Work Experience student Review

As a work experience student I was given a supervisor each day whom I would shadow and refer to, on some days I received presentations regarding various aspects of the law but for the rest of the day I would complete tasks that my supervisor set for me. This included a variety of research tasks in the different practise areas and drafting legal documents that my supervisor might need for any ongoing projects.

I have definitely developed by communication skills as a work experience student because I was introduced to a number of different people every day and needed to build good relationships with these people. I was also able to fine-tune my research skills in order to produce cohesive documents which I would then be able to discuss with my supervisor.

I enjoyed the programme a lot, it was very helpful getting insight into the culture of the firm and I found that everyone I spoke to was very enthusiastic to help me. The firm's value are embedded within the firm and this was evident after just a week's work experience with them.

I was treated with respect by all other members of staff and work experience students alike, I found everyone was easy to approach and when giving my feedback to my supervisor and others I felt valued.

The programme was better structured on some days more so than others, it depended on the workload of each supervisor; if they were very busy they wouldn't have much time to spend with me discussing the tasks and so I could be left for a while with nothing to do. However, as a whole the programme was well structured.

I received a great deal of support from all of my supervisors, no question was unanswered and I felt comfortable approaching them with any queries relating to the work and any other questions that I had.

I was not really in direct contact with my employer but the recruitment and HR team were present at some presentations, they were open to answering questions and allocating work to those who may have not had much to do.

This was an unpaid work experience placement which is obviously a drawback but I was only there for a week and travel costs were not extortionate. I would say that the location is ideal because it is central and only about 10 mins walk from New Street station.

The company had a scheme where they got involved with local schools on a voluntary basis but because I was only at the firm for a week, I was not able to attend any of these events.

Yes

I had a very enjoyable placement, the staff are all lovely; they are approachable and friendly and will try and give you the most practical work they can. Everyone is open to answering questions and I found it helpful to work in a commercial firm like Pinsent Masons because it has shown me that it is the type of work I would definitely consider as a career.

Make sure you read your application over and over to ensure there are no typos because although this seems trivial, it can look like you do not care if there are spelling mistakes. You should also not make one set of answers for the typical application questions for all placements you are applying to; make each application different and specific for where you are applying.