The Student Room Group

***Official Investment Banking Spring Week 2021 Thread**

Seeing as schools are closed and last years spring weeks have been cancelled, I think its the right time to start this thread.
This is the official mega-thread for those starting university this September or going into second year of a four year course (or third year of a five year course).

The following firms offer spring weeks:

BBs:
Goldman Sachs
Morgan Stanley
JPMorgan
BAML
Credit Suisse
Citi
Deutsche Bank
Barclays Investment Bank
UBS

EBs:
Lazard
PWP

MMs:
HSBC
BNP Paribas
Nomura
Macquarie

Big4:
KPMG
Deloitte
PwC
EY

Consulting:
BCG Insight (usually September)
Mckinsey Discover (can clash with normal spring weeks)

Commodities:
BP IST
VCMT

AM:
Schroders
BlackRock
Aviva Investors

PE:
Blackstone (Women's)

Proprietary Trading:
Jane Street Spring Insight
Discover Citadel
(edited 3 years ago)

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Reply 1
Posted for notifs
(edited 3 years ago)
Reply 2
Any idea when the Bulge Bracket firms open their spring weeks applications?
Original post by Athxrv
Any idea when the Bulge Bracket firms open their spring weeks applications?

Usually late August/early September time
do we need construct cover letters with our application?
(edited 3 years ago)
Can people in second year of three year course apply, saying they intend on doing a 1 year master, so will be graduating in 2023?
Reply 6
Hi

ive been offered a place to read Philosophy at Cambridge and am very interested in Investment Banking. How strong are my chances for a spring weeks place with an arts degree (despite it being logic/mathematics based- surprising, I know). I have also done Maths, Further Maths and physics and A Level and should get A* in most of them, so my numerical competency shouldn't be a problem.

even still- what could I do to try and prove/ show 'economic literacy' if they want to see more evidence of suitability- are there courses or books I could read?

Thanks
Original post by Snelljh
Hi

ive been offered a place to read Philosophy at Cambridge and am very interested in Investment Banking. How strong are my chances for a spring weeks place with an arts degree (despite it being logic/mathematics based- surprising, I know). I have also done Maths, Further Maths and physics and A Level and should get A* in most of them, so my numerical competency shouldn't be a problem.

even still- what could I do to try and prove/ show 'economic literacy' if they want to see more evidence of suitability- are there courses or books I could read?

Thanks

You have a good academic background, but theres much more to an application than your academics. I.e passing online tests, interview technique, cover letters etc.
(edited 3 years ago)
can I apply again to springs if I say I plan on taking a 1 year master? (so graduating in 2023), which banks are more flexible from this point?
Reply 9
Original post by InternConsumer
You have a good academic background, but theres much more to an application than your academics. I.e passing online tests, interview technique, cover letters etc.

In terms of book to read, I would recommend,

Easy Reads:
"Liars Poker" by Michael Lewis
"The Money Culture" by Michael Lewis
"Straight To Hell" by John Lefevre
"Cityboy: Beer and Loathing in the Square Mile" by Geraint Anderson
"Finance amd the Good Society" by Robert J. Shiller
"Young Money" by Kevin Roose
"Monkey Business: Swinging Through the Wall Street Jungle" by John Carew Rolfe, John Rolfe, and Peter Troob
"The Buyside" by Turney Duff
"Damn, It Feels Good to Be a Banker: And Other Baller Things You Only Get to Say If You Work on Wall Street" by

Books that will build your finance knowledge:
"Barbarians at the Gate: The Fall of RJR Nabisco" by Bryan Burrough and John Helyar
"The Intelligent Investor" by Benjamin Graham
"More Money Than God" by Sebastian Mallaby
"When Genius Failed" by Roger Lowenstein
"Flash Boys" by Michael Lewis

Technical Books that will give you a strong financial foundation:
"Options, Futures and Other Derivatives" by John C Hull
"Investment Banking: Valuation, Leveraged Buyouts, M&A" by Joshua Rosenbaum and Joshua Pearl
" The Art of M&A" by Stanley Foster Reed
"Damodaran On Valuation" by Aswath Damodaran
"Distressed Debt Analysis" by Stephen Moyer
Houlihan Lokey's case study
"Margin of Safety" by Seth Klarman
"Valuation: Mergers, Buyouts and Restructuring" by Enrique R. Arzac
"Deals from Hell" by Bruner
"Big Deal" by Bruce Wasserstein
"Gods at War: Shotgun Takeovers, Government by Deal, and the Private Equity Implosion" by Steven Davidoff Solomon
"M&A Titans" by Brett Cole



