Corny Spring Interns

Each year, it feels like the announcements from spring insight participants get increasingly over-the-top.

We understand that receiving a spring offer is exciting, and it’s great to celebrate achievements. However, the way some of these posts are written, especially when they’re overhyped or inaccurately labeled as “spring internships” come across as excessive, especially on LinkedIn.

While I personally didn’t post about my own spring experience, I can accept an occasional, professional announcement of a spring insight (even though I don’t recommend from an industry standpoint). 

That said, I recently came across a post earlier today that really crossed the line into unnecessary theatrics from a incoming Spinger at my firm : 

“Today at 3pm, I received a call from XXX.

“I'm delighted to offer you a place!"

My Spring Week journey began on August 27th 2024. I scrambled onto my computer and loaded up Trackr (Formerly Bristol Tracker). I heard Spring Week applications had opened, and first on that list was XXX.

I'm going to walk you through how I landed an offer, and how you can too 🫵

So, my application entailed 4 parts:

  1. Resume + Written Response (~1000 words)
  2. Online Assessment
  3. Assessment Centre
  4. Video Interview

Get your initial application done ASAP ⏳

During Assessment Centres stages, make sure to demonstrate your teamwork alongside your own competency and commercial awareness to thrive at this stage. I was fortunate to be grouped with XXX ; we both received offers 🤝

Lastly, that nerve-wracking final round interview. Prove you have a comprehensive understanding of the firm's role, goals, and how they achieve them.

I'll be fully transparent. For Springs, Internships, and other programmes, l've made over 50 applications. It's not easy 😬 & I have given up during Online Assessments and HireVues. Be patient with yourself, balance applications and university, and do things in moderation.

If you'd like more insights into my application for XXX, send me a message and l'd be more than happy to help. Who knows, maybe it'll be you posting an offer”

* To incoming spring insight participants, especially those aiming to convert, please avoid making similar posts. Remember, these announcements often end up on our feeds, and trust me, people notice. If you are going to post keep it professional, concise, and avoid overdoing it and sounding like you’re a bloody TikTok creator! First impressions matter.*

113 Comments
 
Funniest

What happened to the good old massive logo and and "I am very excited to announce..."

These finance influencers have gone too far in influencing the masses

 

Nah fr. If youre gonna post anything just use the one linkedin generates for you that says “im starting a new position as xyz at xyz” 

or dont post anything.

 

It gets cringier every year, not sure why they are making it sound as if they won a Nobel peace prize…

I am ready to see an increase in ‘day of the life of a insert high finance role intern or an intern posing as a full-timer on TikTok.

 

Is getting a spring week a decent achievement — yes. 
is it worth posting hey guys happy to announce I got a spring — ok not bad

is it worth meat riding the firm and writing a whole story of how you achieved the impossible — hell no. 
 

convert it to a summer, THEN to a FT… then you can do whatever you want. For now sit tight kids. 

 

Depends if they assess you during the spring (most of them won't but ask HR). If it is assessed you'll be fast-tracked to an AC if you perform well during the spring (not sure what metric they use to see if you perform well since there's no actual work involved in springs, maybe ask some good questions?), but many of the springs are not assessed and you will be 100% fast tracked to AC for the summer internship. If you don't mind me asking what spring you got, I could probably give you some better insight.

In terms of the actual AC, it depends on the bank. But all spring conversion generally focus on cultural fit more than anything, so speak to people in the firm, look like a nice person that fits in the company and befriend HR. Usually there will be no technicals. I believe only a handful of banks, one I remember being Evercore actually will ask you technicals (that did not go in as much depth than if you were to apply via summer recruiting cycle) but of course, main focus is cultural fit. Don't be that guy that thinks he's better than everyone, that guy who has no interest outside of finance, or that guy who can't keep a conversation without mentioning investment banking at least once. 

 

Prospect in IB-M&A:

Depends if they assess you during the spring (most of them won't but ask HR). If it is assessed you'll be fast-tracked to an AC if you perform well during the spring (not sure what metric they use to see if you perform well since there's no actual work involved in springs, maybe ask some good questions?), but many of the springs are not assessed and you will be 100% fast tracked to AC for the summer internship. If you don't mind me asking what spring you got, I could probably give you some better insight.





In terms of the actual AC, it depends on the bank. But all spring conversion generally focus on cultural fit more than anything, so speak to people in the firm, look like a nice person that fits in the company and befriend HR. Usually there will be no technicals. I believe only a handful of banks, one I remember being Evercore actually will ask you technicals (that did not go in as much depth than if you were to apply via summer recruiting cycle) but of course, main focus is cultural fit. Don't be that guy that thinks he's better than everyone, that guy who has no interest outside of finance, or that guy who can't keep a conversation without mentioning investment banking at least once. 


Appreciate your answer, anyway you could PM me?

 

Idk what you're on about spring weeks not asking technicals lol.

People who don't have a finance/business/econ background will generally be asked about basic corporate finance + market + accounting questions.

Whereas people with finance background (with experience) get asked more questions that are technical (nothing you can't find in the '400 IB question')

I did spring week at American BB and got asked to walk through a basic LBO model + DCF + different types of debts + scenarios affecting valuation models - at the very same spring week, some people only got asked the basics i.e. financial statements etc.

Know a guy who completed CFA 1 (at a spring week) and got asked about option pricing/valuation and DDM

 

If it's the Brampton manor computer science kid, then whilst this post might be cringe, I'd have 0 doubt about their academic abilities. 

