Online Vacation Schemes

Donzi

Star Member
Mar 9, 2019
27
46
Hey guys,

Hope everyone is doing well in these trying times.

For those of you who will be commencing your vacation scheme online, I wanted to get your thoughts on what you're most looking forward to in terms of the online vacation scheme?
 

Daniel Boden

Legendary Member
Trainee
Highest Rated Member
  • Sep 6, 2018
    1,537
    3,856
    Hey guys,

    Hope everyone is doing well in these trying times.

    For those of you who will be commencing your vacation scheme online, I wanted to get your thoughts on what you're most looking forward to in terms of the online vacation scheme?
    Hi @Donzi,

    I guess what I'm looking forward to the most is seeing the creative ways that firms come up with to make the schemes as interesting as possible! Personally, I've had a really good experience thus far with Gibson Dunn and am looking forward to seeing how they make the scheme worthwhile for us.
     
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    Donzi

    Star Member
    Mar 9, 2019
    27
    46
    Thanks for your reply, Daniel.

    Do you mind kindly elaborating on your experience with Gibson Dunn's online vacation scheme?

    Looking forward to receiving your response!
     

    astra3127

    Star Member
    Apr 25, 2020
    27
    36
    I haven’t gotten information yet on how mine will be run - Hill Dickinson shortened theirs to an “insight scheme” that’s just a day long, but I’m assuming it will have networking and exercises like an in person one would. Really curious to see how it turns out.
    Gibson Dunn was not a good fit for me but I have to admit their vacation scheme was extremely professional, so I’m sure you’re in for a treat Daniel! Just a shame you won’t get to do the fun bits like the rented bowling alley and darts they went real overboard trying to impress us, it was so much fun! Maybe they’ll have some kind of bonding activities over zoom...
     
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    astra3127

    Star Member
    Apr 25, 2020
    27
    36
    Does anyone have suggestions on how to succeed in a virtual vac scheme? Will be much harder I reckon.
    Agree! I was wondering if @Jessica Booker might have suggestions, I’ve seen in other parts of the forum you are in graduate recruitment and I’m curious if you’ve heard from any colleagues how these sorts of online ACs/VS might go?
    For my background, I’ve done two vacation schemes in 2018 and two ACs in 2019, and learnt from each one why I wasn’t quite snagging the role (to be honest I realised I didn’t really want to work at American firms after 2018), but I’m curious if you have any tips on how to make the most of an online format? Having done these in real life I’m kind of at a loss how they’re going to make this virtual...
     

    Jessica Booker

    Legendary Member
    TCLA Moderator
    Gold Member
    Graduate Recruitment
    Premium Member
    Forum Team
    Aug 1, 2019
    13,342
    19,157
    Agree! I was wondering if @Jessica Booker might have suggestions, I’ve seen in other parts of the forum you are in graduate recruitment and I’m curious if you’ve heard from any colleagues how these sorts of online ACs/VS might go?
    For my background, I’ve done two vacation schemes in 2018 and two ACs in 2019, and learnt from each one why I wasn’t quite snagging the role (to be honest I realised I didn’t really want to work at American firms after 2018), but I’m curious if you have any tips on how to make the most of an online format? Having done these in real life I’m kind of at a loss how they’re going to make this virtual...

    very lengthy post/article on its way on this.
     

    Daniel Boden

    Legendary Member
    Trainee
    Highest Rated Member
  • Sep 6, 2018
    1,537
    3,856
    I haven’t gotten information yet on how mine will be run - Hill Dickinson shortened theirs to an “insight scheme” that’s just a day long, but I’m assuming it will have networking and exercises like an in person one would. Really curious to see how it turns out.
    Gibson Dunn was not a good fit for me but I have to admit their vacation scheme was extremely professional, so I’m sure you’re in for a treat Daniel! Just a shame you won’t get to do the fun bits like the rented bowling alley and darts they went real overboard trying to impress us, it was so much fun! Maybe they’ll have some kind of bonding activities over zoom...
    I really hope so! Can I ask why you felt GD wasn't a good fit for you?
     

    astra3127

    Star Member
    Apr 25, 2020
    27
    36
    I really hope so! Can I ask why you felt GD wasn't a good fit for you?
    Nothing wrong with them, it just wasn’t for me. I’m American myself and initially chose them in an attempt to maybe go back to America someday. I also thought I could just put my nose to the grindstone, get a lot of money to pay off my (very american) exorbitant debt I took out for my degree - it was like 60k to get my LLB on international rates.

