Vacation Scheme Summer Student Review

I had a great experience at the firm. The variety of work given was interesting and we were given a lot of responsibility for work from the start. Everyone was friendly and approachable and made me feel welcomed, which made it easy to feel a part of the firm. The social aspect was also great, all students on the scheme got on really well.

I was given real work that affected the team and so felt trusted from the start. All my colleagues treated me as one of the team and I found it very easy to get along with them. They also made clear that they appreciated the work I had done and provided good feedback. When given several pieces of work from different people it was clear that my work and time here was valued and that they had made an effort to make sure I was fully involved.

Guidance provided for any work I was given was good. Asking questions to imrpove my understanding about a piece of work of the department in general was appreciated by my colleagues and valued. Feedback was provided at the end of the scheme by both my department and HR. Both provided detailed and useful feedback, in terms of things I had done well and things I could improve on. This was a useful part of the process and something the firm did very well.

I was always provided with plenty of work. In addition, we had set assessments throughout the period which had to be done on top of work provided by the department. Because of this mix there was always plenty to do and this involved being able to prioritise work and meet deadlines. I rarely had moments where there was little to do which added to the sense of being a valued member of the firm.

I was provided with my own work throughout my time at the firm and it was always of value to the team. I was often set a task and left to work through it and therefore I was always responsible for my own work.

The feedback provided was the most valueable aspect in terms of skills learned. Knowing the areas which I could improve and those which I had performed well in will assist in any future placements or work.

The office was quite relaxed and all my colleagues got on really well. It was a friendly atmosphere where everyone was easy to talk to. It was clear that everyone appreciated the importance of having a good work life balance. Having personality was also highly valued by the team.

The placement was very structured. There were often presentations or scheduled assessments. At the start of the scheme we were each provided with a booklet which detailed our individual timetable for the three weeks. This made prioritising work and assessment tasks easier as everything was very organised.

A lot of training was provided particularly in terms of legal research tools.

It is a great firm to work for. The atmosphere and culture is friendly. Trainees are given a good level of responsibility and are valued members of the firm. As the firm is expanding into countries such as Singapore, opportunities will increase and therefore it would be exciting to start here as a trainee.

Everyone on the vacation scheme and all of the trainees got on really well. The organised social events were very fun and were a great way to get to know everyone.

Everything was very affordable and the social events were never excessively expensive.

The social scene in Sheffield generally is great, and the firm is very central so it is never far from anything that is going on in the city.

There were several organised socials for the vacation scheme. There was also a drinks event to celebrate the Olympics which had a great turnout and was a brilliant way to get to know people who worked in other departments in a less formal environment.