Vacation Scheme Review

by Taylor Wessing

This review was submitted over 4 years ago, so some of the information it contains may no longer be relevant.

Rating

4.1/5
  • About You
    3.8
  • The Company
    4.2
  • Everything Else
    4.4

    About You

  • 1. To what extent did you enjoy the insight?
  • The insight was very well structured and offered the perfect balance between doing practical legal work and finding more about the firm. The employees were extremely welcoming and always there to help and the social events organised were very fun and were a good way to converse with trainees in a more relaxed environment.

    4/5

  • 2. To what extent did you feel valued during your time at the company or firm?
  • At the start of each week in a new seat, the work produced was not necessarily valued in the sense that it was being sent of to clients, but this is understandable. As trust and the quality of my work developed, it was being valued more and what I was doing was being used to a greater extent by the person who asked for it. However, I always felt as if my efforts were valued and also I felt incorporated into the firm from the offset.

    4/5

  • 3. How much guidance/support did you receive during the insight?
  • The amount of guidance given definitely depends on who you supervisor and buddy are in each respective seat, however I was fortunate enough to have people who were always willing to support me whenever I had questions. During my time I never felt as if I did not know what to do, even though some tasks were highly technical. Further to the availability of support, the quality of it was also amazing.

    5/5

  • 4. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and information you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?
  • The skills developed won't necessarily assist me in studying for law, since I didn't learn too much law that is relevant. The 'focus on' sessions which gave a 45 minute overview of each practice area were perhaps too short to truly learn anything substantive. However, it was extremely useful in developing my practical application of the law I have learnt during my degree, improving my commercial awareness and how to tailor my knowledge into advice for clients, which will undoubtedly assist me in a future career as a solicitor.

    3/5

    The Company

  • 5. How well structured was the insight?
  • The overall structure of the scheme was amazing. Two weeks were divided into two seats, and on each one I had a trainee and an associate who oversaw my progress and acted as points of contact. Roughly twice a day there were the aforementioned focus sessions and the general timetable was rarely departed from. The only potential limitation is that there was no real structure to the actual work provided, it was given ad hoc and sometimes there was little for me to do since people were too busy. However this is something to be expected from such a dynamic and intense working environment.

    4/5

  • 6. How was the general atmosphere during your insight?
  • The culture of the firm was amazing and meant that I had a lot of fun on my vacation scheme, this was particularly so on the social events. The employees of the firm also tried to give me the most interesting work. Many people from across the firm were available for coffees and were all extremely welcoming. I also got on well with the fellow vacation schemers which helped make the placement enjoyable, which I believe is testament to the kinds of individuals Taylor Wessing is looking to employ.

    5/5

  • 7. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?
  • Once again this depended on your buddy and supervisor, however I received lots of feedback on my work. Personally, I found that it was a case of try to do the work yourself first, and learn on the job and then develop by comparing the work you had done against that which the trainee or associate requesting it had done. This may have just been my experience, however.

    4/5

  • 8. To what extent did the insight help you to understand what it would be like to have a full time role with the company or firm?
  • It definitely helped to understand what it would be like to have a full time role within the departments I sat in and you definitely get a general feel for the overall culture of the firm. The focus on sessions were, however, a bit too short to know what a full time role would be like in these other departments.

    4/5

  • 9. How much did the insight help you in understanding the company culture?
  • A plethora of social events with many different people from throughout the hierarchy of Taylor Wessing (including partners) helped to create an overall image of the culture of the firm. The culture in the professional context was dedicated and hard-working, but in the social context it was friendly and welcoming and I felt that everyone was being treated as an individual.

    5/5

  • 10. How valuable was the content in helping you to decide on your future career path?
  • Since I did real work for real clients, as well as other things such as going to court, the work I did was a direct reflection of what I would be doing as a trainee and so it was definitely useful in deciding whether I wanted to be a solicitor.

    5/5

    Everything Else

  • 11. Were you paid or reimbursed adequately for this experience?
  • We were paid as much as to be expected for the vacation scheme which comfortably covered expenses, leaving surplus which helps to make you feel like your contribution was valued as if you were a true worker. It was slightly less pay than American firms offer, but about the same as other English firms. However, the true value in the vacation scheme was not the money but the personal development I received. Also meals were subsidised or free and the social events were paid for by the firm.


  • 12. Were there opportunities for networking and meeting other employees of the company or firm?
  • I was able to network as much as I wanted to, with many employees willing to set aside 30 minutes for a coffee to discuss their work. The group projects that we were set provided a great way to start up a conversation since we were encouraged to collate the opinions of people across the firm on the set question.

    5/5

  • 13. How were the networking/ social event opportunities?
  • The social events were great and were a nice way to talk to people in the firm outside of the professional context where they were more honest about their experiences. The first social event was flight club (darts) which was very enjoyable and relaxed. The second was a meal, though unfortunately I was unable to attend.

    4/5

  • 14. Did you find out about activities that employees can get involved in outside of work?
  • There are a wide range of opportunities on offer. Most significantly are the pro bono opportunities, with weekly opportunities to attend a clinic to help individuals. During the scheme, three vacation schemers were able to attend. There are also many sporting opportunities, with a notable ones being football and skiing, where they go on an annual trips abroad.

    5/5

  • 15. Would you recommend this insight to a friend?
  • The scheme was very enjoyable and the two weeks flew by. It was definitely the case that you got out of the vacation scheme as much as you were willing to put into it; you had to ask for work and set up meetings to talk to people. But it is a culture that is definitely worth experiencing as it is extremely unique amongst other city law firms.

    5/5

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Details

Insight / Vacation Scheme (< 4 Weeks)

London

June 2019


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