Paul McClean Graduate Trainee 2025

The FT’s Paul McClean graduate trainee programme recruits and trains entry-level journalists from all walks of life for a long-term career at one of the world’s leading, and most respected, news organisations. 

The scheme is named after Paul McClean, a gifted journalist who produced groundbreaking work during his two years as an FT trainee. Sadly, Paul passed away in September 2017.

The role

We are looking for talented, driven reporters like Paul who want to develop an FT career in financial journalism and global affairs; people who are curious about the world, strongly committed to serious journalism and who enjoy the thrill of nailing a good story.

Alumni of this highly-competitive scheme - now in its 39th year - are well represented in senior staff of the FT and other news organisations around the world.

About you

Applicants must demonstrate they can cope with the pressure of working in a fast-paced news organisation with assignments abroad. You should be a self-starter committed to unstintingly high standards, have a keen interest in business and global affairs, an international mindset and sharp reporting instincts. Strong writing ability is vital. You should be excited about getting scoops and telling stories across all formats. 

Fluent spoken and written English is essential; data journalism skills and languages are an advantage, as is the ability to understand different cultures.

The Paul McClean graduate trainee programme is not an internship or fellowship: it is a full-time contract as a trainee Financial Times journalist.

Successful applicants to the three-year programme will join us in September 2025. They will first receive eight weeks of in-house training, then have four six-month stints on different news desks, including one overseas posting. For the third year, the trainee will undertake their first dedicated job, assuming good performance. Mentoring, feedback and further training are provided throughout.

How to apply

All candidates must already have the right to work in the United Kingdom for a minimum of three years, at the point of application.

Please upload three documents. 

1) CV, include with dates

• the name and city of your secondary school; 
• university and subject details; 
• post-grad education (if any); 
• other qualifications including data journalism skills; 
• Student or other journalism experience
• languages (include competency level, ideally on the CEFR scale); 
• leisure interests.
• Work experience

2) Cover Letter: tell us about yourself, including why you want to be a journalist at the FT and why we should choose you. 

3) An unpublished news story with the emphasis on original reporting, on a topic of interest to FT readers. We are looking for a story that you have researched and written yourself with the FT in mind. It should be a news story - not an opinion piece. Submissions that have been published will be rejected. (500 words max).

Applications submitted without all three requirements, will not be assessed.