From Anthea, the Graduate Recruitment & Development Advisor at WFW
Our vacation scheme is the best way to familiarise yourself with WFW. It will give you the chance to experience the firm in more depth and us a chance to get to know you.
To appreciate the kind of work trainees undertake day to day during the scheme, you will be paired with a trainee buddy from a core practice group of your choice. To complement this, you will also participate in a variety of training and social events designed to give you a good feel for the firm.
We spoke to Anthea, the Graduate Recruitment & Development Advisor at WFW to hear her thoughts on vacation schemes and how she thinks participants can get the most out of them.
As a graduate recruiter, how did you feel about being able to run vacation schemes in the office for the first time in two years?
From my perspective, finally being able to run our vacation schemes in the office, after two years of running virtual schemes, was very exciting!
We know from feedback that our virtual vacation schemes still provided participants with an experience that gave them insight into WFW, our culture and the kind of work that a trainee at WFW does, which is great given that our virtual vacation schemes were, structure and content wise, largely based on our physical vacation schemes, however it is nice to be able to run physical vacation schemes again.
Planning a physical scheme felt very different, but just as rewarding. The main difference is that the scheme participants actually get the chance to sit with fee-earners and to work on internal matters that are ‘live’ in the firm at the time.
What does the physical scheme involve?
This is a great question! I can’t give everything away, however, the two weeks are packed with sessions such as an ’Introduction to Assets & Structured Finance’ and ‘International secondments at WFW’ (which are guaranteed, by the way). These sessions form a significant chunk of our physical scheme, in the sense that scheme participants attend at least one of these every day. There are also lots of social elements to the scheme, including an activity, such as going to Bounce, with the Graduate Recruitment & Development team and our current trainees. From an assessment perspective, there is a group presentation and scheme participants will have their Training Contract interview during the final week of the scheme.
Alongside having a Senior Associate or Associate as a supervisor, participants will also have a trainee buddy. Participants will be given all of the necessary kit – a laptop, a desk and any other equipment – to enable them to work on internal matters and typical trainee tasks whilst they are with us.
Some of the benefits of a physical scheme include candidates having the opportunity to spend time in our offices and by extension, see our great WFW culture in action, however it can be expensive spending two weeks in London. We are very conscious of the current circumstances impacting the economy and have reviewed our vacation scheme pay as a result, and we’re pleased to confirm that we will be paying well above the National Minimum Wage for every group!
What key tips would you give to candidates who are about to undertake a vacation scheme?
There are some great things that scheme participants can do at all stages (before, during and after) to get the most out of a vacation scheme.
Before the scheme
- Make sure you read all the communications sent to you ahead of the scheme, so that you can complete all the onboarding steps on time and go back with any information, if required.
- Start thinking about all of the questions you have about the firm, write these down, and then see if you can find the answers yourself via some stealthy research; if you can’t, add that question to a separate list for the actual scheme, so that you can come prepared to make the most of your time on the scheme.
- Remember that a physical scheme is a potential pathway to a Training Contract offer, so don’t forget about your Training Contract interview which will take place during the second week of the scheme. Start thinking about what you will need to know to do well in that, for you personally.
- Finally, if you feel like you have any concerns ahead of the scheme, or if you need any recruitment or workplace adjustments, don’t be afraid to get in touch with the Graduate Recruitment & Development team to let them know. They will be more than happy to speak to you about adjustments or to put your mind at ease about any concerns you may have.
During the scheme
- I would encourage you to behave professionally and to put your best foot forward. That means being prompt on your first day and to all the sessions. Be engaged in the sessions. We know this is harder to do if you’re not used to a full work day, but my top tips to show that you are engaged are to ask questions during the sessions and respond to the presenters and speakers when they pose questions to you as an audience. You can also show engagement by following up with the speakers after their sessions, especially if you are genuinely interested.
- Make the most of your trainee buddy, or any contact person you are assigned. They are essentially the person you can ask almost anything about the firm, whether your question relates to the type of work they do, or the culture. They are a really invaluable resource and they know what it is like to be in your position, so they will typically be as helpful as they can be. If they don’t reach out to you, don’t be shy to contact them and schedule an initial meeting. This also shows good initiative on your part.
- Introduce yourself to your supervisor on your first day. They will most likely offer to take you out for a coffee before you have even introduced yourself, but if they don’t, your trainee buddy will show you where they sit, so you can always stop by and say hello. They will appreciate the extra effort and they are also there to make sure that you gain valuable experience from the scheme.
- Make sure that you get what you want to get out of the scheme. Ask as many questions as you need to feel content that you have all the information that you need to make an informed choice for you as an individual. The worst feeling in the world is when you walk away from something realising that you haven’t made the most of the opportunity.
After the scheme
- It is not essential, but it is always nice to send a polite thank you e-mail to the Graduate Recruitment & Development team and to anyone else who assisted you on the scheme. It is a nice way to show your appreciation, to demonstrate your confirmed interest in the firm and it is also a great opportunity for you to provide any feedback that you may have.
- On the note of feedback, you should always try to complete any feedback surveys or questionnaires that are circulated to you. This will help us to understand your experience, where we could have improved or where things went well. Your feedback also shows us that you have fully engaged with the scheme. Whilst giving us feedback is important, asking for it is also really important for you as an individual, especially for your personal growth and development. You should do this, whether you ask about your interview specifically or about the formally assessed tasks, or about all of it. It will not only help you improve, but it will also show us that you have a keen appetite for learning, which is a great quality to demonstrate.
- Lastly, keep the Graduate Recruitment & Development team updated. If your circumstances change, let us know. We know you will be looking at other firms too so if we are not the firm for you, or if another firm is your top choice and you have received an offer there, letting us know is the courteous thing to do.
Finally, what one piece of advice would you give to candidates who are due to participate in a vacation scheme?
My one piece of advice is to come prepared! That way, on your first day, you have a list of questions and an idea of who you need to ask to speak to ready, and so you won’t lose time by only getting this together half-way through the scheme. In fact, coming prepared will give you the opportunity to find things out early on, and then possibly to ask any follow-up questions that you may have!