First Year Insight Scheme Review

The first day consisted of a number of talks by trainees and associates. The morning of the second day was also similar, but the afternoon was spent shadowing a trainee. Both days were very enjoyable and informative. The second day was particularly valuable as we got the chance to get involved in more practical activities (a speed networking workshop as well as the work shadowing) which made a nice change to sitting down and listening to talks.

I would say I moreso learned what skills they look for in the application process as opposed to learning more skills myself. However, interacting with a range of people from trainees, to associates, to others on the programmes, to the graduate recruitment team and even getting the chance to have a conversation with a partner meant that my social skills developed. In this capacity, I also learned the importance of networking and being proactive with this.

The afternoon of the first day was specifically dedicated to walking us through the vac scheme application process. This included information on both the written application and assessment centre which takes place in person. Beyond this, there was also plenty of opportunity to ask trainees or other workers at the firm questions about what they thought made them stand out in the application process and also things like why they picked Herbert Smith Freehills in particular.

It seemed to have quite a friendly atmosphere. All the workers that I encountered across the two days seemed to be satisfied with the firm, although I suppose there is no way of truly knowing as I imagine they are expected to be positive about their work for recruitment purposes. Everyone was also clearly very intelligent yet also made the effort to have a life, interests and personality outside of work. The firm also was said to respect people's time when it came to their hobbies.

I really enjoyed the insight and would strongly recommend that others apply to it if they can. I believe that simply from the point of view of expanding my knowledge on the firm and what they look for in an applicant, I have a significant advantage when it comes to applying to vac schemes both at Herbert Smith Freehills and elsewhere. Therefore, as it was so useful, I found this made it naturally enjoyable as everything I was learning was applicable to my future.

Yes

Put effort into the application. Do not make the mistake of thinking that as it's not a magic circle law firm your application doesn't have to be as strong as this simply isn't true. They attract the same talent as magic circle firms so make sure to tailor your application to Herbert Smith Freehills by doing in-depth research on the firm and their deals/practice areas. Also make sure to practice Watson Glaser style questions before sitting the online test