Trainee traditions that shape life at Russell-Cooke

Starting any new job can be daunting and overwhelming at the best of times. For myself, it was especially so as this was my first ‘real’ office job. 

On top of that, we were commencing the training contract. After all the hard work, long study hours and seemingly endless exams, you find yourself in new shoes that pinch your feet, in a new suit which is somehow already wrinkled, and outside the front door nervous for your first day. 

To help with the transition, the veteran trainees always buddy up with the new recruits. Many coffee chats later and you have a friend to help steer you through the first few weeks and months of the training contract.

By this point in the training contract, you feel as though you have found some solid ground under your feet. 

Then the real challenge raises it’s white-bearded and red hatted head…

Every year in December, the trainees gather to untangle giant balls of Christmas lights, hang baubles and come up with new ingenious ways of being able to place the star on top of the trees throughout the firm. We come together to share the Christmas spirit and liven up the entrance halls of the firm, just in time for the Carol service put on by our very own Russell-Cooke musicians.  

As spring approaches, the days are getting longer, the Russell-Cooke bees are coming out of hibernation, and we are preparing for the turbulence of starting a new seat.

All the while, the Fundraising and Outreach Committee is collecting donations across the firm’s three offices to support Smart Works and Traid. 

Smart Works is a UK-wide charity that provides free interview-appropriate clothing and interview preparation support to women who are unemployed or on zero-hours contracts. 

Traid is a charity that works to stop clothes from being thrown away by collecting and reselling them to fund global projects that support sustainable and ethical fashion.

We are encouraged to come up with new charitable initiatives and take responsibility for the same. This is a great way of getting involved and working together with the Trainees to achieve an outcome which enriches the community (and, in this case, is much needed incentive to clear out the wardrobe!). 

The year’s finale is always supporting the London Legal Trust by taking part in the London Legal Walk. (As well as having a big summer trainee social. Last year was going to see ABBA Voyage! We’ll see what our Social Committee comes up with this year…)

With feet aching, we join in the activity to raise money for a worthy cause. This is a highlight in our trainee calendar as we all come together for a fun afternoon of movement in the sunshine (with any luck!).

As a trainee at Russell-Cooke, you’ll be absorbed into the culture of the firm before you know it. Everyone is friendly, approachable and willing to set aside time for your professional as well as your personal development. 

If you are looking for a firm where your talents will be nurtured and your value respected, Russell-Cooke is the firm for you.