    But to be honest, I just realised I am not cut out for the hours, and while I like some aspects of corporate law I’d like to try my hand at other areas, like family, clinical negligence, healthcare, something that’s a bit more personal. I also realised I didn’t need to earn 100k a year, I’d prefer 60k and being home at 7 pm. I can still pay my debt back it will just take a couple more years. I also decided I like England and don’t want to go back to America.

    My supervisor was a brilliant guy, he was the mentor of my mentor at university - but he just looked real tired, he was always there till like 11 pm. He’d been working on the same matter for two years and had papers everywhere about this matter, like just neck deep in it. He had stacks of takeaway boxes and he told me he resented them because it meant he had stayed past 7 or something, that’s when you can get the free takeaway. It’s not true that magic circle and English firms don’t work you hard either, they all work you hard, so it’s not a thing unique to GD - I just realised I can’t handle the lifestyle.

    Thus my applying to TLT and Hill Dickinson. They’re still commercial, but have more personal practice areas too, and you tend to leave for home around 6:30, 7. I don’t want to burn out early.

    But they’re super professional and if that’s the lifestyle you’re seeking I am sure it will be a great fit!
     

    Alice G

    Legendary Member
    Future Trainee
    Forum Team
    M&A Bootcamp
    Nov 26, 2018
    1,731
    4,183
    Nothing wrong with them, it just wasn’t for me. I’m American myself and initially chose them in an attempt to maybe go back to America someday. I also thought I could just put my nose to the grindstone, get a lot of money to pay off my (very american) exorbitant debt I took out for my degree - it was like 60k to get my LLB on international rates.

    But to be honest, I just realised I am not cut out for the hours, and while I like some aspects of corporate law I’d like to try my hand at other areas, like family, clinical negligence, healthcare, something that’s a bit more personal. I also realised I didn’t need to earn 100k a year, I’d prefer 60k and being home at 7 pm. I can still pay my debt back it will just take a couple more years. I also decided I like England and don’t want to go back to America.

    My supervisor was a brilliant guy, he was the mentor of my mentor at university - but he just looked real tired, he was always there till like 11 pm. He’d been working on the same matter for two years and had papers everywhere about this matter, like just neck deep in it. He had stacks of takeaway boxes and he told me he resented them because it meant he had stayed past 7 or something, that’s when you can get the free takeaway. It’s not true that magic circle and English firms don’t work you hard either, they all work you hard, so it’s not a thing unique to GD - I just realised I can’t handle the lifestyle.

    Thus my applying to TLT and Hill Dickinson. They’re still commercial, but have more personal practice areas too, and you tend to leave for home around 6:30, 7. I don’t want to burn out early.

    But they’re super professional and if that’s the lifestyle you’re seeking I am sure it will be a great fit!
    I really appreciate you sharing this! So glad you figured out what’s going to work for you and make you happiest, this is so important and I wish you all the best!
     

    gg999

    Star Member
    Apr 14, 2020
    47
    97
    Nothing wrong with them, it just wasn’t for me. I’m American myself and initially chose them in an attempt to maybe go back to America someday. I also thought I could just put my nose to the grindstone, get a lot of money to pay off my (very american) exorbitant debt I took out for my degree - it was like 60k to get my LLB on international rates.

    But to be honest, I just realised I am not cut out for the hours, and while I like some aspects of corporate law I’d like to try my hand at other areas, like family, clinical negligence, healthcare, something that’s a bit more personal. I also realised I didn’t need to earn 100k a year, I’d prefer 60k and being home at 7 pm. I can still pay my debt back it will just take a couple more years. I also decided I like England and don’t want to go back to America.

