Work experience/ internships

[shutthatbloodydoor]

DD is a 2nd year law student and is currently trying to find something for next summer, even if it's just a couple of weeks.

Most of the major law firms are understandably in London or the big cities, how on earth do they expect students to pay for transport and accommodation if they don't live locally?

The rail costs are prohibitively expensive, we could possibly run to some cheap Travelodge type place but there are lots of students and families that just couldn't do it.

It seems terribly unfair.

[GetAHaircutCarl]

That's not too bad then bobo.

I suppose it depends when the firms do them. The ones plonked right in the middle are a bit of a bugger.

I dunno, it's not that I'm against internships, it's just that those long Summers are so unusual and special. One of the few times when young adults can spend extended periods doing something other than academic work, work work, or child rearing.

[GetAHaircutCarl]

goodbye I hope we can do that together...though he shows no sings of wanting to take early retirement!

That said, I'm not agitating yet. I'm seriously enjoying my own work and don't want him here. Another writer friend's husband recently had an extended period of gardening leave and she emailed me saying how having him under her feet was doing her nut in. When I asked what in particular he was doing, she replied.

'I can hear him breathing' .

[Bobochic]

In some industries e.g. Consulting there isn't always much interesting work over summer. June offers much better experience than July/August. And in other industries splitting the internship (DSS1 did three separate sessions in one firm, over two summers) allows you to experience different departments and gain perspective over time.

[GetAHaircutCarl]

bobo yes, July/August is always quiet in law firms (these things being relative). I don't know whether that's better - the lawyers are more available, or worse as there's less work?

In publishing you'd probably spend the whole day in the pub .

[Bobochic]

I don't know about lawyers but consultants are a bit pointless without a case to consult on! DSS1 enjoyed his consulting internship and was proud to be able to add value to the team with his extensive statistics skills.

[sassymuffin]

DD is hoping to fit two or three vac schemes during next summer but given how competitive the applications are for city law firms she will be very lucky to secure that amount. Thankfully she will be staying with her boyfriend if they are still together or friends houses.

I know this doesn't apply to your DD but if there are any first year students who want to go into the legal profession and who study in London or South East unis then City Solicitor Horizons is an excellent programme. They must of previously attended a state school and fulfil certain other criteria but it really offers great opportunities in the way of work experience and workshops.
DD applied to this last year and last summer and she found it very helpful. The only drawback is that they do not pay accommodation costs but do reimburse travel costs. We live in Merseyside and my DD used Megabus to travel to London for £6 and stayed at friends houses when attending their events.

[Needmoresleep]

Bobbo, sorry I am with the mum on this. Resilience is so important, especially in an uncertain world. Over the last decade or so I have met plenty of very successful City types. Some are fine, but others are bewilderingly one-dimensional, the worst making it obvious they judged people on the college you went to and the size of your annual bonus. (And worst still are those wives who appear to assign rank on the size of a husband's bonus.)

Equally we met people, worried they might be affected by the latest round of City redundancies, who would quietly ask about public sector prospects (and how we managed both the London mortgage and school fees without a City salary.)

So far DDs gap year is proving a great experience. After three or more years of ticking boxes for medical school, and the prospect of 40 or more years of studying or practicing medicine, I am so pleased she has a chance to do something very different. She is working very long hours at her internship and not being paid. (She volunteers for the evening and weekend work!) But she now knows what running a small business involves, she is picking up a whole lot of very different skills, at this point it suits her to do something non-academic, and she is having fun. If her Plan A career does not work out, and these things do happen, she will have a useful level of confidence and adaptability that will help her with a Plan B. In the same way as we have known City folk start small businesses, become musicians, go into teaching, or work for Housing Associations.

I worry that kids who have had admirable focus from quite an early age, whether it is a career in finance or medicine or whatever, might wake up one day and wonder whether they have made the right decision. A bit of time out, doing something difference, allows for perspective and a chance to review. Worse still might be to simply keep plodding along the same path, unaware of having made decisions on career choice, till retirement or redundancy.

[Me2017]

They get £500 a week! Law is the internship which is fair to the poor. It's journalism and fashion and stuff like that which don't pay.

If they don't have the ability to fix up somewhere to stay I am not sure we want them in law actually.

Many solicitors' firms recruit from their graduate schemes in year 2 of the law degree so it is worth doing them and they are paid anyway as I say.

There are all kinds of ways to find accommodation. First many students amazingly make friends at university who live or are based in London so can share a floor or sofa. Others can use the £500 for some rent