Blogs 09 January 2026

How to make your training contract application stand out

Ted James

4 min Read

First-seat trainee Ted James shares his tips for applying to the Russell-Cooke training contract and vacation scheme.

The current application cycle for vacation schemes and training contracts is nearly over… the deadline for applications to Russell-Cooke is now just four weeks away. The firm receives hundreds of applications each year – how do you make yours stand out?

Before I give you my thoughts – let me take a moment to reassure you. Whilst the process can be daunting (and at times a little demoralising), take comfort in the fact that the vast majority of solicitors once embarked on the same application process. Many, including myself, will have had applications rejected and applied over multiple cycles before securing a training contract. It is far from an exact science and can be hugely frustrating.

Trust that over time you are progressing and developing: getting feedback (where possible), learning from unsuccessful applications, expanding your knowledge of firms and the role of a trainee solicitor – these experiences all make you a stronger candidate.

Let me put it like this – I felt a lot more confident going into my last training contract interview than I did my first, and I believe I was also a much better candidate by that time. This was primarily a result of my past unsuccessful applications.

So a preliminary and more general piece of advice is: persevere with applications, you are getting closer which each one!
Now, on to my three top application tips…

Show your personality

Showing your personality throughout the application process is hugely important if you are to be successful. From my experience amongst the trainees here at Russell-Cooke, I am sure that those involved in graduate recruitment look beyond academic performance.

To be clear, that is that is not a thinly-veiled insult regarding the intelligence of my fellow trainees…

It is instead to say that what I imagine set my colleagues apart from other applicants is their personality: what makes them unique, the attitude they bring to different situations, how they confront problems etc.

This makes a great deal of sense; there is a lot to learn as a trainee solicitor. You must be able to adapt, maintain a positive outlook, engage with a wide range of people. You also need to be someone who people want to work with.

Strong grades are great, but your personality is a far better indicator of how you will cope with challenges and what you will bring to the firm on a day-to-day basis. Where the opportunity presents itself, whether in application questions or at a later stage in the process, don’t give a stock answer or do what you think is expected of you – instead, demonstrate what makes you different!

Ensure you are firm-specific

One of the most important things to demonstrate in training contract applications, especially in order to stand out, is a genuine interest in and, where possible, a connection to the specific firm to which you are applying.
Interaction with the firm is especially powerful. Mentioning conversations with trainees, associates or partners at events, or referring to articles, initiatives or cases you have read about, helps to establish an individual connection. Engaging with the firm in this way will allow you to obtain insights that are not publicly available and will ensure that your application is authentic rather than formulaic. Our trainees are more than willing to share their experiences and taking the initiative to reach out can definitely strengthen your application.

The aim here is to establish not only that you want to be a trainee solicitor, but that you want to be a trainee solicitor at Russell-Cooke. It will be a great strength of your application if you can demonstrate this convincingly; the time and effort you have invested in this regard prove your desire and commitment towards working at the firm.

Be precise

Finally, precision matters. While this is a more boring point: adhering to word counts, answering questions directly, and ensuring correct grammar and spelling are all crucial aspects to a strong application. There are many unknowns and outside factors when entering an application process, but this is something that is very much within your control.

Attention to detail is a fundamental skill for trainees, and the application form is your first opportunity to demonstrate this. So while it can be slightly tedious, this stage is not to be rushed; spending the time to check your application thoroughly and run it past a friend or family member can be the difference between being successful or unsuccessful at the initial stage.