Work Placement Review

I enjoyed my time spent with the people who worked at Gateley, everyone was very friendly and welcoming. However, I was given barely any work to do and despite asking many different people for work I spent a large amount of my two weeks sat there with nothing to do. Unfortunately, it meant I did not enjoy my two weeks there because I spent most the time bored or worrying about how to fill my time.

I felt valued by the people, they were all very kind. However, I was given very little work so I felt undervalued because I felt no one was willing to spend much time on me, giving me work to do or taking me to meetings or explaining their own work.

I received a little at the start and people all came to talk to me and my supervisor told me about his work however this quickly stopped as they were obviously busy with their own work and I was left to my own devices with barely any work to do.

From the little bits I did for the company I learnt a lot and this will be helpful going forward with my legal career however it only highlights how much more I could have learnt in two weeks had I been given numerous and proper tasks.

It was really poorly structure. Not many people knew who I was or why I was there. The partner sat behind me thought I was hot desking for the first week. Clearly nobody really knew what I was there for. We had a couple of video link conferences with the other offices where we learnt a little about the various roles in the company. But other than that for the rest of the two weeks I was left to ask those around me for work, of which they had little for me to do. I understand people have their own work to do but it would have been fairly easy to give me a mock case to work on or an old case then discuss it with me at the end of the day. Any sort of thing that meant my time was filled would have been greatly welcomed.

The people were lovely and so welcoming, however its hard to get past the lack of work and structure that the work placement had. I really wanted to like the company and I think I would have enjoyed working there as a trainee however my overlying feeling of the firm negative following the struggle of getting through two weeks with little to no work to do. Also, just the general feeling that no one really cared about me being there or learning anything.

Very little. Overall they gave very little time to me or my development and generally left me to my own devices, which was twiddling my thumbs.

From asking those sat around me I could gather a general idea of what its like the work at the firm. However my time there spent bored with nothing to do, I imagine, was not an accurate representation of what it would be like if I worked there.

I got a general idea of this and attended their 'drinks trolley' afternoon which gave a good idea of the culture.

It helped a little in showing me some of the tasks a solicitor would undertake.

I was paid £300 per week for this two week scheme.

Not really, I was placed on one floor and met in passing some of the people who worked there but rarely went to the other floor or met people who worked there. Mostly spent time with the other trainees.

There was one social event after work that gave an opportunity to speak to a few people who attended but other than that there was little else.

Yes they shared a little about the activities and drinks that sometimes happen.

No. If the HR department and those who organise the work placement made changes that meant there was a better structure and actual activities and work for the students to do then yes.