Vacation Scheme Review

PwC's legal vacation scheme provided a depth of insight into the legal profession that is unavailable elsewhere, as the firm offers successful candidates three weeks, rather than the usual two, for a vacation scheme. Switching between three legal departments was also integral for my insight into the type of work they do in particular, as well as how it fits across other areas of the professional service firm.

I felt very valued during my time at PwC. The open plan nature of the office made it very collaborative and people were always open to talk and engage if support was needed. There was also consistent email communication, adding to the feeling of value as an individual, at the firm.

Plentiful guidance and support was provided with regards to tasks, whether assessed or client-focused. Colleagues were helpful, encouraging and always supportive. There was a good balance of non-law students and law students, and it was therefore good to see how the firm aligned its approach to students in accordance with this, to ensure everyone excelled.

The skills I developed are assisting my postgraduate studies very much. For example, I learned how to conduct legal research, which I am now using to utilise different legal databases. The open plan nature of the office enabled me to improve my communication with people from different backgrounds and areas of expertise.

The vacation scheme was very well structured, with a formal timetable and consistent email communication throughout. There was a good mix of social events, internal and external, alongside assessed tasks and work in different practice areas. Consideration was given for areas of interest and the nature of the people and office enabled this to be explored further throughout.

The general atmosphere during the vacation scheme was very positive, open and collegiate. This aligned well with my mindset and added to the feeling of individual value, through a well planned schedule, alongside a hardworking ethos. Every day of the scheme had different opportunities and challenges, and I particularly enjoyed this as it resembled very realistically the nature of real work.

The firm provided access to legal databases for research purposes (such as Westlaw and LexisNexis) and also invested in terms of providing access to internal tools whilst working. These ergonomics were very helpful in understanding the nature of real work, and also performing well throughout the three week vacation scheme.

The vacation scheme's three week nature and heavy interaction with students helped me to understand very clearly what it would be like to have a full time role with the firm. Being able to work across two offices in London during the scheme also furthered this by displaying more aspects of how PwC's legal services align with other areas of practice.

The vacation scheme helped tremendously to understand the company's culture first hand. This was particularly through the use of technology, as it was so easy to meet new people at the firm and to get to know team members through online communication alongside the open plan nature of office structure.

The content during the scheme has confirmed and set my future career path as a lawyer.

Yes there was a weekly pay for the vacation scheme.

There were many opportunities for networking and meeting other employees of the firm. These included formally organised internal and external events (e.g. participating in London Legal Walk!) alongside more informal networking opportunities throughout daily work in different departments. The open plan nature of the office really helped emphasis the effectiveness of meeting other employees.

These were very good, please see answer to question above.

Yes, I found out about internal and externally organised activities that employees can get involved with.

Yes, I would definitely recommend this vacation scheme to a friend.