Vacation Scheme Student Review

I thoroughly enjoyed my time on this vacation scheme. However I think it is true with anywhere that you get as much out of it as you put in. If you are enthusiastic and motivated, it will be a fantastic experience.

The departments you sit in really seem to value the work you do for them, and if you do a good job they seem to trust you to do more.

HR were always on hand and are all really friendly and approachable. You are also assigned a 'buddy' who is a trainee who supports you in your day-to-day office tasks.

Invaluable experience in terms of training contract applications and a great insight into the firm and whether it is right for you.

We were given timetables in advance that consisted of one or two talks in the morning and then back to our desks for the afternoon. You spend your two weeks experiencing two different departments, which HR try to match to your choices. There were also social events planned every week which were great fun.

Incredibly friendly, approachable, open atmosphere. Everyone works hard and is great at what they do, but it is genuinely a very happy environment from what I experienced.

The departments you sit in spend time telling you what their job involves and when giving you a task try and get you thinking about the wider purpose of it. The morning talks were equally helpful in terms of informing us exactly what the firm does.

Working in the departments gave a really great insight into how the company works. The trainees are also very helpful and on hand to discuss what their training contract experiences have been. Equally the associates and partners seem engaged in telling you about their roles too. If you ask questions, everyone seems happy to provide a real insight into their roles.

Quite a lot. Especially through lunches and the social activities in the evenings. Working in the various departments.

While the talks were interesting and a good way to break up the day, the first hand experience of working in the office across two seats was great. That allowed for a real insight into different areas and helped me focus on what I enjoyed and what I wasn't as interested in.

£260 a week plus two social events where drinks and food are all paid for.

There weren't any timetabled networking events, but depending on how enthusiastic you were, there are plenty of options to interact with other employees in a department if you offered to help them with work. Or ask your buddy to introduce you to a particular person/practice area.

Really nice, arranged for vacation scheme students and the trainees. Although not many trainees came or stayed for long at the events, they were still a nice way to bond with everyone in a more relaxed environment. The first event was drinks and nibbles at a bar and the second was dinner, drinks and table tennis at Bounce in Holborn - probably one of the highlights of the vacation scheme!

Yes, various talks cover the wide range of activities employees can get involved in. From sport to charity to music, SH seems very involved in out of work activities.

Most definitely. Top quality work with a lovely open and friendly culture, a genuine insight into the firm and what it means to be a solictor at SH.