First Year Insight Scheme Review

I really enjoyed the scheme. A lot of firms offer the chance to shadow a trainee, but most of the time, they literally mean 'shadow' -as in, you spend the day following the trainee around and doing little else but observing. With the Bakers scheme, this was not the case. I was actually given the chance to help out with what felt like meaningful work, and I learnt a lot from it.

Definitely more than I expected to feel. Everyone was so friendly and was so willing to engage with us, despite the fact that you're 'only' a first year insight scheme candidate. I really appreciated the social at the end of the first night; the fact that [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] stayed so long to chat with us and get to know us really showed that the people around the firm cared about the 11 of us on the scheme.

A lot! I was late by about half an hour on the first and was absolutely terrified. I thought I'd messed up all my chances of impressing, but [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] was really understanding and kind on the phone, and when I arrived, [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] made me feel at ease straight away. In terms of support for future applications, the session at the end of the scheme gave us all the information we needed moving forward.

The skills learnt will really help me moving forward, I think anyways. The main takeaway was definitely from the networking workshop that was put on for us. Networking is one of those things that everyone just expects you to know how to do, but never teaches you. Having that session really helped out, and I'll be using what I learnt a lot in the foreseeable future. The pitching session, in groups, was also really helpful, improving my presentation skills by giving me a feel of what it might feel like to to be face to face with a client.

Very well structured. There was never any boring bits, or lulls in the day. We were always moving from activity to activity, and I barely noticed as time went by. Perhaps the one improvement that could have been made is a little more networking time, for us to speak to people more and get to know each other quicker.

Genuinely amazing. I really fell in love with the culture and the atmosphere at Bakers throughout the two days. I think the best testament for how the general atmosphere was is that I am certain that I'll be applying for a vac scheme. Everyone greets you with a smile, and it is obvious about how much everyone cares about the people around them.

I felt that the firm invested a lot in me, both in terms of time and effort. Like I mentioned earlier, the networking workshop was unique and I appreciated being given the chance to participate in it. My trainee buddy, was great - he really spent a lot of time teaching me how Banking worked.

I think I got a real and accurate insight into what it is like to be a trainee at Baker McKenzie. [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] took the time to give me some of the work he would normally do, and explain to me how he to do it. So, through the shadowing, I would say that I got quite a good understanding of how his day went.

The whole 2 days definitely helped in understanding the culture at Bakers. It was very clear that there was a heavy emphasis on a few of the unique points of the firm, namely the overwhelming emphasis on a global outlook, a genuine concern for it's people, and a true commitment to diversity. This all really shown through the most when we got the chance to hear [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] speak.

Going into the day, I already wanted to go into a career in commercial law, and the insight scheme helped to reaffirm that. Everything I did, saw and learnt, only served to further convince me that this is the path I want to go on. I even got the chance to speak to a few trainees about the prospects of going to the Bar, and why they didn't - that really helped clarify some of the more subtle differences between the two professions.

There definitely were chances, with the main one being the networking lunch with the graduate recruitment team and a few trainees. While it was really helpful, I think we could have done with a few more opportunities to meet more people, but I can see how difficult that would have been considering how packed the scheme was.

The social event was honestly so much fun. I didn't expect to like the escape room as much as I did, as I'd done quite a few in the past, but it was different to the ones I'd done. As a whole, combined with the dinner, it was a good way of bonding more with the people there.

Yes, we did. [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] told us a lot about the diversity projects available at Bakers, and one of the trainees, told us about Bakers Opportunities and how you can get involved with that. It might have been good to hear more about more recreational activities, like sports, but that might be down to us not asking questions about it.

Wholeheartedly. I think it's clear form my responses how much I enjoyed the two days.