How long should I be spending on a training contract / vacation scheme application?

However long it takes for you to produce a tailored, well-researched application.

Drafting your first application will probably take a long time because you’ll be doing a lot of things for the first time, such as:

• creating a CV or writing your work experience into prose for the application form;

• explaining your interest in commercial law;

• developing a format on explaining your interest in a firm.

As you do more applications, the drafting process will probably speed up.

You will need to spend time ensuring each application isn’t generic. I talk about generic applications in this article and why they don’t typically work. That will mean carefully researching the firm to find its unique selling points (USPs), what makes it different from its competitors, and then linking it back to why you’re interested in training there.

You’ll also need to make sure you answer their questions precisely. For instance, one form might ask you why you’re interested in commercial law whilst another form may ask why you want to work at a City law firm. Though they are similar, there’s a slight nuance between commercial law (which includes law practiced at regional and national firms) and a City law firm (which also practices commercial law but often at a different level). You must answer the question set and not the question you wanted to be asked.

The best advice I received was to consider each application like a piece of university coursework. Give it the time it deserves. Don’t think you’ll be able to research, draft then check it all in one sitting.