Summer Scheme Student Review

I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was a real insight into working at a city firm and more specifically at RPC. There were constant events to give you as much information as possible, from speed networking to a trip to Lloyd's of London. The social events were also great - getting out of the escape room as the fastest team was a highlight!

I felt valued because I was given real and interesting tasks, not one did I have to photocopy a document! I was able to do the work that a trainee would be expected to do and was given feedback on all of the tasks that I did. Furthermore, people outside of my assigned supervisor and trainee would have conversations with me as they had been made aware that a summer scheme student was going to be in the department and made the effort to see how I was enjoying it.

There was constant support throughout, from [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] to trainees to my supervisor. I had a number of people to turn to if I had any questions and was able to build up a network of people in the firm.

The general skills I developed, such as networking and people skills, will help me in my future career as I build relationships with co-workers and clients. On the other hand, the more lawyer specific skills that I developed, such as research and attention to detail will help me as I continue through my law degree as I learn to sift through the law and be creative and accurate.

The insight was very well structured, with clear timetabled events throughout the two weeks and regular email updates and reminders from [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] Ellinor, you were always kept in the loop regarding what was going on.

The atmosphere during the general working day was professional yet friendly. Everyone was clearly focused on their work, yet the open plan office allows for communication and collaboration. I felt able to ask the questions that I needed to about tasks and people would frequently take time out of their day to talk to me about the work that they do. The atmosphere at social events was fun and relaxed, I felt like I was getting to know people as more than just professional lawyers and was able to have a laugh with them.

The firm invested in us from the beginning of the scheme during the introduction day providing us with all the information we needed about RPC to successfully complete the vacation scheme. They continued to do so throughout the scheme with regular contact and feedback sessions with your supervisor. They also invested in us in terms of social events and giving us the opportunity to get to know the trainees and other summer scheme students better.

The insight seemed to be a real and accurate one, with the work that I was doing being similar to what a trainee would actually do. The open plan nature of the office also means that as a summer student, you can observe how the departments interact and what the atmosphere is like. Lastly, I was able to have conversations with a variety of people to see what their experiences are and here about working at RPC.

The insight helped me understand the company culture because I was able to meet so many people and therefore base my understand on a wide selection of people and see what the general theme was. I was able to see this culture at social events, how people interacted in teams, the way the trainees interact and how the company approaches its clients with an intense client focus.

It helped me decide my future career path by solidifying the fact that I want to become a lawyer. I want to do the work that I did over these few weeks and develop the skills that have helped me through the experience. I want to work in an environment like the one at RPC.

I was paid and also given money for the café, and social events in the evening were paid for.

Yes, there were constant opportunities, including networking lunches and speed networking with representatives from various departments to talk to and various levels of seniority. If you had an area you were interested in, you could generally find someone who worked there and speak to them.

The social opportunities were really fun - pizza making and an escape room! They were a great way of getting to know people in an informal and relaxed setting and based on fun ideas.

I found out about some such as the house events, client events, drink trolleys and sports.

Yes, I would definitely recommend a summer scheme at RPC to a friend. It was such an enjoyable experience and a really good taste of what it would be like to be a lawyer; perfect for anyone looking to work in the city and make decisions about their future. You also make so many connections within the firm and the people are great.