Vacation Scheme Student Review

The scheme gave a great insight into all aspects of the firm. There was a good balance between trainee work simulations, firm presentations and conversing with trainees and associates. The graduate recruitment team were very friendly and the programme was run seamlessly despite it being virtual. I was able to to get a good sense of the firm's culture and different departments because we sat in two seats and were allocated dedicated supervisors who we were able to get to know.

I felt very valued by the company because my supervisors made an effort to get to know me and were happy to give up their time. One supervisor gave me a dedicated feedback session so I got as much as I could out of the task. This was not a requirement and showed how they were willing to go over and above. Trainees were also happy to give up their time to ask more informal questions.

I felt that the guidance and support was excellent as I was always aware of what I should be doing. Graduate Recruitment was always willing to answer questions and address any issues that arose. They were particularly understanding about the technical difficulties that arose and were very forthcoming about what criteria we would be assessed against in the different tasks. During the independent tasks we were able to ask questions and find out about the broader context of the work in practice.

The simulation trainee tasks required me to address client issues and advise on the law. This is directly applicable in my current PGDL studies as it has a particular focus on the application of the law to client tasks and the importance of clear structure and concise language. This will also be very useful for my future career as a lawyer as the experience and feedback helped me to understand important considerations when approaching a client problem.

The programme was well structured and clearly throughout. Graduate recruitment made the most of the length of the scheme by clearly scheduling our time, this made us aware of what we should be doing at all times and meant we didn't feel lost behind our screens since time spent on tasks was broken up with regular check-ins. We also had a social at the beginning of the scheme which helped us to get to know other people on the scheme before the group exercise at the end.

The general atmosphere was very positive throughout the scheme, Graduate Recruitment and other Dentons employees I interacted with were very friendly and welcoming which made it the experience very enjoyable and made me want to work at the firm even more. I felt comfortable asking questions and felt valued. Despite the scheme being online it did not feel like an extended assessment centre as it felt as though the firm wanted us all to succeed.

The firm invested in my personal training and development by providing very detailed personal feedback at every stage of the recruitment process, including a reminder of the feedback given at the assessment centre so we knew what to focus on during the scheme. Furthermore, my trainee simulation tasks received detailed feedback and were not simply used to assess us. As a result, I learnt a lot from the experience and was able to develop my skills.

The firm held a detailed presentation into the structure and nature of the firm's training contract which gave me a deeper insight into work at the firm. We were also able to ask questions to a panel of trainees as well as ask our supervisor and buddies what a career was like post-qualification. Furthermore, the tasks we were given were a very good simulation of the type of work we would be given as a trainee so it was a very valuable experience.

the scheme gave me a very good understanding of the company's culture because I had personal conversations with lots of different lawyers at different levels of seniority. Everyone I spoke to was very forthcoming about their positive experiences and decisions to remain at the firm. The firm's presentations on training at the firm and the firm's approach to diversity and inclusion were also useful in gaining a deeper understanding of day to day life a the firm.

The content of the scheme was very valuable in helping me to decide on a future career in law because the work was a very good simulation of the type of work I would be doing and we were given the independence to work thought he tasks independently throughout the day and structure our time accordingly. Being able to talk to the lawyers about their careers and practices was also valuable in giving me a broader sense of what my career might look like.

We were paid for the full week even though the scheme was only 3 days.

Over the course of the scheme, I was able to meet a wide range of employees from different offices. This enabled me to get a good sense of day to day life at the firm and also find out more about practice areas and pro bono projects I am particularly interested in. The trainees and supervisors were also willing to put us in contact with people who could answer our specific questions about particular client secondments etc.

The social opportunities on the scheme allowed us to get to know the other people on the scheme so we were able to make friends with them despite it taking place virtually. The social was well-tailored towards being online and gave us an opportunity to ask trainees questions informally whilst also having fun. The socials included a quiz and an online challenge which I really enjoyed, it enabled us to ease into the scheme at the end of the first day.

I found out about the corporate social responsibility initiatives the firm gets involved with as well as the pro bono projects and sports teams. It was great to hear about employees' personal experiences and the firm's commitment to good causes as the firm actively encourages employees to get involved. I also found out about the variety of diversity affinity groups at Dentons, not only do employees actively participate in them but events are held regularly to promote their aims.

I would definitely recommend Dentons' insight scheme to a friend because it was very well organised and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Everyone I interacted with was very friendly and willing to give up their time for me. This really put me at ease and enabled me to get the most out of the experience. Even though the scheme was online, I got a good sense of the culture of the firm and what it would be like to work there.