Vacation Scheme Review

I attended the 2 week spring vacation scheme and the insight struck a really good balance between socials, hands-on work in my department, skills based sessions (like negotiation and presentation workshops) and talks from the different departments. We were also set a project which seemed like a really meritocratic way by which to measure our performance over the two weeks alongside feedback from our supervisors.

I was really made to feel welcome by my department during my time at the company. I was invited to attend multiple social events during my time in the department and genuinely felt like the team wanted me to be there - and ended up staying til the early hours of the morning! Everyone in my department were really genuine and always happy to sit down and chat with you and answer any questions.

I received guidance both from my supervisor and trainee buddy in my department and also from the graduate recruitment team, all of which would answer any questions that I might have. My trainee buddy went above and beyond to help me and answer any questions! Although my supervisor was extremely busy, we got on really well and he gave me extremely in-depth feedback.

The vacation scheme really focused on skills that would assist you in everyday practice. The project we were given enabled us to get to grips with the tasks that a trainee might be involved with and got us used to handling huge documents and contractual agreements.

The insight was highly structured with a timetable which struck a nice balance between socials, talks from different departments, time in our own departments, and skills based workshops. We all had a presentation task at the end of the first week and had time within the scheme set out to prepare for the task.

Some of my fellow vac schemers seemed a little shy at first but it didn’t take them that long to warm up! The atmosphere within my department was amazing and it genuinely seemed like a group that I would really love to work with. I felt like one of the team and it was really easy to laugh and have a joke with everyone.

The firm invested a lot of time and energy in you during the vacation scheme and it does truly feel like they want you to succeed! The firm put on a lot of really good socials for the vacation schemers and also invest a lot in your training and development through a range of skills based sessions.

The insight gave a really good insight into understanding what it might be like to work at the company. It also gave me the opportunity to mix with a whole range of different lawyers from different departments to see what their roles were like. I was able to spend a lot of time with my trainee buddy and see the sort of work they were given on a daily basis.

After my two weeks working at Linklaters, it seemed clear that the firm has a real team spirit and hard working energy. Everyone at the firm works extremely hard but pulls together as a team. I really felt like one of the team during my time in the department, and even just in two weeks everyone knew my name and joked with me.

I was already quite set on corporate law as a future career before coming to Linklaters but the experience confirmed my interest. I was surprised at how friendly the firm was, due to my experience with other large international firms. I really enjoyed the work I was given in my department and it helped me to think about the departments I might wish to train in upon starting the firm.

I was paid £400 a week during the vacation scheme which is in line with other top international law firms. It enabled me to get a place to stay during the two weeks and get by sufficiently without having to worry. The firm seemed like it would always offer extra help if anyone had any particular financial concerns.

There were plenty of networking opportunities such as morning breakfasts, where we had the chance to talk to different lawyers from different departments. We also had a range of socials where a number of lawyers and trainees from different stages and departments were invited to join which gave us an opportunity to ask questions about the firm and the type of work they were involved with.

During my time at the firm, I was able to talk to a number of lawyers from all over the world from different departments at Linklaters, all of which were extremely helpful. Everyone was more than happy to take time out to help you and chat with you. The quality of socials were really high. We watched Amadeus at the National Theatre and attended two three course dinners with gave a lot of opportunity to speak to employees at the firm.

The firm has a range of clubs and activities for staff to get involved in. The firm has a staff gym which runs a whole range of classes such as yoga and box fit. I believe the firm also subsidises gym memberships on top of this. Employees got involved with a range of clubs such as football and netball, and participated in charity bake off competitions as well. The firm also has a range of networks and groups for employees from all different backgrounds, such as groups for BAME, women, parents and carers etc.

I would definitely recommend the insight to a friend. I think the whole process was a really fair way to assess vacation scheme students and enabled a two way process by which to give us an insight into the firm. I really enjoyed my time at the firm and all the people I met during this time and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend the scheme to a friend!