Legal Associate Review

I enjoyed many things about my placement- for example I got to work with a supportive team, I got a lot of responsibility in my role and I got the chance to really get involved within my department. The only reason this is not a 10 is because I did feel stressed sometimes with the amount of responsibility that came with the role.

I felt really valued by my colleagues in my team and I know that I will maintain contact with them even after I leave my placement. I think sometimes there could have been more appreciation for the work that was done, but this is something that has improved during my placement.

The majority of the time I was given a large amount of support. However sometimes at quarter ends, I struggled to find time with my manager, and at times I felt overwhelmed. This is understandable at quarter end, but it made me feel very stuck when I needed help on work.

Busy every single day of the 13 months that I worked at SAP. This is something I expected being in the department I was in, however it could sometimes be overwhelming. This is something I discussed with my manager and the role of the new intern is being changed, so this is something that should improve. It is good to be busy, but not good to feel completely swamped.

A huge amount of responsibility, reviewing contracts from day one of my placement. I really appreciated the autonomy that came with the role, and a lot of the colleagues I worked with did not realise I was an intern. I think the placement offers a great amount of autonomy compared to other companies.

The skills I have learnt on this placement are honestly invaluable. Drafting contracts and reviewing documents will hugely help my in my future career. Furthermore, the experience of having to prioritise your own workload really puts you at a good head start when it comes to graduate roles, as companies can see that you already have this experience.

The general atmosphere of the office was positive, and most people were really friendly and willing to help out. Sometimes there would be stress, particularly at quarter end. This is understandable in a sales environment, especially when other departments are relying on the team to get contracts out- but nevertheless would still be stressful.

I think the internship was mainly well organised. There was a bit of a problem in our department deciding how the roles were going to be split up at the start of the internship, but once both of us interns knew our roles we had clarity on what we needed to work on.

I had the chance to attend a mindfulness course, which I found really good. I also had the chance to go to a team offsite, where we worked on our team dynamics and goals for the future. Overall, I am satisfied with the training that i have attended, but I would have liked to attend more opportunities.

I want to become a solicitor, and my plan is to work in a private law firm first and qualify. Therefore, there are no direct opportunities in my department to progress until I have my qualifications as a solicitor. I would considering coming back to the company in the future when I am qualified.

There is a pretty good social scene amongst the interns, especially at the start of the internship. There is an aim to meet up every Thursday for a social, which becomes a bit less frequent when everyone is busy. However, there is always an effort made regularly to meet up.

London is expensive to live in and everyone knows that. I lived in Feltham, which was around £600 pcm each for a 2 bedroom flat. I lived close to work so I could walk in which saved money, but this meant that travelling to socials and into central london was made more expensive.

Feltham doesn't really have much of a nightlife apart from a Wetherspoons, so socials would be hosted in Richmond. This was a 10 minute train ride from Feltham, so it didn't take long to get to after work. Clapham Junction is also another area where we would have socials, which is about 20 minutes on train.

I managed to do a couple of CSR days whilst I was on placement, so I volunteered in a school and also in a playground building equipment. I found both of these experiences really good and rewarding. My team have organised quite a few events outside of work too - like meals and drinks events.