Winter Vacation Scheme Participant Review

The week-long experience at A&O provided a comprehensive insight into the firm's key practice areas, culture, and experience of working at the firm. The day-to-day schedule generally involved working on tasks assigned by supervisors and getting a first-hand look at their daily responsibilities. Throughout each day, there would also be insight sessions focused on each of the key practice groups and other sessions regarding life as a Trainee at A&O, the firm's DE&I initiatives, and even a Q&A with the Managing Partner. Other tasks included collaborating with fellow participants to work on team projects which would be presented at the end of the week. Finally, there were plenty of opportunities to connect with the cohort and various A&O personnel at exciting social events.

Personally, I found that the scheme developed my networking skills due to the sheer amount of people that I had the opportunity to meet - not just fellow participants but also members of staff at A&O. Furthermore, a lot of the work that I was assigned required a great deal of legal research. While already a skill that I utilize at university, I found that the application of it to commercial law required some adjustments like learning the best platforms/methods of researching and how to present the information in an optimal way.

The graduate recruitment team did a fantastic job of setting up various sessions throughout the week to not only help us learn more about A&O as a whole but also what life would be like as a trainee at the firm. For example, we had opportunities to hear from current trainees about their experiences, we were all paired with 'trainee buddies' who were always willing to answer questions about the early stages of a career at A&O and have the opportunity to hear from the Managing Partner who gave great insights about A&O's ethos and objectives.

A&O's culture and general atmosphere are nothing short of astonishing. Everyone that I met during the week was super welcoming and supportive. Graduate recruitment was great to answer any questions, queries or concerns and everyone that I had the opportunity to work alongside was incredibly helpful and kind. Personally, after only one week I felt a great sense of belonging and felt comfortable interacting with anyone I came across. I believe this speaks volumes about the type of culture and atmosphere that A&O strive for.

The A&O Vacation Scheme was by far the best legal work experience that I've had the opportunity to be a part of. I felt that the work I was doing was super interesting (despite what you often hear about commercial law), I learnt a lot about the firm and the commercial law industry as a whole, everyone at the firm was incredibly welcoming, and I felt super supported throughout the whole week (everything was taken care of - from accommodation to food). Simply an amazing week and I came out of it with nothing negative to say at all. I can't wait for my Training Contract!

Yes

I would recommend doing as much research about A&O as possible. I find that having well-thought-out/researched answers to the 'Why A&O?' question reflects really well. And should you get through to the Assessment Centre/Interview Stages, I would just recommend being sharp on your commercial awareness, nailing key competency questions, and doing lots of practice.