First year opportunities at Taylor Wessing

Sep 07, 2020

Written By Jack J Collins, Editor, AllAboutLaw.co.uk

We spoke to Sarah Harte, Graduate Recruitment Officer at Taylor Wessing, for her insight on the first year opportunities at the firm, and why you should think about applying.

What first year opportunities does Taylor Wessing offer?

Due to the past success of these events, Taylor Wessing continues to hold insight days in April of each year aimed at first year law or penultimate non-law students.

We appreciate that most students spend their first year making decisions regarding their future careers and also shortlisting the type of firms which interest them.

Therefore, we want to offer opportunities for students to get to know us before applying for summer vacation in the following year by attending insight days or open days.

Does Taylor Wessing host on campus events such as skills workshops, and why are these relevant for first years?

We often collaborate with university careers services to deliver various skills workshops and mock interviews, which are open to first year students, as well as attending legal events which are all open to first year students.

We also attend the Bright Networks first year commercial law event on annual basis and even sat on the commercial law panel last year.

It is definitely worthwhile attending at many events as you can, as the penultimate year of law or final year of non-law is going to be an exceptionally busy time.

Therefore, you should be maximising on the time in your first year to improve your skills and get familiar with the recruitment processes to take some of the pressure off.

This will ensure you have enough time to plan for balancing submitting applications, attending recruitment events and focusing on your studies, whilst still enjoying your University life.

What is the purpose of first year open days?

Our first year insight day aims to share the unique company culture at Taylor Wessing. We tailor each session so there are plenty of opportunities to understand what life is like at the firm, through networking, presentations, case studies and more.

In addition to learning about the firm, we also deliver skills workshops to support your applications so you leave the day feeling it was worthwhile experience and beneficial to your applications.

How important are open days to Taylor Wessing? Are they assessed?

If you attend an insight or open day this shows us that you are proactive in researching firms, and that you are serious about starting a career at Taylor Wessing.

Therefore, we really value candidates who have taken the time out of their busy autumn terms to apply to attend the day and meet with us.

It does not mean you are guaranteed an invitation to attend an assessment centre, but there are a variety of great opportunities on the day which will support your application and give you the best possible chance.

There is a commercial exercise on the day as we feel it is important to do something practical, which is assessed by trainees and also by a graduate recruitment panel.

What happens on a typical Taylor Wessing open day?

The day kicks off with our senior partner sharing an overview of the firm, which brings to life our strategy and where we are headed. Our graduate recruitment partners deliver a session to demystify the graduate recruitment process and share an overview of our award winning training.

We then have applications and assessment centres skills sessions to share top tips and what we are looking for in the process. Following on from the skills session we have a networking lunch with trainees and associates so you have the time and space to ask questions about life as a trainee.

After lunch the commercial exercise starts and once this is completed you will receive feedback, before there is the option to attend networking drinks with trainees and associates.

How much interaction with partners and associates will first years have?

Attendees at the event often say they are delighted about the amount of interaction they have with partners and associates. Senior partners lead on several sessions throughout the day and associates come to networking sessions.

Within Taylor Wessing we focus on building strong relationships in the workplace - we take time to get to know each other. It is for this reason that our partners are so heavily involved in insight days.

What are you looking for in an open day application? How can someone stand out?

Be aware of your competition and, therefore, use the opportunity to be creative and personal in your applications. A lot of candidates say what they think we want to hear so their answer ends up sounding the same as a lot of other candidates.

Therefore, I would recommend really think about how you can show that you are proactive within the sector and that you are looking to maximise any opportunities offered at the open days.

The deadline for applying for First Year opportunities at Taylor Wessing is 31st December 2015. To see what opportunities there are for you, visit Taylor Wessing's website.

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