- Sep 7, 2024
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I really just wanted to know how to go about asking for work in a department you’d like work from. How do you go about this, who is appropriate to contact? Perhaps it makes sense to wait for some sort of networking experience to come up before asking? ( during a vac scheme)
If you are less busy in your vac scheme and would like to increase your responsibility, how do you go about asking for more work without just coming across as way too eager, and a bit annoying to an extent.
Finally, how would you recommend you introduce yourself to your department during the start of your vac scheme in a email template- what do you sort of include.
Sorry if it’s so many questions but some insight would be greatly appreciated @Ram Sabaratnam @Jessica Booker @Andrei Radu
Hiya @Willgetthere
I'd be curious to know what @Jessica Booker, @Amma Usman and @Andrei Radu have to say here, but in my experience I've sometimes found this can depend on the firm’s culture and expectations. For instance, when completing vacation schemes at firms with non-rotational programmes (e.g. Jones Day and Vinson & Elkins), me and my fellow vac schemers were strongly encouraged to be proactive, knocking on partners/associates doors to introduce ourselves and see what work we could get involved with. I found this approach worked well for me and I generally enjoyed approaching people politely and sourcing work from them.
At other firms, particularly those where you're placed in a specific department, it sometimes felt more appropriate to build rapport first. In these cases, I tried to connect informally through coffee chats or the firm's social events, gradually building relationships. After establishing this rapport, I normally felt comfortable to ask trainees, associates, or partners if there was anything in their department I could assist with. Doing it this way felt natural, respectful, and genuinely collaborative.
If you find yourself less busy and want to increase your work load, I think it's completely alright to politely reach out via email to someone on the team you're interested in and see if there's anything you can get involved in. You could say something like, "I have a bit of extra time today; if there's anything I could help with, I’d be happy to assist." If you are emailing them, it might be worth mentioning your interest in the department and the work it does. If you have any doubts, I'd recommend speaking with your trainee buddy or anyone who is allocated to you as a supervisor.
Hope this gives you a few options!