Work Experience Student Review

The work experience involved various online sessions through the day in which we completed tasks, group exercises and attended presentations - all pertinent to the legal aspect of the course. They were well-designed and comprehensively organised such that we were given a well-rounded and stimulating foundational education on what being a lawyer might really entail.

I learnt about skills required to debate well and present information effectively. Each task and group session necessitated research so it was great to develop my research skills. The interpersonal element, albeit limited by the online platform, helped my social confidence in academic settings. I learnt also about mental health and managing my stress.

I very much enjoyed my work experience and my expectations and hopes were undoubtedly met. When applying, I hoped that it would be intellectually stimulating and above all, enlightening. It delivered on both fronts and I am pleased that I applied and subsequently dedicated time to the programme. I feel much more informed.

The Forage platform was a great help in terms of making the work experience both efficient and digestible. It displayed a timetable and the outstanding tasks, as well as providing a forum for discussion and allowing us to communicate with each other (with us being the participants). [This section of the comment has been removed by a member of the RateMyApprenticeship Team because it did not meet our site terms and conditions] were a great help logistically.

I learnt a great deal about the ethos of Pinsent Masons and what a potential job-post would be like. We learnt about the friendly, welcoming nature of the company and were informed of its efforts in pursuit of bettering sustainability, wellbeing, inclusion and diversity. This information was comprehensive and engaging.

I am still unsure regarding what I want to do but I have been given some clarity, by the course, regarding my potential University application. In this way it was enlightening. However, I knew that it would not forge my career path (as nothing thus far has been able to) but it has made the idea of being a lawyer more appealing.

No I was not paid because it was work experience. It was virtual and therefore I did not have to travel abroad or relocate within the country to access the offices to complete the programme. I spent nothing on travel and did not receive a salary. Thus there was no need either for pay or compensation.

Yes certainly there were. Every lunchtime there was the opportunity to network with other work experience students. Although, candidly, I did not utilise that opportunity on multiple occasions, the group tasks and Breakout rooms allowed us the opportunity to collaborate together on some projects. Supervised, in these sessions we chatted and debated.

Yes

The opportunity to debate, interact and engage was invaluable. I particularly enjoyed the Group Sessions (Jaffa Cake and Eviva task); they were without doubt the most stimulating. Ultimately, I would recommend because it gave me a great deal of knowledge and I really enjoyed learning about an industry in which I was already interested.

Make the most of each session. Engage invariably and try to be as 'present' as possible. Further, engage with every independent task. They are a great way of expanding research skills and knowledge about Law. Fundamentally, you should do it if you want to ascertain if law is the career for you.