Insight Programme Review

I thoroughly enjoyed the insight programme as the opportunity to engage with such inspirational senior members of the firm was extremely helpful. Not only this, but the grad recruitment team and the fellow students were very kind. I felt that everyone was truly welcoming; this increased my enjoyment of the programme.

There were many opportunities to ask questions, not just to grad recruitment, but also to senior employees. In the sessions led by those individuals, they stressed the importance of the trainees and this showed me that the employees truly value everyone, regardless of which level one is at. However, we did not participate in any actual work. Instead, we were given talks which were inspiring.

There were great talks which provided inspiring insight into how others entered the industry, and more specifically, progressed upwards in the firm. In addition, the CV workshop was helpful although some of its content was a little basic and therefore was not as effective as it could have been. There was limited guidance regarding the actual application process to the DLA programmes. It would have been better if there were talks regarding how to make an application stand out to increase the chance of successfully gaining an offer for a programme.

I gained greater networking skills as well as a better understanding of the various industry sectors that the firm focus on. After speaking to the trainees, some information regarding the recruitment process was useful. The advice I was given in regard to keeping up to date with commercial issues in the industry will be used in the future.

The programme was extremely well structured; there was a clear focus from the onset with each session aimed to provide a different insight to a different part of the firm. There was also ample time to ask questions. The only criticism was that the 3rd day had too many breaks and I felt that the time could have been better used with more talks or networking opportunities.

Everyone was extremely kind and welcoming; not just the grad recruitment team but also the firm in general. This was not limited to the reception team cloakroom attendants and the caterers. Overall, whilst the work was very focused, the general atmosphere was relaxed and a nice environment where I could engage with lots of people.

The firm was supportive throughout the programme, especially in regard to providing me with lots of information.

I think the programme would benefit from having an opportunity to shadow a trainee, even if just for an hour or so. This would give me an increased knowledge of what kind of work and documents the trainees handle. Other than that, the talks were informative.

The insight was a great way to meet people and understand that the culture is very open and welcoming. Without the programme, I feel that I would not be able to understand the culture.

The programme reassured me that I wanted to pursue a career in commercial law. In addition, the programme convinced me to apply to the firm for an internship.

The firm were very helpful in reimbursing food expenses, with a large amount given for dinner. There was also plenty of food throughout the programme, including breakfast and lunches. The firm also provided me with hotel accommodation which was amazing and testament to the effort the firm go to.

Yes - the trainee panel and the future trainee panel provided this opportunity. In addition, the speed sector networking session was a great way to meet people quickly and efficiently.

The networking was very enjoyable as there was plenty of opportunity to speak to various employees of the firm. These employees were from varying hierarchical levels, giving a deeper insight into their work and experiences.

Yes - the session on Pro Bono was extremely insightful. I enjoyed learning about the various activities outside of formal work that could be accessed. In addition, the trainees spoke about the more social aspect of the work, including the sports activities outside of work. The grad recruitment team also talked about how trainees bond from the start of the programme with the induction programme.

It was an amazing experience; something which most other firms of a similar size and tier do not offer. It was an experience which I definitely learnt from.