Trail Blazing Open Day Review

The Trail Blazing open day at Taylor Wessing was very valuable in the process of getting to know the firm. The presentations by the managing partner and graduate recruitment partner were informative and honest. I enjoyed asking trainees about their experience at the firm - I could tell that they were enjoying their time. Finally, the business game exercise was interesting. I enjoyed working in a team to produce a good presentation in a short allocated time.

I felt valued from the very beginning. [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] Our application for the open day was appreciated and that being invited to join on the day was testament to the quality of our application. During the lunch and the afternoon drinks, trainees were willing to speak to us at length about their process leading up to joining the firm and their experiences so far. The managing partner and graduate recruitment partner were open to questions and answered each one honestly.

During the business game exercise, we had a trainee mentor that was available to provide advice and feedback on our presentation and approach to working in a team. [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] Someone was available throughout the day to answer our questions about the firm and application process.

I developed my ability to work in a team, particularly with new people that I work with for the first time. I was able to lead the team in a certain direction but also to cooperate with the rest of the team members to design a good quality, cohesive and engaging pitch to an investment group. The theme of the business game exercise - a budding entrepreneur working to open a gourmet burger restaurant - was interesting and stimulating. It exposed us to one type of client that Taylor Wessing works with. I enjoyed networking with trainees and asking valuable questions.

The day was very well structured. We had some time to talk among ourselves (the open day participants) before the partners' presentations. I enjoyed learning about Taylor Wessing's history, industries, strategy and culture from the managing partner, then learning about training opportunities from the graduate recruitment partner and then learning about the application process [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]. The business game exercise being scheduled for after lunch worked well. Attributing an hour to lunch was good. Ending the day with drinks and nibbles by the firm's terrace with a fabulous view was great.

I enjoyed the general atmosphere during the open day. Partners were friendly and informative, trainees were willing to speak about their experience at length and were approachable, and [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] someone was available throughout the day, treating each question that we had with respect.

Pertaining to the business game exercise, the firm invested time in us. Trainees invested two hours in guiding us through the preparation for the presentation and giving us feedback following. Partners took time out of their day to talk to us about the firm and answer our questions. This was all done with a friendly attitude.

A point of improvement for future open days would be to outline in further detail the day-to-day role of a trainee in various practices at the firm. I recognise that this was done well during the networking time at lunch. However, this could be done more formally through a speed networking exercise with current associates for example.

I found the networking lunch and drinks in the afternoon to be helpful in gauging an idea of the characteristics of lawyers at the firm. I learned about the social occasions at the firm and the extent to which trainees, associates and partners interact outside of office hours. I was able to learn about the flat sense of hierarchy at the firm.

This open day reinforced my ambition to join Taylor Wessing as a trainee.

There was a great opportunity to network with trainees during lunch and afternoon drinks. It would be nice if there was also an opportunity to speak to associates to learn specialised information about the firm's core industries and further development route following qualification. There were ample opportunities to ask questions to partners to learn more about available opportunities as a trainee and the firm's growth strategy.

I learned about ski trips and a team building trip to the north of Sweden. I also learned about the football club. The firm seems quite social.