A Trainee's Experience
What life is like as a Biggart Baillie trainee...
Do you remember those people at school who told you that they hadn’t studied for their exams and then ended up getting straight A’s? Well, it’s the same kind of people who tell you that a traineeship with a large commercial firm consists of a twenty three hour working day and two years of photocopying. As you get older, you realise that it’s probably best to ignore such people.
Let me tell you what a traineeship at Biggart Baillie is really like…..
Initial Impressions
Biggart Baillie was by far the most welcoming firm I encountered during the traineeship process, which really surprised me given the size of the firm.
The initial interview was very relaxed and I got the impression that they were genuinely trying to get a feel for you as an individual !
The group assessment was actually quite fun and nowhere near as scary as I thought it would be. The group work gives you the chance to see how well (or badly) you can work as part of a team. At Biggart Baillie, the people work well together but manage to retain their individuality - the firm definitely encourages its staff to have a personality and to be themselves.
Opportunities
The traineeship itself consists of four 'six month seats’ which lets you experience what it’s like to work in various departments before you decide to specialise.
Although it’s probably best to get as much experience as you can at an early stage, there is scope for staying longer in a department if you particularly enjoy it there. This flexibility is ideal as it accommodates those who know exactly what they want to do from day one but also leaves room for those who want to keep their options open.
Theory into Practice
The transition from academia to the office world can be pretty tough. Thankfully, the in-house training at Biggart Baillie is first-rate and helps makes the process so much smoother.
At the end of the day, the traineeship is all about learning. At Biggart Baillie, a lot of emphasis is placed on training with plenty of internal seminars to keep you updated on the law. There are also practical workshops aimed specifically at trainees, covering the kind of stuff that is only mentioned in passing at University but which actually has great significance in practice (Stamp Duty Land Tax anyone?).
The Big Bad Boss
A lot of the work you do comes straight from the Partners. Don’t worry though, the Partners are very approachable and operate a genuine open door policy.
As a trainee you are assigned a ‘mentor’ - a more experienced member of staff who will be your first port of call for any work related queries. You are also paired up with a 'Biggart Baillie Buddy', a second year trainee who will help you adjust and settle in. This ensures that all your stupid questions (and you will ask stupid questions) are not directed towards the Partners...
...always a good thing.
Work
As the traineeship progresses, the level of responsibility increases. The work balance is just right - it can be challenging at times but there’s always plenty of support and supervision so it doesn’t feel like you’re being thrown in at the deep end.
Biggart Baillie has an excellent client base, so you get the chance to work on high value and often high profile transactions. In smaller transactions, you get the chance to sit in on client meetings, take notes and then go off and do the work.
As a trainee you are given a variety of work to do. My first seat was in private client which meant that I was given lots of client contact from day one and I quite often became the main contact for the client. Towards the end of my seat, I even got the opportunity of taking a client meeting which was a great experience (if a bit scary!).
Wild West to Far East
Biggart Baillie has offices in both Glasgow and Edinburgh, which means that trainees can get the chance to work in both offices. I spent my third seat in the Edinburgh office so I got to know a whole lot more people than I would have done otherwise.
All Work and No Play?
Not at all. Biggart Baillie has an active social committee which organises everything from a night at the opera to a day at the races.
Like most big firms, there’s the usual 5-a-side/netball/hockey teams to join, so you can have fun thrashing other law firms. If we play against clients, however, we tend to let them win. This year I somehow ended up in the rugby 7’s squad, although next year I plan to have a ‘serious’ shoulder injury during the rugby season.
Post Qualifying
Biggart Baillie has a high retention rate. When I was offered a post-qualifying job I didn’t have to think twice about it - I know that I won’t get better experience anywhere else.