Insight Day Review

The insight day was very enjoyable as the speakers were interesting, the information was useful and it was exciting to see the offices and speak to trainees. The business game in the afternoon was fun to do and beneficial, as it mimics part of the proper application process. The other people were friendly and not overly competitive.

We were made to feel very welcome on arrival by the graduate recruiters and then were treated to talks from several high-ranking partners in the firm, which made me feel like they really valued us and recognised the importance of encouraging the next generation of trainees. Also, everyone spoke to us as potential applicants and future trainees, rather than just as keen students.

Many of the talks were geared towards providing tips and assistance on making a strong and standout application for a vac scheme or training contract, which was useful guidance. We were explicitly told what the recruiters look for and what they do not appreciate, as well as being given tips on how to present yourself in an interview situation.

The information received about application forms, tests and interviews will assist me next year in making any applications for vac schemes and the insight we were given about the firm specifically means that I feel that I have a good understanding of the ethos and direction of Taylor Wessing, which will help in making applications to them. I will also bear in mind the feedback from the business game in similar future exercises or presentations. Being that it was over the course of one day, there wasn't much time to develop any skills substantially.

The day was very well-structured, with a good mixture of talks from members of the firm in the morning, time for informal conversation with trainees over lunch, a business game group exercise in the afternoon and finally a drinks reception, with more time to talk to trainees. I felt that there was a good mixture of delivering information and engaging attendees.

The atmosphere was welcoming and positive, with all senior staff members being very nice. The trainees were a lot of fun to talk to and they made a real effort to break down the barriers of corporate recruitment and tell us what life at the firm is really like. Also, the other attendees that I sat with and worked in a group with were very pleasant and did not seem overly competitive, which can sometimes be an issue at such events.

For a single insight day, this is possibly less relevant, as the firm was more trying to provide information and assist us in making future applications. The aim of the day was not so much personal training and development, but delivery of information, with a brief exercise to give a taster for the recruitment process in the afternoon.

The partners who spoke to us gave us an idea of the sort of work they do on a daily basis. However, the trainees were the main source of this information, as they told us the reality of working at the firm and the sorts of seat they had worked on and the work they did in those areas. This gave me a good idea of what working there was like, but not as much as would be gained by seeing it in action, such as on a vac scheme.

A lot of the talks were angled towards communicating the firm’s ethos and direction, as Taylor Wessing is distinct in the legal sector with its forward-thinking and innovative approach to legal services. Also, the trainees talked about what the everyday culture is like, as well as telling us about company social events as well.

Approaching the day, I was unsure as to whether I wanted to pursue a career in corporate law, and the day definitely made me more amenable to the idea. Seeing the direction and sectors in which the firm works did make corporate law seem more exciting, and the business game made me realise how important corporate awareness is to this type of law. After the day, I am still undecided, but more likely to go into corporate law.

Reimbursed ~£60 for train travel to London.

Yes, we had lunch with several trainees and then several more joined us for a drinks reception in the evening.

The networking events were beneficial and enjoyable, as the trainees told us what it was really like to work for the firm (all positive!) as well as telling us which seats they had enjoyed the most, which may help in deciding which specialism to go into later down the line. However, there weren’t more than a handful of trainees at both of the events and I felt there could have been more.

Group social events for trainees were briefly mentioned, but not elaborated on. Other than that, the day was focused on the work within the firm.

I would definitely recommend the insight day to a friend who wanted to gain some useful tips for applying to vac schemes and training contracts, or who wanted to learn more about the firm specifically. I came away from the day feeling like it had been worthwhile and useful, and it has made me more seriously consider going into commercial law.