Converting your vacation scheme into a training contract - top tips in 2021

[Jessica Booker]

Hi all! For my week-long virtual vac scheme in summer, I've just found out we don't have an interview at the end. The scheme consists of activities like a mock trial, group presentation, commercial awareness quiz, workshops.

Bit confused how they would decide who gets the TC at the end, especially as it doesn't seem like we will be doing actual work. I think around half of the vac schemers get a TC offer - are they likely to base this on our AC scores and/or on these activities during the week? It's my first vac scheme so I am a bit clueless how it all works anyway!

I suspect it will main be based off any performance during the vac scheme. Reality will be everyone’s feedback from the AC process for the vac scheme are likely to be so similar that you couldn’t differentiate much and so they will need more practical insight into your capabilities and attitudes through how you conduct yourself across the whole week.

 

[LegalLordLox]

Firms definitely don't want any of their vac scheme students doing ridiculous hours. For an in person VS your supervisors will most likely chase you out at 5.30pm. Unless you are adamant about having some urgent work that needs completing, in which case I know some people who have maybe stayed until about 6.30pm, but beyond that, you will quite literally be chased out. There is slightly more flexibility with a virtual VS (personally on some days I worked well past 5.30 for two of my vacs purely because I needed the additional time to produce good work) but even then I had my supervisor notice I was online at 8pm once and he gave me a very stern call to tell me to log off immediately.

With regards to chasing people up for work to do, if you find yourself with nothing to do, then yes definitely take the initiative to find work. I've given quite a few tips on this above but in summary:

1. Ask your supervisors or trainee buddies first for work. If they don't have anything at the moment (rarely ever the case actually) then reach out to someone whose work you would genuinely be interested in getting involved with
2. If you're really stuck for work, maybe ask if your trainee buddy has any documents or contracts you can review so that way you are keeping yourself occupied while still learning.

Honestly, try not to worry about doing "too little" work and definitely don't compare workloads with other vac schemers (I was very guilty of this and it really unnecessarily stressed me out) . It's a lot better to complete a few tasks to a really high standard than to do too much to a poor standard.

Hi Dheepa, thank you so much for this response and deep analysis.

I appreciate you taking the time to respond and thank you for providing such a detailed response.

very helpful!

 

[Jessica Booker]

Thank you for replying so quickly!

You are probably right, I might be overthinking it a little.
Should I just leave it this way then? And would it be ok to message them later on about something else?

You could message them again at a later date. Are there other people you could ask? For instance the trainee might not have been best placed to ask about a specific department if they haven’t sat there (which is why they might not have answered the question too).

I’d personally leave it this time and try to find another way to seek the information you want, but I think you could message the person again in the future if you felt they were best placed to answer that specific question.

 

[LegalLordLox]

You could find both ends of the spectrum even on the same scheme. I haven’t really heard of vac schemers being expected to stay late, it’s often their own perception that they should that means they do stay in the office late. Some also stay late for their own purposes (eg prepping for interviews).

More times than not though you will find a time where you are trying to find work, another time when your feeling you’ll have to stay later to get your work done. That’s ultimately life as a trainee too though - it’s a careful balance of ensuring you take on enough work without under delivering.

If you do find yourself struggling for work, then you have to be proactive enough to make the most of other opportunities - so it’s good prep on a certain level for life as a trainee anyway.

Hi Jessica,

This is a great overview of what I can expect. Appreciate the tips you have given.

thank you for dedicating some time to respond. As always you guys are so supportive!

thanks once again, hope you are enjoying your weekend.

 

[ChuPnl]

You could message them again at a later date. Are there other people you could ask? For instance the trainee might not have been best placed to ask about a specific department if they haven’t sat there (which is why they might not have answered the question too).

I’d personally leave it this time and try to find another way to seek the information you want, but I think you could message the person again in the future if you felt they were best placed to answer that specific question.

Definitely, I'm not looking to message them about this question again as I understand they could have felt they were not in the best position to answer.

I will keep this in mind if I do have to contact them for another reason

 

[small_turtle]

Hi everyone, I've just found out who my trainee buddy and supervisor is, and my VS is in four days. Should I reach out to them via email tmr or should I just introduce myself to them on Monday?

