Vacation Scheme Review

Was a very enjoyable two weeks

I was made to feel like part of the team, particularly in one seat where I was working closely with my trainee buddy, which gave me a real insight into the daily workload of a trainee. I was frequently asked my opinion on things and made to feel like my input was valuable.

The supervisors and trainee buddies in our departments as well as the HR team were all very supportive and responsive with any questions and when we wanted feedback. If you wanted help or feedback, you just had to be proactive and ask. The trainees in particular were very generous with their time to allocate me tasks and chat with me about their experience at the firm.

The board game activity was a really interactive and fun way of developing our presenting and communication skills, and helping the vac schemers to get to know each other early on in the course of the vacation scheme. These skills will be invaluable both in law school and in the workplace, particularly in a client-facing role.

There was a very informative induction day, and then presentations on the firm's different practice areas every day, frequent opportunities to socialise with the other trainees and an assessment day that was well-placed in the middle of the second week, which gave us time to get to know the firm and prepare for interviews.

A small vacation scheme cohort fostered a really friendly and supportive environment amongst us, which also reflected the atmosphere in the firm. The socials were really fun, it was nice that trainees took the time out of their busy days to talk to us about their experiences at the firm.

The HR team gave lots of feedback on our presentations during the board game activity, which was really useful going forward to the assessment centre. Furthermore, I was able to receive really detailed feedback from my vacation scheme interviewer. The associates we met through department presentations also gave us lots of useful career advice.

The atmosphere seemed to vary widely between departments, so being able to experience more than one department was really helpful in gaining an overall understanding of the firm's culture, which was very friendly and supportive. Being taken along to meetings and conference calls gave me a further insight into the culture.

The experience further confirmed my decision to pursue commercial law, due to the fascinating, high-calibre and international work I was involved in and the driven and intelligent people I worked with. This firm offers one of the best training programmes, which was evident from the two weeks I spent here.

Through the presentations held by associates, trainees and partners in other departments, we were able to meet people from everywhere within the firm. We could consolidate new rapports through drinks and lunch events. Moving seats after the first week also ensured maximum exposure to a range of employees at the firm.

There were a few drinks and lunch events in the conference rooms of the firm, and then a dinner and drinks event on the penultimate night, which was a really good opportunity to reflect on the two weeks. The level of trainee attendance was high, and we all really enjoyed the night.

Definitely, the vacation scheme was very well organised, and allowed us an opportunity during the second week to apply for a training contract, after having got to know the firm really well, which is so important when you're trying to decide where and at what kind of firm to train.