt like the Team really wanted us to succeed and viewed us as equals as much as possible. There was no clear hierarchy at the firm which is nice and the fact that Partners took time out of their busy day to come and talk to us was really impressive. The Trainees also spoke of how much responsibility they were given during their training contracts and so I feel that A&O do treat candidates and trainees with a lot of respect.

In the group activities the trainees were extremely helpful and answered all our questions related to the materials. The Graduate Recruitment Team also offered lots of tips and advice, which reassured me at times as they made clear that all applicants are nervous for interviews and that the interviewers do genuinely want to see the best of you and are not trying to fool you. The chance to get in touch with trainee buddies is really valuable and it is great to have contacts at the firm at this very early stage of looking at careers.

The skills developed in the group games will certainly help me in my career whenever I am faced with certain issues in a team and need to be able to communicate and listen to others' opinions. I think the emphasis on the types of skills that the firm are looking for will certainly help me in applying for different career paths. The focus on commercial awareness will also help me when preparing to become a commercial lawyer in the future, as it was not clear exactly what type of knowledge was required before I went on this course.

The insight was extremely well structured. I really liked the fact that it was 2 days at the firm, with the second day being a follow-up and chance to see again our trainee buddies. I felt the group exercises really helped the day be enjoyable as it meant that we were not listening to talks for too long at a time. The chance to talk to partners over drinks at the end of the final day was also really helpful as it seemed more informal and we got lots of honest feedback from employees at A&O. The Graduate Recruitment Team also settled us into both days really well by explaining how the day would operate right at the beginning.

Everyone seemed to really enjoy the day. Everyone was really engaged in the group activities and consistently were taking notes during the talks. I feel that the general atmosphere was very friendly and welcoming, and all the participants really wanted to get to know each other and help each other along the process by offering their own advice. The atmosphere was not too serious and it was very comfortable.

The company provided group activities which really helped us to develop the skills necessary to work in this sector of work. The firm also concentrated on the key skills needed when applying to work at a City law firm. The trainees came round to all the tables to help us which really helped our personal training. The fact that the scheme was for 2 days was also beneficial.

The fact that we met up will a lot of partners and trainees meant that we got a real feel for what the work is like day-to-day and so I now understand to a much greater extent what a full time role at the firm would be like. The Graduate Recruitment Team also emphasised the fact that the job is a challenge, but that if we have the correct skills for it we will find it very enjoyable.

The only way to gauge the culture I think is to meet up and speak with as many of the employees as possible. The scheme provided a lot of opportunities to engage with A&O employees and so it was very useful in terms of helping us to understand the company culture. The fact that we shadowed our own trainee buddy also meant that we saw more of the office and experienced what it is actually like on the floor itself amongst other employees.

The content was extremely valuable. I believe the emphasis on skills meant that I now have a greater understanding of whether I can succeed in this type of career or not. The days were also very informative about A&O specifically and the international element of the firm does really appeal to me as a linguist. I think the content is really good and it was great that this was also shared via email.

The reimbursement is much faster than other firms which is really nice!

Plenty of opportunities. We met employees of all levels and the networking element was at the core of the day. I think this is unrivalled in terms of open days at other firms and the fact that we can contact our buddy after the day is also extremely useful. I would recommend attending the scheme specifically for this purpose to others.

They were extremely useful. Employees were very honest and genuine and really seemed like they wanted to advise us on our careers. The mix between talks and group activities, as well as lunch and drinks was also really nice as it was a very relaxed atmosphere and I felt like I could ask all sorts of questions without worry.

This was a question I liked the ask the trainee buddies. They were very honest and all seemed to have activities outside of work, as well as some talking about pro bono. I do feel this element could be put in the presentations by the Team as it is not clear how much the firm encourages getting involved with things outside of work, especially with sports etc. associated with A&O.

Yes, definitely. The 2 days are extremely helpful for applications and give a real insight into the firm. I think the Graduate Recruitment Team are very good at hosting these days and I do not have a negative comment at all for the day. It has definitely been one of the more interesting and exciting open days that I have been to in the City.