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Official Investment Banking Spring Week 2015 Thread

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Which insight days has everyone been to? I went to HSBC on Monday it was amazing you reckon I could put this on my CV? also speaking to many of the bankers who work there and recruiters, they've stated that they are not really that bothered about which university you go to (AS LONG AS IT'S NOT BELOW 50TH OR SOMETHING ) but getting a 1st is very important, all they really want is a hard working motivated individual and someone who is a bit different.

In the meanwhile they gave us a lot of advice on what to write down for the Spring week applications and the numerical test.

Wish you all luck!

HSBC (and RBS for instance) can't really afford to be picky, so yeah maybe for them uni brand name doesn't really matter.

Original post by CD315

Absolutely no insight days or relevant banking experience (except for a week long placement in a branch of my local retail bank, that's it) and my extra curriculars are poor. Have I any hope of landing a Spring Week?

Bulge brackets front office spring weeks, if your not at a target, indeed your chances are very slim. But try anyway and start networking, you may get lucky if you really want it - or lower the bar and try shooting for MO spring weeks rather than FO. Having no insight days is OK anyway, there was guy who had 4 (and a good CV overall) and ended up with zero BB interviews.

Reply 41

31541

Original post by Szmessh

HSBC (and RBS for instance) can't really afford to be picky, so yeah maybe for them uni brand name doesn't really matter.

Bulge brackets front office spring weeks, if your not at a target, indeed your chances are very slim. But try anyway and start networking, you may get lucky if you really want it - or lower the bar and try shooting for MO spring weeks rather than FO. Having no insight days is OK anyway, there was guy who had 4 (and a good CV overall) and ended up with zero BB interviews.

I see. How much would being at a target (Cambridge or Imperial maths in my case) change things?

Reply 42

Szmessh

Original post by CD315

I see. How much would being at a target (Cambridge or Imperial maths in my case) change things?

You mean what would happen to your chances if a miracle happens and from September you'd be attending a target or if you would transfer to such schools later on?

Reply 43

31541

Original post by Szmessh

You mean what would happen to your chances if a miracle happens and from September you'd be attending a target or if you would transfer to such schools later on?

No. You said 'if you're not at a target, indeed your chances are very slim' - so I'm asking how the chances change if I am at a target. I will be attending one of those schools from September (they're my firm and insurance choices).

Reply 44

Szmessh

Original post by CD315

Oh I see. Well you gonna meet a lot of people who are going to help you through the application process, tweak your CV etc also there will be a fair amount of networking events so if you put the effort into it you'll be able to land interviews fine. It might pay off though if you get on some volunteering stuff for the August month just so you'll be able to fill up your resume better.

Reply 45

tooambitious

Original post by CD315

Mate, you'll be completely fine. Just apply reasonably early and make sure your competency questions/cover letters are decent and your CV is good. I can look over your CV if you need a hand :smile:

Reply 46

Selym95

Original post by tooambitious

Mate, you'll be completely fine. Just apply reasonably early and make sure your competency questions/cover letters are decent and your CV is good. I can look over your CV if you need a hand :smile:

Would you mind looking at mine after I've tweaked it a bit? I will be sending off a few applications to diversity programmes next month so won't be able to make use of my university's finance society. Would really appreciate it as I've not got anyone to help me with it. :biggrin:

Reply 47

tooambitious

Original post by Selym95

Yep, go for it :smile:

Reply 48

Szmessh

Im no expert but I could also help with CVs, just send it via pm

Reply 49

Cutmeloose

The idea that your chances are 'very slim' if you're not at a target is an exaggeration.

(Unless, the likes of Bristol, Durham and Nottingham are included in this category.)

Reply 50

Szmessh

Original post by Cutmeloose

The idea that your chances are 'very slim' if you're not at a target is an exaggeration.

(Unless, the likes of Bristol, Durham and Nottingham are included in this category.)

Generally speaking yes, but the guy said he had no relevant experience except for a one week retail placement, and had poor ECs. If he's not at a target, given the competition I think saying his chances are very slim is true.

Reply 51

MaGeehkaal

Original post by Mike_123

I was under the impression that it was the other way around. Uni matters more and anything above 2:1 is standard.

Yes it is standard because most applicants who apply for investment banking are hard working people. From personal experience with graduate recruiters they've stated to me that they are really not that bothered about the name of the university, the reason target universities exist is because of the fact that previous graduates from these specific unis have gone on and done well in the job.