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi everyone, I've just found out who my trainee buddy and supervisor is, and my VS is in four days. Should I reach out to them via email tmr or should I just introduce myself to them on Monday?

Have you been given their contact details (eg email?)

 

[small_turtle]

Have you been given their contact details (eg email?)

no i have not, but i think i can find them!

 

[Jessica Booker]

no i have not, but i think i can find them!

No need then really. Just make a good first impression on Monday

 

[small_turtle]

No need then really. Just make a good first impression on Monday

Will do - thanks Jessica!

 

[conniekatherine]

Has anyone got specific advice for Skadden? Have a summer VS coming up and they only recruit from the schemes

 

[Etudierlaw2022]

I have the same virtual vac scheme this summer as I did last year. On the scheme we had a group presentation to prep in 5 days, and then a written assessment the following week - I'm wondering if I should've asked for more work? There weren't opportunities to really ask for work since we had the presentation to prepare for, but this year, if it's a similar setup, would it hurt to ask for additional work?

 

[Jessica Booker]

I have the same virtual vac scheme this summer as I did last year. On the scheme we had a group presentation to prep in 5 days, and then a written assessment the following week - I'm wondering if I should've asked for more work? There weren't opportunities to really ask for work since we had the presentation to prepare for, but this year, if it's a similar setup, would it hurt to ask for additional work?

Were you given actual work to do, or was it mainly talks/presentations and these two tasks?

 

[Etudierlaw2022]

Were you given actual work to do, or was it mainly talks/presentations and these two tasks?

It was mainly talks/presentations and these two tasks !

 

[Dheepa]

It was mainly talks/presentations and these two tasks !

I think whether or not you ask for more work really depends on the schedule and your capacity. I had a vac last year that really was not set up to allow any kind of extra work to get done, back to back presentations + fixed assessments. But this year a friend of mine did do some extra work for her supervisor during it because she wanted to and made time to. If you feel like you can manage more then do it but it won’t make much of a difference to your TC outcome. Alternatively, you could ask your supervisor if there’s a client call or something you can sit in on. Great way to get an insight into the work without pushing yourself to take on more than you can manage.

 

[Jessica Booker]

It was mainly talks/presentations and these two tasks !

I think it’s probably worthwhile speaking to the graduate recruitment team directly and seeing how feasible it is going to be to do actual work. Some of the virtual schemes are designed in such a way that you would purposely not have exposure to any client work, especially if done remotely and if you are not being given IT kit to work from (because of concerns around IT security).

 

[Etudierlaw2022]

I think whether or not you ask for more work really depends on the schedule and your capacity. I had a vac last year that really was not set up to allow any kind of extra work to get done, back to back presentations + fixed assessments. But this year a friend of mine did do some extra work for her supervisor during it because she wanted to and made time to. If you feel like you can manage more then do it but it won’t make much of a difference to your TC outcome. Alternatively, you could ask your supervisor if there’s a client call or something you can sit in on. Great way to get an insight into the work without pushing yourself to take on more than you can manage.

Thank you, yeah it was very much back to back presentations and talks so there wasn't a lot of time. But asking to sit in on a client call is a great idea! Thanks!

 

[Etudierlaw2022]

I think it’s probably worthwhile speaking to the graduate recruitment team directly and seeing how feasible it is going to be to do actual work. Some of the virtual schemes are designed in such a way that you would purposely not have exposure to any client work, especially if done remotely and if you are not being given IT kit to work from (because of concerns around IT security).

Thank you, yes that's a good point. I will reach out to grad rec and ask them how feasible that would be!

 

[Jessica Booker]

Thank you, yes that's a good point. I will reach out to grad rec and ask them how feasible that would be!

They must be aware that you did the scheme last year and must be mindful that there could be some repetition for you. I don’t think there is any harm in asking about that and whether there is anything else you can do to get more out of the scheme this time around.

 

[LM1985]

Hello! I recently completed a VVS (it was shortened to 2 days and structured to have 2 assessments and presentations). I found out I was successful on the vacation scheme and have therefore been invited to the final interview. It is my understanding the firm does not interview all of the vac schemers (unlike many other firms) and it is less formal than the vac scheme interview, but still only successful interviewees secure the contract. I am wondering what sorts of things I should prepare for the final interview? I don't want to risk under, or over, preparing. Thank you