[Z1G]

Hi, I'm hopefully starting Uni this October and at the minute I think I'd enjoy a career in investment banking. I've applied to the JP Morgan Schools programme and will apply to the RBS one, is there any other similar schemes which would be worth applying to?

Also, and more importantly, what does anyone think is relevant work experience which would perhaps help in an application for Spring weeks? Would any experience in finance help, such as with a financial adviser, or would experience in accounting be worthwhile?

Thanks for any ideas!

[TomasK]

(Original post by Z1G)
Hi, I'm hopefully starting Uni this October and at the minute I think I'd enjoy a career in investment banking. I've applied to the JP Morgan Schools programme and will apply to the RBS one, is there any other similar schemes which would be worth applying to?

Also, and more importantly, what does anyone think is relevant work experience which would perhaps help in an application for Spring weeks? Would any experience in finance help, such as with a financial adviser, or would experience in accounting be worthwhile?

Thanks for any ideas!

Can't help with the first bit of the question, but as for 2) - definitely, any sort of finance-related work experience would be of huge help, you would be surpirsed how many people apply to SWs with work experience already.

[Z1G]

(Original post by TomasK)
Can't help with the first bit of the question, but as for 2) - definitely, any sort of finance-related work experience would be of huge help, you would be surpirsed how many people apply to SWs with work experience already.

Thanks for your reply, what sort of work experience would you say is best or does it not really matter, I live up north in a smallish town. And is the best way to ask just to e-mail the companies seeing if they would take me for experience?

Thanks again

[TomasK]

(Original post by Z1G)
Thanks for your reply, what sort of work experience would you say is best or does it not really matter, I live up north in a smallish town. And is the best way to ask just to e-mail the companies seeing if they would take me for experience?

Thanks again

Potential family, current school finance industry connections, cold-calling, 'cold-emailing' with your CV. So yes, this could potentially enable you to secure something. What sort of work experience? As relevant to the role you ultimately want to land as possible, surely. But at this stage pretty much anything finance-related would be good, you'll realise you can't be too picky, given that you do not live in a massive city like London. But to answer your question - just shoot for various M&A boutiques, Private Equity, Venture Capital, Asset Management firms (including hedge funds, private wealth managers etc.), accountancy firms, brokers even and just look through what services they offer and approach the firm with an idea of what you want to do with them, will seem more focused.

[Z1G]

(Original post by TomasK)
Potential family, current school finance industry connections, cold-calling, 'cold-emailing' with your CV. So yes, this could potentially enable you to secure something. What sort of work experience? As relevant to the role you ultimately want to land as possible, surely. But at this stage pretty much anything finance-related would be good, you'll realise you can't be too picky, given that you do not live in a massive city like London. But to answer your question - just shoot for various M&A boutiques, Private Equity, Venture Capital, Asset Management firms (including hedge funds, private wealth managers etc.), accountancy firms, brokers even and just look through what services they offer and approach the firm with an idea of what you want to do with them, will seem more focused.

Thanks for your reply again that's really helpful I'll look into some of them. Last question, would work experience with a financial advisor be useful? Thanks

[TomasK]

(Original post by Z1G)
Thanks for your reply again that's really helpful I'll look into some of them. Last question, would work experience with a financial advisor be useful? Thanks

Yes.

[askquestions]

How did u apply to JP Morgan schools programme? Also I thought it would be to late to apply to a work experience for summer work experience.
Thanks

[Z1G]

(Original post by askquestions)
How did u apply to JP Morgan schools programme? Also I thought it would be to late to apply to a work experience for summer work experience.
Thanks

It was on their website the deadline was the end of April though, the RBS one is still open for applications for quite a while i'm not sure if there are any similar schemes.

I don't know if it is too late or not I should have probably asked earlier but it can't do any harm asking a few local firms I suppose.

[Hackett]

(Original post by Z1G)
Hi, I'm hopefully starting Uni this October and at the minute I think I'd enjoy a career in investment banking. I've applied to the JP Morgan Schools programme and will apply to the RBS one, is there any other similar schemes which would be worth applying to?

Also, and more importantly, what does anyone think is relevant work experience which would perhaps help in an application for Spring weeks? Would any experience in finance help, such as with a financial adviser, or would experience in accounting be worthwhile?

Thanks for any ideas!

OP - Experience is very, very important. The more specific the better. Accounting is OK, the skills learnt will be beneficial but the brand name on your CV is overly important. I can't stress that enough.

Most people on this forum tend to knock Work experience, and say it doens't matter all that much, (they say this because they haven't got any themselves quite frankly) In this type of market, you need something to make you stand out or you need to be able to make contacts at the banks so that A) It make you stand out significantly from the other pool of applicants and B) Having someone at the firm can really help with regards to giving you more info, putting your name forward to HR etc, etc.

[askquestions]

I know a lot my school students got in to big bank for work experience becuase there relatives work in the bank. Neither of my relative work in the bank does it mean that I can't get work experience at all?

[Z1G]

(Original post by Hackett)
OP - Experience is very, very important. The more specific the better. Accounting is OK, the skills learnt will be beneficial but the brand name on your CV is overly important. I can't stress that enough.

Most people on this forum tend to knock Work experience, and say it doens't matter all that much, (they say this because they haven't got any themselves quite frankly) In this type of market, you need something to make you stand out or you need to be able to make contacts at the banks so that A) It make you stand out significantly from the other pool of applicants and B) Having someone at the firm can really help with regards to giving you more info, putting your name forward to HR etc, etc.

Thanks, I've managed to get some work experience which will hopefully be quite useful, its not in a bank of anything though.

(Original post by askquestions)
I know a lot my school students got in to big bank for work experience becuase there relatives work in the bank. Neither of my relative work in the bank does it mean that I can't get work experience at all?

From what I know, getting work experience in an investment bank before university is very difficult if you don't know anybody. You can still try and get work experience at other companies in finance though!

[non]

(Original post by Z1G)
Thanks, I've managed to get some work experience which will hopefully be quite useful, its not in a bank of anything though.

what type of work experience did you get? and how did you get it?

[adbit81]

can anyone tell me where i can find the link to information on the rbs work experience? i went to the jp morgan programme but finding info on the other courses (rbs, morgan stanley) seems to be more difficult.

thanks