Pathfinder programme Review

Highly enjoyable - the graduate recruitment team made every effort to inject some fun and variation into the itinerary, with lots of opportunities to meet and talk to trainees, partners, and of course other participants. Alongside the more serious activities, there was lots of great food and a quiz in the evening!

I was never left alone or without something to do - the firm made sure that all participants were looked after closely by trainees and not left to their own devices. Some emphasis was placed on personal development, giving the impression that the firm has a genuine interest in nurturing and looking after potential recruits.

Lots of guidance and support - as above, participants were not left to their own devices but always looked after by members of the graduate recruitment team and by trainees assigned to the programme. Everyone involved was very helpful and honest, and willing to answer questions and give advice on every aspect of applications and working as a solicitor.

Firstly, the insight which I received into the firm's culture and work environment was extremely useful to me in shaping my career plans, helping to develop my views in working at Linklaters in particular and commercial law in general. I would not recommend that anyone make pivotal career decisions without participating in a similar scheme. Secondly, as well as being informative in respect of the firm and the sector, some of the classes and workshops focused on developing key transferable personal skills essential not just for law but for any graduate role, such as 'personal branding' - I feel that I have learned a lot about how to achieve success even in a field completely removed from commercial law.

The structure of the scheme was very sound. We started with an introduction to each other and the firm, and then moved on to activities which gave more insight into how the firm functions and what sort of work trainees are likely to be involved in, such as work shadowing and a business game.

The atmosphere was friendly but energetic - everyone was very enthusiastic and welcoming, and there was a definite sense that the team were eager to pack as much as possible into a fairly short amount of time. Events like a team-building activity and quiz broke down the barriers, and there was lots of opportunity to chat informally to associates and partners as well as trainees - I never felt inhibited from making observations or asking questions.

There was a great deal of focus on personal development. As well as information about the firm and the customary work experience, the team went to some lengths to bolster our own skill sets with workshops on themes like personal branding, which I found invaluable as a way of better understanding how to put oneself across at interviews or meetings - my interpersonal skills have definitely been enhanced. Furthermore, there was opportunity to talk to members of staff involved in graduate recruitment about precisely what they look for in a successful applicant, which obviously gives one a leg up when it comes to applying for vacation schemes and training contracts further down the line.

Of course, the scheme was limited by its short length (only two days, unfortunately), but I feel that a lot was done in that time to give an accurate snapshot of what a full time role with Linklaters is like. Conversations with trainees and work shadowing gave an idea of what kind of people one might expect to be working with, how long the average day is, and what kind of work is the norm. I certainly feel that were I offered a training contract at Linklaters, I would know broadly what to expect, in terms of the trainees' workload, position within the firm and the nature of their tasks.

There was a talk on the firm's strategy, some of which naturally related back to the firm's culture, which was quite informative in that regard. The team were keen to express the Linklaters culture, and it came across quite clearly in our dealings with staff at all levels as being a friendly, sociable, supportive but of course very hardworking one. Something as intangible as workplace culture is difficult to define or present in precise terms, but I felt that our exposure to Linklaters personnel and work gave a good idea of what the culture is like.

Expenses were reimbursed. There was no financial award for taking part, as is to be expected on a scheme of this length, but the firm paid for an overnight stay in a nearby hotel, provided some meals for us and reimbursed travel costs within reason. However, living some distance from London, I had to book another hotel stay for the night before the programme started, which I had to pay for myself.

A very large part of the programme consisted of networking and conversing with the firm's employees. There were plenty of opportunities to speak to employees of all levels. Much of the second day was spent shadowing trainees, which gave us enough time to get to know them reasonably well, but there were also chances to speak to partners involved in graduate recruitment, which is of course a very valuable exercise for those shortly to go through such a process.

As well as meeting employees, there was plenty of opportunity to get better acquainted with the other participants in the scheme. The first day's schedule featured a team-building exercise, as well as other activities (such as team negotiation) which called for group work, and finished with a social event in the form of a quiz.

The tour of the Linklaters building featured the gym, use of which is free for employees, and it was made clear that there are plenty of opportunities for Linklaters personnel to get involved in collective activities outside of their professional lives, most particularly sport (the firm has a variety of sporting teams) and pro bono legal work.

Absolute - in fact, I already have. I would strongly recommend the Linklaters Pathfinder programme to a friend, or indeed to anyone who is contemplating a career in commercial law and would like to explore their options. I think that, as well as being highly enjoyable, it gives an excellent insight into the life and work of a City solicitor which should help to steer prospective lawyers towards a career path which is right for them, as well as looking good on one's CV and demonstrating enthusiasm and interest in a legal career. Taking part also means that one does not have to resit the critical thinking test, which forms part of the application process, if reapplying for a Linklaters vacation scheme or training contract in future years.