Reply 52

bertlin

How important is it to have work experience in finance. I am starting uni in a couple of weeks and plan to apply for SW in London but I have never had any full/part-time job at a bank. I have had a couple of internships during my senior year in high school. One at Ernst & Young and one at Danske Bank (Denmark's largest bank) at their headquarters. I am hoping to get some part-time work at a bank when I start uni but how are my chances if that doesn't pan out?

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 53

31541

Original post by bertlin

How important is it to have work experience in finance. I am starting uni in a couple of weeks and plan to apply for SW in London but I have never had any full/part-time job at a bank. I have had a couple of internships during my senior year in high school. One at Ernst & Young and one at Danske Bank Denmark's (largest bank) at their headquarters. I am hoping to get some part-time work at a bank when I start uni but how are my chances if that doesn't pan out?

I asked this a few pages back. I think as long as you're at a target and can network well then your chances of an interview increase. If I'm wrong then someone can correct me but that's the feeling I've got after talking to a few people who have been through it.

Reply 54

Szmessh

Original post by bertlin

How important is it to have work experience in finance. I am starting uni in a couple of weeks and plan to apply for SW in London but I have never had any full/part-time job at a bank. I have had a couple of internships during my senior year in high school. One at Ernst & Young and one at Danske Bank Denmark's (largest bank) at their headquarters. I am hoping to get some part-time work at a bank when I start uni but how are my chances if that doesn't pan out?

You got something wrong: you said you never had any full or part time job at a bank (how could anyone have an FT job or a legit finance part-time job as a high school student anyway?). You do have work experience in finance you just mentioned them.

Depends anyway; what else could you include on your CV other than those two internships (which are actually quite good btw)?

Goin to SSE?

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 55

bertlin

Original post by Szmessh

Well I have heard of people who have worked part-time while still going to school.

I ran a company that placed second in the category "best young enterprise" a national competition for high school students running a company (competed against 6500 other companies). My company won some other categories as well such as best business plan, best sustainable business and best product development ect.

I worked part-time for Young Shareholders Association of Sweden (which is the worlds largest of it's kind) as regional manager, which mean that I was responsible for southern Sweden (2000 members and 7 local clubs). I was the youngest ever to get this job since the association was founded in 1990 an reported directly to the CEO. (This might be considered a job in the field of finance)

I have arranged study-trips for students interested in finance to Copenhagen, London, Amsterdam and Moscow. Where we met with JP Morgan, Citi, Credit Suisse, Nordea and a couple of others. The trips have had a revenue of about 20 000 British Pounds.

I worked 10 hours a week as a privat tutor in maths and english for students in elementary school.

Yeah i'm going to SSE. Are you from Sweden?

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 56

Cutmeloose

Original post by Szmessh

I think the application process is far more holistic than you give it credit for.

Someone with an exemplary academic background and high sporting achievement at Bristol or Nottingham will not be much worse of than the equivalent student at Warwick or UCL.

The greater issue is the candidates at Nottingham/Bristol are generally weaker than at Warwick or UCL and this translates to the success experienced by students at the universities. Relevant experience is not really necessary at the SW stage, having top grades/extra curricular is sufficient.

There is a degree of politics and luck involved which makes the process unpredictable. Students who are differentiated by very little on paper (i.e A*A*A* and an Oxbridge degree can see one get a handful of SW offers and the other getting only one/none.

Reply 57

Selym95

Original post by tooambitious

Yep, go for it :smile:

Thanks man. Give me a couple of days and i'll DM you :smile:

Reply 58

Mike_123

Original post by Cutmeloose

Absolutely agree. Spring Weeks are insight days to give those a flavour of IB, hence 'insight'. Those with the greatest academic achievement are most likely to offer the greatest potential return and thus worth to the company.

Reply 59

Szmessh

Original post by Cutmeloose

Someone with an exemplary academic background and high sporting achievement at Bristol or Nottingham will not be much worse of than the equivalent student at Warwick or UCL.

Yes and I never disagreed with that. What I said is that having poor ECs and not going to a target greatly decreases your chances -> that's kinda like the average joe applying to these programmes. Landing 0 interviews is a real possibility in this case - why would you argue with this?

Original post by Cutmeloose

Relevant experience is not really necessary at the SW stage, having top grades/extra curricular is sufficient.