Vacation Scheme Placement Review

I really enjoyed my two weeks on the firm's vacation scheme. I was in two departments that were completely different which meant that I had a diverse range of work and allowed me to develop a broad range of skills as a result. I felt the placement was well structured and allowed for an enjoyable experience - clearly a lot of thought had gone into the organisation of the placement. I was given interesting work to do and support was there if I needed it which also contributed to making the overall experience a very positive one.

I felt welcomed from day one and right the way through the full two weeks. Everyone was approachable and friendly and always had time for me to ask questions if I needed to. My trainee buddies and supervisors were all extremely friendly and approachable and meant that I did not feel awkward or embarrassed when I was unsure on something and needed some guidance. Any task I did was always appreciated and those I did work for spent time providing me with feedback so I knew what was good about the work I did but also what could be improved on. This clarified to me that the firm really does care about your development and will support you to achieve your full potential (a factor which originally drew me to the firm to start with).

Throughout the two weeks the level of support varied depending on what work I was engaging with. I undertook some research tasks for different people of which I had no guidance on except the original instructions I was given and sometimes some background to the work I was doing. However, I do not consider this as a negative. Although I did not always need the guidance, I knew if I did or I was unsure on something I had my supervisor to ask. Even if they could not help me they would offer their guidance on who might be able to. The arrangement to sit in the same room as your supervisor and to be next door to your trainee buddy meant that I felt like I had the support on hand if I needed it.

I have been involved with property law throughout the whole two weeks I have been at the firm. Studying equity and trusts in my final year at university, I anticipate some of the work I have been involved with during the placement may well help me when I come to study this module. I have developed professional skills including how to manage my time effectively when balancing multiple deadlines and also my communication skills to ensure that I fully understand the instructions given to me and also how to articulate my ideas concisely when presenting my findings. The assessment day also tested my resilience, advocacy and attention to detail skills by participating in all of the different activities which can only be a good thing. These skills are very much transferable so I am glad I have had the opportunity to enhance my skills-set further.

There is nothing I can say negative about how the vacation scheme programme was organised. All of the presentation talks were spread across the two weeks perfectly to ensure that I could attend these talks but not at the expense of completing work. The social events were also organised well to ensure that as a vacation scheme student I got the chance to build a relationship with and really get to know the other trainees who have been in my position. The assessment centre was organised very well with regular breaks to give us the best chance to refresh to give us the best change of succeeding. If I were to participate in the vacation scheme again, I would be more than happy to follow the same agenda as it worked very well.

Although the cultures across the two departments I was in was different and the people in each department worked differently, the atmosphere across each department was welcoming and friendly. Although, this was not something I was particularly worried about after meeting representatives of the firm at previous law fairs and attending an open day at the firm last year, I knew the firm operated in a friendly environment and that the people who worked here were all supportive and worked well with each other and my time on the vacation scheme reaffirmed this viewpoint.

I feel that my trainee buddies were able to help me develop myself personally. This is because I was able to talk to them about myself as an individual and to get advice on how I can get the most out of my vacation scheme experience. I was always busy with work to do and was never sitting around bored or waiting to be told what to do next. I felt that the firm invested in me in terms of treating me as a potential future trainee rather than someone who was merely on a placement as a 'temporary fix'. Although at my stage training in not something that I have officially started, observing the actual trainees still allowed me to see that the firm does invest in its lawyers. For example, they pay funds for the LPC and put on regular know-how talks to broaden knowledge on any updates in the law.

From day one the work I have been involved with was extremely hands on. I was very lucky in that I was given work to do that was complex and challenging which allowed me to get a real understanding of what sort of work the firm does but also what routine the lawyers tend to adopt in terms of having a full time role as a lawyer. I agree with the firm's approach that the best way to learn how to do the work is by doing it yourself and this ethos was very much applied to the vacation scheme.

I think the only way to learn about the culture of a firm is to work within it to see if for yourself and the vacation scheme has allowed me to do just that. The culture of the firm and its approach in how it operates match my own values which has made me feel like I fit in with the firm well. The culture of the two departments I have worked within were different but nonetheless both still had a warm and friendly environment.

The work I engaged with was diverse and I was undertaking different tasks each day. This meant that I got to experience what it was like undertaking work that really interested me but also the work that I did not enjoy as much. I consider this to be a really positive experience as I am aware that not all work I would be involved with a trainee I may necessarily really enjoy. The two weeks as a whole has very much helped me confirm that law in the field I want to go into and I am grateful that Stephenson Harwood provide people like myself with the opportunity to experience this before fully committing to the profession after I graduate.

My travel expenses were paid for by the firm to cover my two weeks on the placement. The firm also provided regular lunches and paid for food and drinks on any social events that had been arranged.

There were regular lunches and after work socials which meant that I got to know the people I was spending the two weeks with very well. There were networking events which allowed for me to ask questions and to get to know other people in the firm that I may not have had the opportunity to meet if I did not work within their department during the placement.

I enjoyed the opportunities to meet other people in the firm and to hear their opinions on what it is like to work in the firm. People all had different positions within the firm and worked in a variety of departments which meant that the networking and social events have allowed me to, come the end of the placement, have an overall picture on what it is like to work at the firm which I may not have had without these events and rather such viewpoints would have been restricted to the viewpoints from people who worked within the departments I have spent the two weeks in.

This was not spoken about much. Probono work was spoke about a little but there was not much focus on this. Although, we did engage in a probono activity to make and sell quizzes with a chance to win some champagne if all the options were guessed correctly for the firm's charity of the year (The Rainbow Trust). However, this was the only exposure to this side of the firm I am aware of during the placement.

Absolutely. I have enjoyed all aspects I have been exposed to during my time at the firm and only have positive things to say about my experience on the placement scheme.