VACATION SCHEMES: HOW TO IMPRESS
events will be reviewed to see what you are like in social situations. A lawyer’s social skills are now considered to be very important – the days of the ‘backroom lawyer’ are over! Even as a trainee, you will be expected to attend client functions and deal with clients generally. 6. Read a quality newspaper If you haven’t already got into the habit, now is the time to start. As well as practising as a lawyer, you are part of a business, so you need to know how that business is run. The same applies to clients. They will expect you to know about their business – how else will you be able to advise them properly? Firms look for commercial awareness; but how do you become commercially aware? Read the business pages – perhaps boring at first, but if you persevere they will start to build like stories (I promise!). 7. Have fun Bizarre as it may sound, if you don’t enjoy the scheme, then you really should be questioning whether the career and/or the firm is right for you. 8. Avoid trying to name drop It may be great that you have got onto the scheme because your dad plays golf with the senior partner, but you can bore people with that information rather quickly! You want to be on the scheme on the basis of your own merits, not via a back-door route (even if this is the case). The other cardinal sin is constantly talking about what you did on another scheme with another firm. Enough said! And after the scheme… exhausted or rushing straight into your next scheme, take some time to reflect on your experience. Did you enjoy it? If so, why? Was it what you expected? It is really worthwhile asking yourself these questions, as you need to be absolutely certain that if you accept a 9. Analyse Rather than returning home
training contract with the firm, your decision is fully informed.
A vacation scheme may be your first chance to see first-hand what you are potentially signing up to as a future career, so seize the opportunity and find out as much as you can about the firm
10. Keep in touch Firms are human after all, so if you enjoyed your time at the firm, drop them an email saying so. Everyone loves flattery and sometimes it can get you everywhere! Finally, be self-aware, have fun and good luck!
Caroline Walsh is the former head of legal trainee recruitment and development at Clyde & Co. This article first appeared on the Aspiring Solicitors’ website.
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