Hear from Oisin, placement student in Dublin
My name is Oisin and in September I participated in a virtual internship in the Dublin office. While Covid-19 was transforming the working world in unprecedented ways, the graduate recruitment team of Pinsent Masons were working tirelessly to ensure that the internship not only went ahead, but that it was as informative, engaging and enjoyable as it could be.
I was placed in the Transactional Services department during my time in the firm which allowed me to gain an interesting and varied experience of the insurance, corporate and employment teams. My daily work ranged from in-depth research tasks on a plethora of different topics to drafting advice for clients on new government guidelines regarding Covid-19.
As a firm that is almost a pioneer in the industry in its commitment to technology and innovation, Pinsent Masons was uniquely prepared to deliver a seamless working experience remotely through the use of efficient technological systems. It was just as easy to bring the laptop home and work away as it was to do so in the office and this is a testament to the investment that Pinsent Masons has made in technology.
This is not to say that the experience was all work, however. The firm was just as committed to the experience being tremendously fun as it was to it being educational. There were several social events organised for the interns and trainees to enjoy, including a delicious dinner, a virtual escape room as well as a virtual quiz with a prize up for grabs! Unfortunately, I wish my general knowledge was as good as my legal knowledge as we fought hard to a last-place finish.
When I accepted the internship offer in October 2019, the experience I imagined could not have been more different than what actually took place. However, I genuinely would not change a thing because a mix of the unusual circumstances, the interesting and varied work and the dedication of the firm to provide an incredible internship has made this experience one which will stay with me for my whole career!