Paralegal Apprentice Review
at DWF
Level 3 Apprenticeship
Legal/Law
Manchester
Review Submitted: April 2023
Overall Rating
4.1 /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!
4/5
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Overview of Role
4/5
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Skills Development
4/5
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Structure and Support
Overview of Role
Please give an overview of your role and what this involves on a day-to-day basis:
4/5
I work in the Real Estate team. My daily tasks include completing Land Registry applications on behalf of clients, completing Stamp Duty Land Tax submissions, reviewing deeds and documents and there are some admin sides which include printing off and scanning transfers and contracts and sending them out to clients. We also have lots of projects going on which we can get involved in and pick up responsibility.
To what extent do you enjoy your programme?
4/5
I started the apprenticeship 7 months ago, and I have really enjoyed it so far. It is definitely hard work to balance studying and a full-time job, however there is a lot of support within DWF and there are lots of people who are happy to help if you are struggling.
Skills Development
Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?
4/5
I have definitely learnt a lot of useful skills, whilst also developing existing skills such as communication. We have a lot of contact with clients so it is important that our communication skills are good and being given responsibility to speak with clients has definitely improved my communication skills. Time management and organisation are also extremely important and this is something that I have been able to practice and work on.
Structure and Support
How well organised/structured is your programme?
4/5
DWF are very well organised and in touch with BPP. They always know what is happening with upcoming exams and key dates and keep us in the loop if anything changes. Our study days each week are very useful and give us enough time to get all of our uni work done.
How much support do you receive from your employer?
4/5
We receive a lot of support at DWF. There is a designated early careers team which you can go to at any time with any concerns and they are always happy to help. We have our study day each week that we always get no matter what and they always ensure that we get our off the job training.
How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?
3/5
There is sometimes a bit of confusion with what is going on in terms of exams and information being provided from BPP. I definitely think that it could be better organised and the communication could definitely be better, however the layout of all the resources and the structure of the modules are really beneficial.
How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?
4/5
Our studying helps us in our role as we are able to widen our legal knowledge and understand legal terms that are discussed in the workplace. This definitely allows us to better advice our clients and give the best possible service which in turn benefits the team and the company as a whole.
Are there extra-curricular activities to get involved in at your work? (For example, any social activities, sports teams, or even professional networking events.)
5/5
It is an extremely social company, there are many different activities and teams in Manchester specifically such as football, netball and they also do yoga every Wednesday at the office. There are lots of social events such as Christmas Ball, Summer Ball, and individual teams plan their own events. There is also a monthly event based at the office where there are free drinks and it gives you a chance to socialise with other teams.
Recommendations & Advice
Would you recommend DWF to a friend?
Yes
Why?
I would definitely recommend DWF to a friend as it is a comfortable place to work, there is lots of support if you ever need any help or have any concerns. There are also lots of social activities and chances to meet new people and widen your knowledge on different parts of the business.
What tips or advice would you give to others applying to DWF?
Make sure to sell yourself in your application, be confident but not overly, use skills acquired from previous experience and adapt this to how you would use these skills in this role. Make sure to research DWF and their history. The values are extremely important and you will find these on the DWF website.
