What practical steps can interns take to prepare for an internship?

We recommend that you familiarise yourself with the firm before starting an internship. Demonstrating knowledge of the firm’s departments, deals, clients, objectives etc. can help to demonstrate that you have a genuine interest in getting to know (and wanting to work for) that firm. Prepare questions for which that you have not been able to find answers elsewhere, as this could be your final chance to ask those questions before potentially having to decide on whether or not to accept a job offer. 

What do you assess in particular during vacation schemes and are any of these attributes/capabilities more important than others?

We are assessing you for the qualities we look for in all of our trainees. In particular, we look for candidates that are enthusiastic, willing to learn, bright and genuinely motivated by/interested in what we do. These attributes are typically identified in candidates that keep an open mind and try to make the most out of all the opportunities on offer throughout the internship (including their various encounters with our employees). 

If you have interned elsewhere (or already have job offers from other firms), make sure you don’t let this affect your attitude/willingness to get involved. Doing so could reduce your chances of receiving a job offer from us, which would be a shame – especially if you have decided by the end that we are your first choice!

From a soft skills perspective, we look for effective communication and time-management skills, good attention to detail and an ability to act professionally. This means you should try to communicate clearly, adhere to deadlines, be punctual, triple check any work you submit and dress appropriately. Also, be proactive and use your initiative; asking the right questions (to the right people) and carrying out research to supplement your understanding of particular assignments will reflect positively on you.

Although technical skills are important at this stage to some extent, attitude is by far the best indicator of whether an intern is likely to thrive during our training programme. At the end of the day, if you have successfully progressed through the assessment process, we already know you have the capabilities to succeed; the internship is simply our opportunity to see you in action.

What are the most common mistakes made by, and negative behaviours witnessed from, interns and how can these be avoided?

Recruiters are very good at noticing when candidates have a total lack of enthusiasm and fail to keep an open mind about the opportunities ahead. Try to see the learning opportunity in everything you do, whether this is in the context of learning more about the firm, or learning about a technical area of law or finance. Poor attention to detail also comes up a lot in feedback, so make sure you carefully proofread all the work you submit (and each email you send!).

What attributes/behaviours/capabilities do successful interns tend to exhibit?

The best interns tend to be:

• Highly enthusiastic throughout the entire scheme: we can usually detect enthusiasm through an intern’s general attitude and friendliness; 
• Willing to learn and genuinely interested in the work that the firm carries out: this can be evidenced by the quality of questions they ask and the effort they put in when tackling real work;
• Commercial: a foundational knowledge of the firm’s clients and key industries can help to demonstrate this, as can your peripheral understanding of the work you complete during the internship; and (above all!)
• Personable: recruiters are great at noticing how you interact with other interns, the firm’s lawyers, support staff etc. We are looking for people that can get on with everyone at the firm - that’s what a positive culture is all about.