    My supervisor was a brilliant guy, he was the mentor of my mentor at university - but he just looked real tired, he was always there till like 11 pm. He’d been working on the same matter for two years and had papers everywhere about this matter, like just neck deep in it. He had stacks of takeaway boxes and he told me he resented them because it meant he had stayed past 7 or something, that’s when you can get the free takeaway. It’s not true that magic circle and English firms don’t work you hard either, they all work you hard, so it’s not a thing unique to GD - I just realised I can’t handle the lifestyle.

    Thus my applying to TLT and Hill Dickinson. They’re still commercial, but have more personal practice areas too, and you tend to leave for home around 6:30, 7. I don’t want to burn out early.

    But they’re super professional and if that’s the lifestyle you’re seeking I am sure it will be a great fit!

    The level of maturity you have displayed is great. It takes some peoples years and years to realise these things and then they find its too late to change (golden handcuffs ect). This is often the reality of working in American firms/Magic circles. Less brutal from a trainee perspective but from what I have heard from talking to people at firms, it gets way worse when you become an associate in a busy practise area looking to make it on the partnership track. I am glad someone has decided to truthfully post about this. Well done to you and wish you the best with the rest of your applications, sounds like you will be just fine :)
     

    astra3127

    Star Member
    Apr 25, 2020
    27
    36
    The level of maturity you have displayed is great. It takes some peoples years and years to realise these things and then they find its too late to change (golden handcuffs ect). This is often the reality of working in American firms/Magic circles. Less brutal from a trainee perspective but from what I have heard from talking to people at firms, it gets way worse when you become an associate in a busy practise area looking to make it on the partnership track. I am glad someone has decided to truthfully post about this. Well done to you and wish you the best with the rest of your applications, sounds like you will be just fine :)
    Thank you for saying that I appreciate it! Sometimes I get a bit insecure, people from my school seem to turn up their noses a bit that I've "downgraded" to the firms that I'm applying to - everyone at my uni goes to the magic/silver/american firms. But I really just was afraid of the "golden handcuffs" and not having enough time for myself. Not to knock it - some people can handle it! My partner certainly can, he'll be starting at Clifford Chance soon and he just has more stamina + a genuine, serious interest in corporate work. But yeah, I just realised it wasn't for me personally.
     

    Daniel Boden

    Legendary Member
    Trainee
    Highest Rated Member
  • Sep 6, 2018
    1,537
    3,856
    Nothing wrong with them, it just wasn’t for me. I’m American myself and initially chose them in an attempt to maybe go back to America someday. I also thought I could just put my nose to the grindstone, get a lot of money to pay off my (very american) exorbitant debt I took out for my degree - it was like 60k to get my LLB on international rates.

    But to be honest, I just realised I am not cut out for the hours, and while I like some aspects of corporate law I’d like to try my hand at other areas, like family, clinical negligence, healthcare, something that’s a bit more personal. I also realised I didn’t need to earn 100k a year, I’d prefer 60k and being home at 7 pm. I can still pay my debt back it will just take a couple more years. I also decided I like England and don’t want to go back to America.

    My supervisor was a brilliant guy, he was the mentor of my mentor at university - but he just looked real tired, he was always there till like 11 pm. He’d been working on the same matter for two years and had papers everywhere about this matter, like just neck deep in it. He had stacks of takeaway boxes and he told me he resented them because it meant he had stayed past 7 or something, that’s when you can get the free takeaway. It’s not true that magic circle and English firms don’t work you hard either, they all work you hard, so it’s not a thing unique to GD - I just realised I can’t handle the lifestyle.

    Thus my applying to TLT and Hill Dickinson. They’re still commercial, but have more personal practice areas too, and you tend to leave for home around 6:30, 7. I don’t want to burn out early.

    But they’re super professional and if that’s the lifestyle you’re seeking I am sure it will be a great fit!
    Wow thank you so much for such a detailed response! To echo the words of everyone else who has responded, it is great that you've recognised this so early on in your career so kudos to you for that! :)
     
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