Work Placement...Paid?

crazy_guy

I will be attending an interview soon at a solicitor firm for a vacation placement in the near future. This placement covers the whole summer. Am i right in assuming that if i did get this placement that it would be paid...or not. If not I may have to reassess my plans if i did get offered a place.

greyster

Ask in your interview. There is always an opportunity to address money concerns, just make sure its not your first question Ask some intelligent questions first!

Karnam

generally 'placements' are unpaid. but do ask.

greyster

I assume you mean law placements because summer placements in computing at least tend to be paid.

Karnam

i just wanted to add, ive applied for a summer placement at a large muiltnational record company and the ad had no salary and there's def no pay.

however they do pay my travel. if you've looked at an advert, or approached them yourself, its likely to be unpaid.

saying that, if i get this placement, i will be quitting my current paid job to go do unpaid work experience in the music industry.

black-saturn

You usually dont get paid for doing a placement but you get your travelling expenses and your lunch paid for in most of them.

trinaodee

Vacation Schemes at big law firms tend to be paid.

Moley456

Some do and some don't. I was in that position last year. It depends where you have applied to. I am just finishing my LLB and i have a paid palcement for this summer, but that is at a small/med regional firm, but the firm doesn't have 'Vacation placements' as such, they are employing me for the Summer, which means it's paid, but i also have a training Contract there.

Have a look at what the application information said, they usually mention any payment you may get. You may find that the big 'city' firms may give you a little token amount, but then if you get a Training Contract with them, you generally get enough money to compensate for the fact you don't earn much.

The big city firms tend only to be week/1 month placements. I don't know who yours is with, but if it's the whole summer it sounds a bit like a smaller firm. Small firms are good cos they tend to be looking more closely at potential candidates for training contracts and the fact you have a long placement means you can shine and impress.

What ever you get bear in mind the fact that they will be looking at future trainees, so a long placement at small firm can often be more productive than a week long placement at a large firm. Think of the future as well as the now!!

Sorry if this is not much use. If i can help with anything, i'm at the end of my final year of an LLB course and i've been through most of this.

jennifernil

My daughter is doing a compulsory 12 week IT placement this summer. She will get £18500 p.a. pro rata, so around £355 per week before deductions.