Vacation Scheme Review

I really enjoyed my time on the vacation scheme! The opportunity to spend two weeks in one practice area and get involved in real work was fantastic. There was also a great balance between spending time at your desk and attending scheduled insight sessions and other events.

The opportunity to complete real work for my Supervisors, other members of the practice area and my Trainee Buddy made me feel valued. Also, the opportunity to attend team meetings and client telephone meetings allowed me to understand the wider context of the work that I completed.

There was a very high level of support provided during the vacation scheme. I had two Supervisors, who introduced me to the department and gave me work to complete. They would always explain the background to what I was doing and answer any questions. I also had a Trainee Buddy from another practice area who I met regularly for coffee and could ask more general questions about trainee life.

The vacation scheme is a great opportunity to develop your organisational and time management skills. Throughout the scheme, you balance completing work for your practice area alongside attending timetabled insight sessions and scheduled social events.

The scheme was really well structured and there was a nice balance between spending time working at your desk and attending scheduled insight sessions. I also really enjoyed the numerous social events as it was a great opportunity to get to know the other vacation schemers.

The general atmosphere was welcoming and friendly. I was introduced to everyone in my practice area at the start of the vacation scheme and I felt comfortable asking questions about the work that I was given.

There was a wide range of scheduled sessions throughout the scheme, including ones which focused on business development, design thinking and personal wellbeing. The scheme also started with an incredibly useful IT session.

Spending two weeks in one practice area gave a very realistic insight into life at Allen & Overy. I had a high level of contract with my Trainee Buddy and this particularly helped me to understand the Trainee role.

The scheme provides opportunity to meet so many people from across the firm that you get a tangible sense of the company culture. Everyone that I met was welcoming, friendly and more than willing to answer any questions.

From completing the vacation scheme, I am confident that I would like to pursue a career in commercial law. Having the opportunity to engage with real work and understand the role of a Trainee as a part of the larger practice area, was invaluable in making this decision.

From a networking breakfast to a Partner dinner, there was plenty of opportunity to network throughout the scheme. Trainees from different practice areas were very willing to meet for a coffee and answer questions about their role. In this way, I had the opportunity to meet people from a variety of different practice areas.

The social events were really enjoyable and gave a nice balance to the scheme. There were Trainees present at all of the social events and so there was lots of opportunity for networking.

During the scheme we completed a Pro Bono project and learnt about the firm's global charity partner. There was also an informative session with the Women's Network.

I thoroughly enjoyed the scheme and would definitely recommend it to a friend!