HOW TO PREPARE FOR YOUR VACATION SCHEME?
Now that the application season is coming to an end and many of you have received vacation scheme offers, a lot of questions around how to prepare for them. Some people are very excited but at the same time terrified to not convert their experience at the law firm of their dreams. This is completely understandable. When I got my vacation scheme offers, I was over the moon, at the same time though, a feeling of anxiety and fear overwhelmed me. What if I am not good enough for them? What if I do not understand anything they tell me to do? These were some of the questions that were in my head. I really needed some tips to understand how to prepare for a vacation scheme. Here are some tips that I think will help if you are feeling the same:
Enjoy this win!
It is important to enjoy this huge milestone that you have set for yourself for so long. As high-achievers aspiring lawyers it might be difficult to seat in our achievements for a bit and just enjoy the fruit of our hard work. However, take this time between receiving your offer/s and starting your vacation schemes to just enjoy your win and be proud of yourself for how far you’ve come. When I got my offers I was overjoyed but I felt like I had to do everything in my power to prepare as soon as I got them without really taking the time to realise that I actually achieved a huge goal of mine. So, I always encourage people to enjoy this goal!
Keep up to date with commercial news, news about the firm and practice areas you would want to explore at the firm
Something that should not change during your time before your vacation scheme is keeping up with commercial news. This is fundamental as it will allow you to be prepared when you start your training contract and be more commercial aware. I would advise to start reading news about the specific practice areas the firm you have a vacation scheme at excels at, as that will give you topics to bring up in partners and associates’ meetings. This can be done through many websites and podcasts like the FT. Additionally, using LinkedIn was very fundamental to me because I was able to follow the firms’ pages and read the deals and cases they were sharing, the clients they work with and familiarise myself with associates and partners’ journeys to the firms I was about to join for the vacation scheme.
Reach out to future trainees to hear about their experiences
I value this very heavily. Speaking to future trainees at the firms I had vacation scheme offers at was key. This allowed me to not be stressed before starting the vacation scheme as I knew what to expect throughout my time at the firm. Future trainees are the best source of information as they were in your same shoes years or even months before you so it is really important to hear what they have to say. Through interactions with them you will learn a lot about the firms, how to conduct yourself, what to expect in the weeks at the firms and how to enjoy your time too. They will also be able to talk about their personal experiences at the firms and share their tips as to how to prepare for the vacation scheme and how to convert.
Make a list of trainees, associates and partners you want to speak to at the firm
Making a list of trainees, associates and partners you are interested to speak to when you join the firm is extremely helpful. This does not mean that you are not going to speak to everyone else at the firm! It basically serves as a starting point for you to know who are some of the lawyers you might resonate with the most. One of the reasons I chose some lawyers and trainees with similar backgrounds to mine that I really wanted to speak to was that I was curious to hear their experiences and their journeys that brought them to the firm. I also wanted to know how the law firms were supporting their growth and development at the firm. When meeting them, I was able to ask tailored and interesting questions because I knew that I wanted to speak to them directly. I personally did this and it was very helpful to me and it also made me feel quite good because I got to know many people from different department and sectors, their work and their personalities!
