Student Review

I thoroughly enjoyed Taylor Wessing's ‘Trailblazing’ Open Day on Thursday November 10th 2016. I feel that the day provided me with valuable insights into the firm's welcoming culture and unique work. Furthermore, the morning session on the application process was extremely insightful, as I learned about how to approach the application form, what to expect on the assessment day, and the best way to present yourself in an interview.

Even though my insight at the firm was only for one day, I felt extremely valued. This is because I believe that Taylor Wessing’s main objective centred around broadening the candidates’ knowledge on the firm. I believe this was achieved through the different in-depth presentations and sessions. I felt further respected, because I was given numerous opportunities throughout the day to ask questions and clear up any queries that I had.

During each section of the Open Day, I felt that I was provided with excellent support, both in terms of the people that we had the opportunity to speak to, and the consistent guidance that we had. In particular, I was impressed by the support that we received in our groups when preparing for our Gourmet Burger business presentation, as we had a trainee sit with us throughout the process. My group won the prize for the best pitch, and I believe that this was also due to the support from the trainee [This section of the comment has been removed by a member of the RateMyPlacement Team because it did not meet our site terms and conditions]

I believe that the skills I developed will prove extremely beneficial during my application process for training contracts. I have further knowledge regarding how to tailor my applications, and how to conduct myself during interviews, which will also be advantageous through several aspects of my life. Moreover, the short video that we watched on overcoming 'stage fright' was interesting, because I learned that nerves are normal. However, what matters is how to constructively deal with them.

The Open Day was very well structured. The morning presentations contained a significant amount of information that improved my understanding about what differentiates the firm and their application process. The lunch was a nice opportunity to talk to current trainees, before the afternoon session, which allowed us to employ the skills that we learned in the morning, in our group presentations. The networking drinks concluded the day nicely, as we had the chance to ask additional questions, and talk to more trainees whilst watching the beautiful sunset.

In general, I believe that the atmosphere was extremely welcoming and open. I noticed this trait in different people at various levels within the firm. During the day, I felt extremely relaxed, which gave me a comfortable platform to be able to interact calmly with people at Taylor Wessing, and with other candidates attending the Open Day.

The Open Day helped to enhance my understanding of what life as a trainee solicitor at Taylor Wessing would entail. This was achieved through the sessions in the morning and by later enabling us to utilise our newly gained knowledge during the group presentations. Moreover, I found that talking to current trainees extremely beneficial, as I was able to gain further insights through people who were once in my position.

Yes - plenty.

Yes, there were numerous opportunities to network and meet employees of the firm, who were all at various levels and in different departments. In between the morning sessions, we had short breaks, in which we were encouraged to ask questions that we might have been hesitant to ask in front of everyone else. During lunch, we had the opportunity to network and meet current trainees at the firm. I was particularly impressed that we were provided with another chance to not only speak to additional trainees at the networking drinks at the end of the day, but also to the Graduate Recruitment and Partners that were involved.

I did not find out a significant amount about other activities that employees can become involved with beyond work. Nonetheless, by talking to different trainees throughout the day, they seemed to express that the firm does place a value on having a healthy work/life balance. Therefore, I only assume that this allows sufficient time to get involved with other social activities. Nonetheless, because the insight only lasted for one day, given the time constraints, this information was not necessarily a priority.

I would definitely recommend a Trailblazing Open Day to my friends that are applying for Training Contracts and considering applying to Taylor Wessing. This is because the whole day was extremely stimulating, and educational. Moreover, I left in the evening with a better idea of why I wanted to apply to Taylor Wessing and why I believe that I strongly suit the firm.