How do I apply for a training contract?

You can apply for many firms' training contracts online instead of sending a CV and covering letter in the post. Being aware of how these systems work and what recruiters are looking for can help you create the perfect application.

The majority of firms now use an online application system. As well as inputting biographical information and details about your academic achievements into the form, you will have to answer questions about your motivation for applying to a particular firm. This means that it’s important even at this stage to have done some detailed research into the firms that interest you and some reflection on your own skills and ambitions. Matching these to the ones your chosen firms seek will help tick recruiters’ boxes.

Match your skills to the ones your chosen firms seek

In some ways the online application process is less daunting than the traditional method of sending a CV and covering letter or filling in a paper application form. If you’ve planned ahead and given yourself sufficient time to draft your answers, you can save your responses before you submit them, meaning that there are plenty of opportunities to perfect your answers. When you submit an online application you’ll also receive a confirmation e-mail, giving you the reassurance that your details have the reached the right person and not gone astray in the post.

The ease of online applications shouldn’t lull you into a sense of false security, however. As sophisticated as the software is, it won’t check your spelling or grammar, and it won’t warn you if you’ve made an application gaffe such as cutting and pasting the wrong firm’s name into your text. Likewise, while it’s tempting to think that online forms can be submitted right up until midnight on deadline day, recruiters will be aware of the times that applications are submitted. They will tell you that the later an application comes in, the less likely it is to be successful.

Online systems can present some problems. For example, it can be difficult to explain non-standard qualifications or mixed academic results through an online system. If this applies to you consider getting in touch with the recruiter at your chosen firm to ask for guidance.

Some firms request a CV and covering letter rather than using an online system, and others will require you to complete their own paper application form. Search firms' profiles on this site for more information about their application requirements.