Thanks thats really helpful for some stuff to look over.

are there any pre-University programmes that you will be applying for this summer- I know that JPM and HSBC hold work experience weeks and that MS do an insight day but there doesn't seem to be too much else along the lines of investment banking opportunities to get under your belt before spring weeks...?

what University/ course are you hoping to head off to?
I saw this and thought it might be of interest as there are some really great start ups in capital investment and banking offering 1 weeks paid work experience in 2020. Its run by a charity called Cancer. We're done. You buy a raffle ticket for the company you want the experience with, all of the money goes toward cancer charities and you have a chance to win the weeks paid experience.Worth a look?https://www.cancerweredone.com/lets-work
Original post by Snelljh
Thanks thats really helpful for some stuff to look over.

are there any pre-University programmes that you will be applying for this summer- I know that JPM and HSBC hold work experience weeks and that MS do an insight day but there doesn't seem to be too much else along the lines of investment banking opportunities to get under your belt before spring weeks...?

what University/ course are you hoping to head off to?

I believe most of them have been cancelled or possibly moved online.
(edited 3 years ago)
Reply 12
Original post by Angiemore
Hey guys! haven't been on here in like a year but just wanted to tell anyone if you're looking for someone to help with tailored CV's / Cover letters for spring weeks/internships, there's a company called zoomprep run by professionals in the field that will do a great job with your cv's and cover letters. Otherwise if anyone has any questions or help with anything do let me know. Ex Goldman , JP intern - Currently working for a Hedge Fund.

Any advice on how to apply to Bulge Banks for Spring Weeks?
Original post by Angiemore
Hey guys! haven't been on here in like a year but just wanted to tell anyone if you're looking for someone to help with tailored CV's / Cover letters for spring weeks/internships, there's a company called zoomprep run by professionals in the field that will do a great job with your cv's and cover letters. Otherwise if anyone has any questions or help with anything do let me know. Ex Goldman , JP intern - Currently working for a Hedge Fund.

A few people have messaged me in regards to contact for them:



https://www.zoomprep.co.uk/

https://www.instagram.com/zoomprep/?hl=en
Reply 14
Original post by Angiemore
There are a couple of important things - You need to make sure your CV and Cover Letters are tailored and without mistakes that is what helps first with getting picked out. You prev experience with Spring Weeks applications don't matter as much but if you have anything at all it helps even if its an "Insight Day" and you're able to justify what you have learnt as well highlighting club's you're part of , extra curricular activities, volunteering, hobbies. As well as some form of knowledge about the business, so you will need to do some research - i.e The different divisions in banks etc.

I hope this helps! - Let me know if you have any further questions.

Am I meant to write about clubs / societies I join in the first year, if so what is the ideal time to submit my CV and Cover Letter to banks? Also when would be the ideal time to use Zoomprep?
(edited 3 years ago)
Reply 15
Everybody is saying that you should apply as early as possible - but if you apply pre-uni, you can't put down any societies etc. from uni. What would your advice be? Waiting or applying right now? Or does it depend on whether one already has enough relevant stuff on their CV?
Reply 16
Original post by jfk76
Everybody is saying that you should apply as early as possible - but if you apply pre-uni, you can't put down any societies etc. from uni. What would your advice be? Waiting or applying right now? Or does it depend on whether one already has enough relevant stuff on their CV?


I would say it depends. I thought about this last year when applying for springs, but in the end, I had no societies on my CV (largely because they weren’t relevant to the roles) but still got 3 offers so I don’t think that’s a major deal breaker
Does anyone know which firms opened earliest last year and when they were?
Hi, I had applied for the work experience this year being in my last year of school and they have obviously been cancelled. Do you know anything else I can be doing to help build my CV other than insight days and spring weeks?

Also would you think that the banks will accept work experience if I am in my first year of uni because of the pandemic? If not do you think it would be a disadvantage even if I do insight days and spring weeks etc?
Reply 19
Hello, I'm a french student and I'm really impressed of your work. Thanks for all this help.

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