- Feb 17, 2018
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Hey guys, I just sent this round via email. Thought I'd share it here too.
Hi everyone, I know some of you start your vacation schemes tomorrow. I wanted to send this over. It's a short extract from our upcoming vacation scheme guide.
Vacation schemes are intense. You’re in a new environment, with new people, working on tasks you probably don’t understand. You’ll feel you need to be switched on, even at the social events, because you want to impress. You’re constantly trying not to make mistakes because you really really want to convert your scheme into a training contract.
I’ve been there. It’s stressful. I made a lot of mistakes during mine, and I want to remind you that mistakes are normal. If anything, they’re to be expected.
Law firms aren’t expecting you to get everything right. You might find a task confusing. Include the wrong information. Forget your interviewer's name. Run late to an event. That’s ok. What matters is how you respond to and learn from those mistakes.
If you find yourself with too much work to do, ask if you can push back a deadline. Next time, ask when the work is due as soon as it’s set.
If you’re stuck on a task, that’s fine. But don’t just say you’re stuck. Explain what you’ve done so far and what you find confusing. If the work is for a partner, consider asking a trainee for help first. Get some pointers on how to produce something the partner will like.
If you make mistakes in your work, try to understand where you went wrong. Ask if you can run through the task when the lawyer is free. Then prepare some informed questions. Next time, make an effort not to repeat that mistake. Make a note. Print the document out and proof-read it. Check and re-check your work a few times.
These are the small things that impress. And when it’s time to give feedback, an associate will not say ‘she made mistakes in her report’, but instead, ‘she made mistakes in her report, but she was quick to learn from them’. That's the kind of person that makes a good trainee.
Ok, that's all for now. I'll have the guide out soon.
If you need advice during your scheme, feel free to ask me any questions in the vacation scheme forum. To gain access to the forum, drop me an email or PM with a screenshot confirming your scheme.
Best of luck,
Jaysen
Vacation Scheme Guide | How to turn your vacation scheme into a training contract
Hi everyone, I know some of you start your vacation schemes tomorrow. I wanted to send this over. It's a short extract from our upcoming vacation scheme guide.
Vacation schemes are intense. You’re in a new environment, with new people, working on tasks you probably don’t understand. You’ll feel you need to be switched on, even at the social events, because you want to impress. You’re constantly trying not to make mistakes because you really really want to convert your scheme into a training contract.
I’ve been there. It’s stressful. I made a lot of mistakes during mine, and I want to remind you that mistakes are normal. If anything, they’re to be expected.
Law firms aren’t expecting you to get everything right. You might find a task confusing. Include the wrong information. Forget your interviewer's name. Run late to an event. That’s ok. What matters is how you respond to and learn from those mistakes.
If you find yourself with too much work to do, ask if you can push back a deadline. Next time, ask when the work is due as soon as it’s set.
If you’re stuck on a task, that’s fine. But don’t just say you’re stuck. Explain what you’ve done so far and what you find confusing. If the work is for a partner, consider asking a trainee for help first. Get some pointers on how to produce something the partner will like.
If you make mistakes in your work, try to understand where you went wrong. Ask if you can run through the task when the lawyer is free. Then prepare some informed questions. Next time, make an effort not to repeat that mistake. Make a note. Print the document out and proof-read it. Check and re-check your work a few times.
These are the small things that impress. And when it’s time to give feedback, an associate will not say ‘she made mistakes in her report’, but instead, ‘she made mistakes in her report, but she was quick to learn from them’. That's the kind of person that makes a good trainee.
Ok, that's all for now. I'll have the guide out soon.
If you need advice during your scheme, feel free to ask me any questions in the vacation scheme forum. To gain access to the forum, drop me an email or PM with a screenshot confirming your scheme.
Best of luck,
Jaysen
