This is why you should submit your training contract and vacation scheme applications early

Dear Oracle

The training contract application deadline for many firms is 31 July, so with a few weeks to go I should have plenty of time to apply. But do certain law firms give vacation schemes and training contracts out on a 'first come, first served' basis? If so, how do I find out which those firms are?

The Oracle replies

While it's unlikely that law firms will have an official 'first come, first served' policy when it comes to offering places for vacation schemes and training contracts, the truth is that you’re more likely to be successful if you submit your application early. Recruiters receive hundreds (if not thousands) of applications per intake and will begin the review process as soon as they start coming in, so there is an element of ‘first come, first served’ when it comes to getting your application read by a recruiter.

Furthermore, candidates who apply early show eagerness, dedication, a genuine desire to work for the firm, good organisational skills and discipline - and that's before their form has even been read! In contrast, many of the recruiters we speak to say that applications submitted a few minutes before the close of the deadline are often of lower quality, and indicate poor planning and commitment. Do yourself a favour and begin applying early - this way you will have plenty of time to make the best applications possible.

And these aren’t the only reasons to make sure you submit your applications well in advance of the deadline. We spoke to our friends at AllHires Graduate, who pointed out that all kinds of stressful problems can arise when leaving things late: "We hear many agonising stories from candidates around deadline time. Many have missed the deadline, not completed applications fully or made mistakes. Often the reports we get are of the candidate's screen freezing, page not loading and/or internet connection dying, all at the last moment. By taking your time, and not making and submitting an application in a last-hour rush before the deadline, these problems would most likely not occur or at least not become such an issue that you'd miss the deadline.

"We are often asked, 'Can you reopen an application form for me to submit after the deadline?'. This isn't down to us, but mostly the reply we get from firms is no! How would you feel if you and thousands of others had submitted on time, only to find out that firms were allowing candidates to submit past the deadline? Clearly there are sometimes exceptions, but the over-riding message is submit on time to avoid disappointment!

"Another popular cry for help is, 'I spent so much time on this application in the weeks before the deadline, but I logged in to submit and missed the deadline'. We know it's frustrating, but if you're spending huge amounts of time on an application, it's worth logging in with plenty of time to preview your application form and to submit. Our system is timed exactly to GMT; make sure your clock, watch or time piece is correct!

"Last, but not least, if you have already submitted training contract applications and the deadline hasn't passed, you can add supplementary information up until the position deadline by logging in on the firm's application form homepage. For this, the message remains the same; don't wait until the last minute.

"So please don't make us (or, more importantly, you) sad by missing the deadline. There are many advantages to submitting well in advance."