(HFW) Holman Fenwick Willan Vacation Scheme 2017

Nicole

Legendary Member
TCLA Moderator
Feb 28, 2018
233
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(HFW) Holman Fenwick Willan Vacation Scheme 2017

How did you find the Holman Fenwick Willan vacation scheme?

The main thing I really enjoyed about this vacation scheme was that I found both weeks that my supervisors made an effort to find interesting work for me to do, and the work they gave me was genuinely useful. It wasn't "made up" work to keep me busy, but research which formed the basis of actual information which was sent to clients, which was pretty exciting but also pretty challenging. Also, I found that people in the department would often come into the office to give me work which was nice, it made me feel genuinely valued.

I'm a non-law student and sat in a litigation seat one week and was expected to use Westlaw etc. to research cases which was kind of confusing but the library staff were really helpful. My advice is that if you find the tasks challenging, make use of the resources available to you.

However, first and foremost HFW is a shipping and industry firm. You're going to enjoy the firm and the work that they do a lot more if you're interested in these areas. I wasn't to be honest and so sometimes I found the work a bit dull.

The socials were fun but there weren't that many. I think we went to an escape room and then to dinner, and we also went for drinks another evening.

What were the vacation scheme assessments like at Holman Fenwick Willan?

I felt that there were a lot of assessments.

There was a negotiation exercise which is quite challenging. You're in a team of two and you're both given some time to read through a lot of information and to plan. You then negotiate against another team while someone from graduate recruitment and a partner sit in. It was a lot of information to work through so keep an eye on the clock when you're preparing. Also, make sure to speak out - even if you're working in a team, you're getting assessed individually so make sure your voice is heard.

There's also an assessed research task. You're given information and you have to write a briefing on your findings.

Based on this, you later prepare a presentation as part of a group with people who have had the same research task as you. This wasn't particularly challenging because you've already researched the task, although you've all probably approached the research slightly differently so it's important when you're planning to divide the research up based on what you've emphasised in your written research, e.g. if you're emphasised risks in your written task then you should try and present on this too rather than presenting on opportunities.

The two-partner interview was quite unusual I felt. It emphasised legal ethics quite a lot which I found strange. Other than that, it was a mixture of competency questions and quite a lot of questions about my degree.

What advice would you give to future vacation schemers attending the Holman Fenwick Willan vacation scheme?

My advice would be to put a lot of emphasis on the assessments because they all seem to be very important in determining whether you get a TC offer.

The feedback they get from your supervisors on the written work that you do is also really important. It's better to spend a lot of time on a task and to do it to the best of your ability than to do it quickly but badly. Sometimes I felt like I was spending a lot of time doing something but then the feedback I got was really positive and didn't criticise me for spending too long on it.

On average, what time did you arrive and leave each day?

I arrived at 9am and left at about 6pm. The latest I stayed was until 7.30pm to finish a task.

How much were you paid for the Holman Fenwick Willan vacation scheme?

£350 a week.

How would you rate your overall vacation scheme experience?

3/5
 
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