Winter Vacation Scheme Review
at A&O Shearman
Insight / Vacation Scheme (< 4 Weeks)
Commercial Law
London
Review Submitted: May 2024
Overall Rating
5 /5
The Overall Rating is the average of all the ratings given in each category. We take those individual ratings and combine them into one final score!
5/5
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Overview of Experience
5/5
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Skills Development
5/5
-
Company Culture
5/5
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Overall Experience
5/5
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Recommendations and Advice
Overview of Experience
Please give an overview of the insight and what was involved on a day-to-day basis.
It was a great experience to find out what Allen & Overy do.
You can expect to spend time with your supervisor learning about the type of work they complete whilst completing tasks for them to get more experience.
There also are daily learning sessions giving insights into different departments of the firm or helpful information about D&I initiatives, the SQE etc.
You can expect to spend time with your supervisor learning about the type of work they complete whilst completing tasks for them to get more experience.
There also are daily learning sessions giving insights into different departments of the firm or helpful information about D&I initiatives, the SQE etc.
What was it like understanding all about the business and potential roles available?
The daily sessions about the different departments really helped us understand how different areas of the business operate.
There was also a session about the next steps - e.g. SQE or PGDL so that was helpful, too.
There was also a session about the next steps - e.g. SQE or PGDL so that was helpful, too.
Please rate how insightful you found the insight
5/5
How would you rate the structure of the insight
5/5
Skills Development
Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?
YES!
I think that not having experienced a commercial law firm before, it is such a useful experience to gain the skills to progress through your career.
It is a really supportive environment so even if this is your first office experience, you will definitely be encouraged to learn more whilst supported to do so.
I think that not having experienced a commercial law firm before, it is such a useful experience to gain the skills to progress through your career.
It is a really supportive environment so even if this is your first office experience, you will definitely be encouraged to learn more whilst supported to do so.
How would you rate the training provided during your experience?
5/5
How would you rate the knowledge learned around industry-specific skills during the experience?
5/5
How would you rate the knowledge learned around personal or professional skills during the experience?
5/5
Please rate how the knowledge learned has helped you with regards to your career development
5/5
Company Culture
How would you rate business leader involvement during the insight
5/5
What was the company culture and general atmosphere like?
The firm's culture is great. Everyone really wants to see you do well during the vacation scheme. For example, my supervisor took the time out of her busy day to explain to me more about the legal concepts so that I could get the most out of the scheme. Further, there is a big emphasis on D&I, with the opportunity to speak to the different networks. I spoke to the Social Mobility Network & I was so impressed with how committed everyone was.
How would you rate the inclusiveness of the culture?
5/5
How would you rate the networking opportunities?
5/5
Please rate how valued you felt during your insight?
5/5
Overall Experience
To what extent did you enjoy the insight?
To a large extent, I enjoyed it! I think, understandably, there will be some nerves due to being assessed, but overall, I really liked it. There is social opportunities too which helped you relax into it.
Please rate your level of enjoyment on the insight
5/5
Please rate how your experience met your expectations
5/5
Were you paid or reimbursed adequately for this experience?
I was paid and reimbursed expenses
Recommendations and Advice
Please rate the future employment prospects at A&O Shearman
5/5
Would you recommend A&O Shearman to a friend?
Yes
What tips or advice would you give to others applying to A&O Shearman
My advice is to find out as much about the firm as possible. Having clear reasons why you would like to work for A&O Shearman will really help. Further, any networking you can do with individuals at the firm beforehand can help with this. For example, I used upReach's Social Mobility Network to find individuals at the firm to talk to, and I found this incredibly useful.