That school is like in the ghetto of London and churns out some of the best results in the country. If you're gonna fill a DEI quota that's the place to truly go as I doubt any rich minority parents are sending their kids to that state school.

 

do recruiters really spend time looking at what high-schools applicants went to?

 

Say you put Incoming Summer analyst at ... - is it a bad thing if the reason why you're doing it is purely so whenever you network with someone at the bank for say team / group selection, they know you aren't some random asking to network?

 

New cringe drop as of today:

“Born a leader❌ Formed a leader✅

Nobody is born the perfect leader, but rather I’ve learnt that the best leaders are moulded by experience AND mentorship.

Therefore, I strive to sharpen the skills that life has taught me and find the people and spaces that can pull me to greater heights. I’d encourage everyone for this coming year:

1️⃣ Don’t give up on being proactive.
2️⃣ Don’t give up on trying to grab opportunities to better yourself and the future before you.

The rejections or failures of the past in no way limit the brightness of the future that can come after perseverance and consistency.

So with that I’m excited to announce that I will be joining Blackstone’s Diverse Leaders Programme 2025🎉

I thank God for the opportunity and Blackstone for the smooth recruitment process! I’m excited to learn from the world’s largest alternative asset manager on how they’ve become global leaders 🙌🏾

(P.S. I applied last year and was rejected, but LinkedIn won’t show you that part of the story👀)”

 

First sentence in and I already knew it was going to be BX diverse leaders programme lol

 

How is this cringe? I and a few others in my bank (Citi/Bofa) were on the committee of our finance clubs. Having one of our dads as a speaker, would have been cool ngl.

 

I don't understand your point either, the guy's inviting someone who "sits on the founding board of some large firm", how is that not providing benefit for its members? I don't go to Nottingham so I can't comment on how their finance society is, but when you compare Nottingham to university's like LSE and Oxbridge, you don't always have the chance to invite people of that calibre in.

 

I'm surprised nobody mentioned this one from a few weeks ago

'Pictured: A call from Maven Securities (circa. 27 mins ago)

“We’d love to offer you a place!"

Also pictured: Me in bed, ill, in a dimly lit room watching some pirated TV show (circa. 28 mins ago).


But last week, I sat a final-round interview, presenting on the question, “What’s something you’ve learnt recently?” My answer wasn’t a technical skill or some academic insight. It was embracing a quote from one of my old schoolteachers: 

“Get stuck in.” – Mr Hardman

From year 7 until I left school in year 13, he’d say it so often that it became second nature. And I’m glad he did. 


--> September 20th 2024, I started university.
--> September 21st 2024, I started posting daily videos, documenting my journey as a first-year undergraduate determined to land some kind of internship. 

--> After 50 videos, 36 combined assessment stages, 2 months of drafting applications, chasing referrals, and figuring out the optimum camera angle to skip wearing smart trousers during online interviews, I’m glad that the effort was worth it. 


To the 19 other applications I was rejected by, thanks for giving me the chance to get stuck in, mess it up, figure it out, and then grow. 

I’ve said it countless times in the past, but if there’s one takeaway, it’s this: Never let an opportunity pass you because you don’t feel qualified. 


Be authentic, be unapologetically yourself, and just give it a go.

I'm looking forward to joining Maven Securities for their Maven Minds Technology Spring Week 2025.'

Only look at the picture if you have a high cringe tolerance

 

Next recruiting season, we should start a tally on the firms with cringe linked in posts. We be fun to see which firm has the cringiest intern cohort.

 

Hey Network. I have just been rejected from 1 gazillion internships, but I am here to tell you

Waffle

Rejection is Redirection

[INSERT BIBLE OR QURAN VERSE]

1M ❤️ 350 Comments

 

lol these kids r cringe man like when would they realise no one actually cares, some validation-seeking kids to fuel their weak ego's - but its fine when they convert nothing and bag ntn next cycle watch them cry :) 

 

Complete laughing stocks in the comments.

I can’t comprehend how someone could be so deluded to believe that a spring week is so exclusive they can’t imagine anyone else achieving it but themselves.

“Rest assured most of these crooks on that forum weren’t getting internships at our age”.

Utterly embarrassing.

 

fair comment by him saying why did we not do it on linkedin instead anon on WSO. Sure we could do that if linkedin culture would allow for that. Its a massive circlejerk echo chamber of forced positivity. HR busybodies would have us drawn and quartered for a bit of criticism

Also theres a mug in the comments saying "we didn't get internships in first year". Be humble pal its only a spring week lmao

 

Gets more cringe every year, feels like it’s bots posting for social validation from other NPC’s. Do your spring and get your conversion, springs are 50% luck based, please don’t hype that shit up like it’s a job offer. (Got some pretty good springs before you guys try hate on this comment).

 

I think its because things like TikTok is giving more exposure to banking, which attracts some candidates that are super driven by cringey things and brainwashed by cringe content such as Andrew Tate and 'Winter Arc'. 

 

I think this is a problem in the UK. Some Spring week converters don't have much incentive to go for first year summers as they no longer need to recruit in the next summer internship cycle, which makes them lack in the professional environment. You'll typically see the people who actually end up converting full-time are the hard workers.

 

I think it’s a bit ironic that you labeled your post using the phrase “spring interns” and proceeded to make fun of those calling them “spring internships” LOL.

 

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