It’s no secret that the Investment Banking sector is fiercely competitive, so getting ahead early is key. Many banks offer Spring Week placements to first year students, which give you valuable experience and gets your finance career on the fast track.
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What is a Spring Week?
A Spring Week, or Insight Week, is a placement undertaken during the Easter holidays of your first year at university. Your week at the bank is designed to give you a comprehensive introduction to the investment banking industry, as well as the work of that particular institution.
Spring weeks have become more important in recent years as competition has increased and banks seek to identify high-potential candidates as early possible
They have become more and more important in recent years as competition for jobs in the industry has increased and banks have sought to identify high-potential candidates as early possible.
What happens on a Spring Week?
Since the aim of the week is to familiarise you with the industry and your host, you can expect plenty of information, alongside time spent observing the business in action.
The exact makeup of your placement will vary, but here are some of the common elements to expect:
- Introductions to their day-to-day business and what you can expect generally from working in a bank.
- CV workshops and skills sessions give you an idea how to get ahead in the industry.
- Social and networking events to help you build contacts in the bank, ask questions directly of current staff and also so they can get to know you.
- Shadowing current trainees or senior managers to learn more about the work done at various levels of the industry.
Increasingly, banks are allowing students to specify the department in which they’d like to spend their week. If you choose such an option, you will naturally have a more focused experience than those on a more general Spring Week.
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Why apply
This is an exciting opportunity for you to gain vital experience, shadow a range of different roles at different levels, participate in a variety of skill sessions and expand/start your network. It will give you your first glimpse into the current environment of the investment banking world and should offer a fair perception of what culture at that particular company is like.
Spring weeks are normally offered to those undergraduate university students in their first year of a three year course or in their second year of a four year course.
Places for Spring Weeks are usually given on a first come first served basis – so a speedy application is strongly recommended to avoid disappointment.
A benefit of completing a spring week with a particular firm often means that your application for the next step (which is a Summer Internship) are fast-tracked and you have an unrivalled opportunity to get ahead. Banks also draw heavily from their internship pool when hiring for their Graduate Programmes, so it's worth getting on the first rung of the ladder as early as possible.
Dates for the majority of the Spring Weeks are mostly still to be confirmed but you can be sure they will take place over your Easter Holidays. Expenses for the week (travel, lunch and accommodation) are usually covered.
Don't delay, apply now!
Places for Spring Weeks are usually given on a first come first served basis – so a speedy application is strongly recommended to avoid disappointment.
We can recommend excellent Spring Week programmes and Insight days at: Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank, HSBC, Morgan Stanley, RBC and UBS. Apply via our internships page.
What are they looking for?
What type of applicants are Investment Banks looking for? To apply for a Spring Week, you generally need a record of strong academics, proven analytical skills and a definite and demonstrated interest in the financial world. Extra-curricular activities will help demonstrate that you are a well-rounded individual –which is also often a crucial part of your application. Proven leadership skills as well as being able to demonstrate that you work well in a team will also be advantageous for your application.
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