Vacation schemes can be an important stepping stone for any prospective lawyer, offering a glimpse of the real-world legal environment and a wealth of experience, knowledge and connections to help you take that first step onto the career ladder. Having completed a number myself, here are my top five tips for getting the most out of your vac scheme.

1) Be enthusiastic and make your interests known

Figure out your priorities and try to include them in your scheme. For example, I was keen to work at a firm with excellent training so I made sure I attended some training sessions. Furthermore, if you are particularly interested in a department that you are not sitting in, you can always try to contact someone from that department in order to find out more. Being enthusiastic and curious about your own department is also valuable as I learnt when I was lucky enough to be invited to attend court when sitting in a litigation department.

Most importantly, ensure that you make use of all your time; if you have nothing to do, ask for work, and if there's no work, ask whether you can try your hand at a trainee case study.

2) Consider what you want out of your career

Given how hard it is to get onto a vacation scheme it's easy to forget that it's a two-way process; but if the firm's not for you, now is the time to find out. There are always many opportunities to ask questions and these should not only be utilised but also extended if possible; it is often informative to ask the same questions of different people, particularly those at different stages in their careers. Furthermore, do not be afraid to ask the obvious questions – they are often the most important ones.

If you are lucky enough to get onto more than one vacation scheme, it may be a good idea to consider which order to do them in. Keep in mind that if you get a training contract offer from one firm, the offer deadline might be before you have heard from any of the other firms you have applied to, so leaving your favourite firm till last is a risky strategy.

3) Always ask for feedback

Clarifying what is expected of you and asking for feedback afterwards is the best way to learn and to get a realistic idea of what will be expected of you as a trainee.

4) Don't forget about your interview

Remember, you are in the best possible environment in which to prepare for your training contract interview. When finding out about the firm, keep in mind any details which may be relevant to interview questions. It can also be useful to keep notes on the work you have done during your time at the firm as you may be asked about it.

5) Prepare beforehand

It is no surprise that vacation schemes are hard work, but what I was not expecting was quite how exhausted I would be after the many evening socials. I recommend trying to adapt your sleeping cycle in advance, particularly if you have just come from university and have forgotten that it gets light before noon. Falling asleep in front of your prospective employers is never a good idea…

Good luck on your vacation scheme!

This article was commissioned for the Turning Points hub, an online career development resource from Legal Week in association with Berwin Leighton Paisner.