UK: Applying for a SA position or directly for FT? (summer 2016)

I'm going to start with the MiM at London Business School in September and would like to work at an IB in London post graduation. I've already done an internship at a BB in another city in Europe and wanted to know your opinion about which way I should go to increase my chances to get a FT offer at one of the big banks in London?
1. Apply for a SA position ( apparently not possible at every bank since I'll be in my final year of university?!) and try to convert it into a FT offer for summer 2017
2. Apply for a FT position directly - not sure how challenging this would be, since most banks fill 80% of their analyst positions with former interns?

Thanks for your input!

 

@ropemakernicco" may I ask what your background is? some people keep telling me that I should apply for FT, which would make sense but then on the other hand it's a lot more challenging, I guess.

 
Best Response

When does your uni year end? At my last place I know we phased the SA intake to account for different timings of schools across the UK and Europe.

I can also say that we very very rarely took on people who hadn't interned with us, the exceptions depended on where that person had previously interned, whether they were given an offer, and what we felt their relevant experience would be. Or if we happened to know someone at said firm who recommended them and would have loved to have you join but ultimately you wanted to be in London..

Bear in mind the internship is really just one big long interview - we would much rather have a long interview and hire them then take a punt on a full time slot with someone we have met for a day

Oh also I forget if SA is Associate or Analyst - If Associate, we ONLY hired new associates from the previous years Interns. My experience though is from summer of '14 and accept the market may have gotten a little better on the hiring front

 

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