What better way to decide if a firm is for you than by doing a vacation scheme? These one-, two- or sometimes three-week programmes give you the opportunity to really road-test a law firm, something which an isolated interview just can’t offer. Of course, vac schemes are a two-way street, which also means that your potential future colleagues are also sussing out whether you’ll be a good fit for the firm. A good vacation scheme will offer plenty of real-life work opportunities, as well as social events where you can get to know a variety of people from around the firm. What’s more, you will often be paid for your efforts! Top of the table Farrer & Co’s vacation scheme did a great job of showcasing the ‘fascinating and challenging work’ on offer, convincing trainees that this was the firm for them. At Travers Smith, trainee hopefuls appreciated that ‘associates and partners showed a genuine interest in getting to know the vac scheme students’. Mayer Brown’s ‘excellent vacation scheme’ made it obvious to candidates that the firm is a ‘phenomenal place to train’. One Osborne Clarke trainee said: ‘what ultimately made me choose the firm over others was the experience I had on the vacation scheme; I enjoyed not only the type and quality of the work, but the friendly, welcoming culture’, whilst another ‘felt as though I would fit in at the firm, after having spent time at the firm on a vacation scheme’. And at Birmingham, Norwich and Cambridge-based Mills & Reeve, trainees were quick to note that the firm was ‘really personable throughout the application process’, including the vacation scheme.