Hi, I’m currently doing a vacation scheme and I don’t think it’s going well. For context it’s a week. Yesterday I was quite shy. I spoke to people and tried to ask insightful questions but I was scared shitless. I also had a task which had no due date and only had 2 hours to do it. I stayed late but still didn’t complete it and when I asked when it’s due they said tomorrow is fine. Today I went in early to recap on a tech talk that I missed 10 mins of due to it issues. I feel like I also ask a lot of questions about how to do things to my supervisor and ask for help quite a lot. Yesterday I had some attention to detail issues but I have started to ask less and less. At the end of today I started to get more confident and I have 3 coffee chats booked and had one today with a member of my team which they invited me on. When in meetings and getting tasks I try and show an interest of the wider topic but I’m in a dept I haven’t studied so I’m really struggling. Does anyone have any words of wisdom of what to do? Any tips please!! What should I do to stand out I feel I’ve blended into the background a bit.
Hi there, I can align with how you feel here. It's normal to feel shy and scared - it can be a daunting environment. Don't shy away from asking the questions you want to ask and don't be afraid of thinking that your question isn't insightful enough. The point of the vacation scheme is to build your knowledge and understanding of the firm, the work they do, and the people in it.
If it takes you longer to do a task, that's expected. They don't expect you to have seen a contract or any form of formal document before. If you need help, say it. You're not expected to know what to do immediately or how to do it. Even I'm in my learning phase right now and constantly absorbing new things or methods of doing things - so are those more senior to me.
IT issues are part and parcel of the job. It happens. Don't overthink it.
It's normal to ask a lot of questions to your supervisor - it's part of the learning experience. It's better to ask and clarify and get it right than to not ask, get it wrong and have to redo it. I'm a trainee buddy now for one of the vacation scheme students at the firm and he's asked me loads of questions about the task, but that is both expected and appreciated. Even in my day-to-day, if it's not told to me at the outset, I still ask questions even though I know what the answer will likely be just so I can be sure that is what/how they want me to do it. No one ever had an issue with me asking too many questions. If you feel like you need clarification, ask.
Attention to detail is developed over time, but no one catches everything and nothing is perfect.
Show an interest in the department and the work. You're not expected to know it in and out. Back when I did my vacation scheme, it was in a department I had zero prior knowledge about, and it was a very complex area of practice as well. I showed up anyways - asked questions and used what I know to try and understand what I don't.
Enthusiasm to learn and being keen in taking task and giving it your all is how you stand out.
Hope this helps!
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