Vacation Scheme Student Review

I really enjoyed my time on the vacation scheme at Baker McKenzie, as the people were incredibly friendly and supportive. The vacation scheme not only provided me with first-hand experience of life as a trainee, but also the opportunity to experience the diversity and inclusion initiatives that you can get involved in.

I felt like I was part of the team in every department that I was in, with everyone around me always willing to help and give guidance. My supervisors, trainee buddies and other people in my department always took the time to give me context as to the work that I was doing, and made me feel very valued.

I was assigned a trainee buddy and a supervisor (usually an associate) in each department. It was incredibly helpful to have someone to go to if I had any questions, and they were all incredibly supportive and provided me with lots of tips and helpful insight on how to succeed on the scheme.

The skills I developed on the scheme are incredibly transferable, as they turned the skills I acquired during my degree into practical, versatile skills that I could apply in the workplace. I think that the information I got from the scheme also greatly improved my general business acumen, and helped me understand the commercial world.

The insight was very well organised- we spent a week (7 working days) in each department, and had lots of socials in the evenings planned. In addition to our everyday work, we had the opportunity to present a client pitch, which allowed us to understand the business development aspect of law firms.

The general atmosphere during the vacation scheme was incredibly friendly, supportive, and upbeat. Everyone on the scheme was helpful, collaborative, and very lovely to work with. It did not feel as if we were competing against each other, Baker McKenzie managed to create an atmosphere where we felt like we were all on one team, which made the scheme much more enjoyable.

It was clear that the firm invested a lot of time, effort and money into each and every one of us. They truly made us feel as if we were a part of the firm and went to great lengths to ensure we had the experience of what life is like as a trainee and that we acquired the skills that we would need to succeed.

During the vacation scheme, I was experiencing life as a trainee on a daily basis, and was often given the exact tasks trainees were asked to undertake. That experience was invaluable as I was able to understand what it takes to be a trainee and get an idea of what the day-to-day tasks look like.

The vacation scheme fully immersed us into the Baker McKenzie culture. In our day-to-day work, everyone at the firm made an effort to show how friendly and open the culture is. Further, we were able to experience the importance of Corporate Social Responsibility to the firm during a volunteering day at a charity shop in Brixton.

The vacation scheme made me realise that Baker McKenzie is an incredible place to work, as the people are supportive, their diverse and inclusive values are at the heart of the firm, and they make a real effort to ensure that all their employees have the support they need. This solidified my choice in pursuing a career as a commercial solicitor.

There were many opportunities to meet employees from across the firm- from personal assistants to partners. The social events were a great way to get to know trainees from other departments in an informal setting, while other events such as the Department Lunch and Learn were a good way to get insight into all the practices.

The social events were well placed during the scheme and were all very different. Each of them were very enjoyable and were a good way to meet other people from the firm in an informal setting, while also relaxing in the evening after a day at work. The social events were also a great way to bond with the other people on the scheme.

We were given many presentations and a lot of information as to the different networks employees can get involved in, such as BakerWomen and BakerLGBT. In addition to that, I had the opportunity to chat to a lot of the trainees and associates about what they do outside of their day-to-day work at the firm, and learned about the pro bono and CSR opportunities as well.

I would definitely recommend this insight to a friend, as it developed my skills significantly and gave me first-hand insight into life as a trainee. The people that I had the opportunity to work with were some of the best lawyers in the world, and the clients and matters I got to work on were at the forefront of the commercial world.