Winter Vacation Scheme Trainee

UK Winter Vacation Scheme – trainee perspectives

What did you do to prepare for making an application to Ashurst (provide information on resources that helped, how they approached writing the application etc)

Before applying I spent as much time as possible learning about the firm, both to enhance my application, but also to ensure Ashurst was the right place for me. To this extent, I used the following resources, all of which were incredibly helpful:

• Ashurst Virtual Work Experience Programme via Forage
• Ashurst podcasts (ESG Matters @ Ashurst, and Ashurst Legal Outlook) – these were really helpful, and also raised interesting discussion points during my final interview
• Ashurst in Action – Bright Network webinar series
• Ashurst webinars – Spotlight On series
• Vantage webinars (which included representatives from Ashurst)
• Reading and reviewing recent Ashurst publications and LinkedIn posts

When writing my application, I approached it just as I would a university assignment. I took my time drafting the application, reviewing it, ensuring it fully answered all the questions, and was completely personal to both me and Ashurst. When applying to vacation schemes I didn't apply in bulk to every opportunity available, but rather chose a small number of firms that were the right fit for me, and put all my focus into ensuring those applications were perfect.

Do you have any hints or tips for future candidates who are looking to apply?

Be yourself. This might sound cliché and unhelpful, but this is genuinely the most helpful advice I can give anyone applying to Vacation Schemes/Training Contracts.

By this I mean: you may not have legal work experience at 3 different firms, or have a huge network of legal professionals as role models, but if you are in a sports team, have a part time job, volunteer, have a particular hobby, or are involved in a university society, for example, these are all things you can talk about and include in your applications. All of these things will give you transferable skills that will benefit you in a legal career, and are worth including in an application. Not only that, these things should also be easy for you to talk about naturally and confidently in any interview, if they are genuinely things you enjoy and are passionate about. So, be yourself, sell your skills and make your application personal to you.

Also, answer every part of every question - this applies to both applications and interviews. If you are asked how and why, for example, make sure to answer both how and why.

How did you prepare for the assessment day and first stage interview, what did you do to prepare (researching practice areas, undertaking mock interviews, or networking)? What proved most effective in helping you secure a place on the scheme?

In preparation for the assessment day, and first stage interview, I focussed on my commercial awareness (as this was the area I felt least confident). Using the resources highlighted above, I focussed on Ashurst practice areas, and considering how current affairs might impact Ashurst/clients of the firm. There are so many different tools and resources available now to help with commercial awareness (Finimize emails, LittleLaw updates, podcasts). Using these little and often was the most helpful method for me!

When preparing for the first interview, you should also make sure you are confident talking about anything you have put in your application. In reality, this should be really easy – if your application is tailored to you, and sells your skills and attributes, these should come naturally into conversation in your responses.

What was the best part of the scheme?

As I was on a winter vacation scheme, we got to enjoy the annual Christmas lunch. I was also invited to the department Christmas Party, and being involved and invited to these events gave me a further feel of the culture and life at Ashurst.

What was the most daunting part or what part took you out of your comfort zone?

It can be very easy to compare yourself to other people, and this can become quite daunting if you let it! Per my earlier advice, be yourself, focus on yourself and don't worry about what anyone else is (or isn't) doing!