Trainee perspective: tips for the traineeship
Three times a year, Lieke recruits law students for its Trainee and Associate Trainee programmes. Associate Trainee traineeships are full-time and usually last four months. Trainees can get a lot out of their traineeship if they take an active attitude from the start. In this blog post, Associate Trainees Iida and Lauri share their best tips for trainees who are about to start their journey.
Jump right in and join your new team. The traineeship always goes by so quickly, so try to get involved from the start – for example, by taking part in joint events and activities. We have fond memories of a recent summer trip together with the office and all the coffee breaks and lunches the trainees had together.
Bring your interests to the table. Even when working as a generalist during the traineeship, it gives you the opportunity to influence your own working profile through your own interests and experience.
Be open to new things. It is the generalist nature of the traineeship that gives you the opportunity to work on new issues and areas of law. Areas of law that have not been very familiar to you in the past may start to interest you more deeply in the future.
Remember to communicate. To carry out the tasks of a trainee requires communication within the trainee team as well as with the experts. When working together, clear and open communication is key to a successful outcome, whether it’s about work-related issues or different schedules.
Pay attention to accuracy and diligence. The importance of these cannot be overemphasised in the legal profession. Make sure that the documents you produce are carefully checked before you send them on. You might also ask a fellow trainee sitting next to you for some help with proofreading!
Ask for feedback. Talk to the experts about your work and make use of the interim and final feedback you receive. Feedback sessions give you the opportunity to talk to your tutor about your expectations, strengths and areas for improvement.
During the four-month traineeship, you will learn a lot, make new friends and maybe even get a new direction for your future. However, an open and relaxed attitude will always get you the furthest!
Iida & Lauri
