Vacation Scheme Participant Review

I very much enjoyed this vacation scheme at Linklaters! It was a challenging experience but I was able to get a lot out of it and overall, I found the whole experience to be very rewarding. The program was varied and included interactive work, meaning the days were interesting and enjoyable!

Despite the fact that I have very little professional experience, I was made to feel like a valued member of the team during my time at Linklaters. I was given work that had added valued to the team, and therefore did not simply feel like I was shadowing or undertaking meaningless tasks. I was involved in team lunches and after-work drinks, which was a really nice touch.

I was given plenty of support and guidance on this vacation scheme. I was paired with a trainee buddy, who was of great assistance to me, answering all my questions and putting me at ease. Furthermore, we were all assigned a senior lawyer 'principal' who ensured that we had plenty of interesting work and guidance throughout.

The skills I developed and the knowledge I gained will certainly assist me in my degree and far beyond that! Most notably, I was able to develop my time management skills, communication skills and overall confidence levels. Furthermore, I developed my legal research skills which will certainly benefit me during my final year of university.

Overall, I found the vacation scheme to be very well structured. The 4 weeks consisted of 2 weeks in 2 different departments, meaning the vacation scheme was a very varied experience. The HR Recruitment team were in constant contact throughout the vacation scheme, ensuring we always knew about upcoming events etc.

I very much enjoyed the atmosphere at Linklaters. I found it to be professional, filled with dedicated and driven individuals, yet at the same time, it was also very welcoming and inclusive. Everyone that I had the opportunity to meet was friendly and enthusiastic, and the social events helped vacation scheme participants get to know each other better over the four weeks.

It seemed that Linklaters was very focused on investing in our personal development. We had practice area presentations almost every other day, which tested our ability and developed our communication skills, and we had the opportunity to take part in mediation and partner pitch exercises. Additionally, we were able attend training sessions within our seats.

As this was a four week long vacations scheme, I was really able to emerge myself into life at the firm and gain a solid understanding of what it would be like to have a full time role. I feel that I was able to get a very honest experience of life at the firm, through the work that I was given, as well as the endless networking opportunities, where employees were very honest about their own personal experiences.

The vacation scheme certainly helped me to understand the culture at the firm. The point was repeatedly made by employees that they enjoyed the culture of the company and I feel I would too enjoy it. The firm is keen to reward innovative behaviour, which is something that I particularly liked and I am interested in.

This vacation scheme was very valuable in helping me to decide my future career path, with this experience solidifying my intentions to pursue a career in corporate law. I was able to understand more about the realities of what such a role would entail and determine whether it would fit with my own values, interests and ambitions.

I was paid a generous weekly salary for my time spent at Linklaters.

During the vacation scheme, there were plenty of opportunities to meet, network and socialise with other employees of the firm, as well as the firm's partners. We went for a dinner with some of the partners, which provided an excellent opportunity to speak to them in a more informal setting and see what they were like as people. I very much enjoyed the social aspect of this vacation scheme.

I really enjoyed the networking and social events at Linklaters!

Yes, there are plenty of opportunities for employees to get involved in activities outside of work.

I would absolutely recommend this vacation scheme to a friend!