London Spring Weeks and Networking

Hi guys,

I intend on applying for Spring Weeks this year and have a few questions about the application process. Thanks in advance for your help!

• I understand that there is a greater emphasis put on cover letters than usual (as most applicants don't have too much in the way of IB experience), and so clearly articulating an interest in the bank is important. Does anyone know exactly how it is appropriate to do this? Is it fine to mention employees/ex-employees you've met to talk about the "culture"? Is mentioning current/recent deals a good idea? And if so, do you have any recommendations on where to source this information (TMT Finance, Deal Logic etc all require subscriptions and looking through the news isn't the most efficient process...)?

• I've seen that various banks put on events on campus where I'll be attending (Oxford/Cambridge) - some explicitly state that these are intended for penultimate/final year students, but others don't. For those that don't, are they intended for first year students recruiting for spring weeks, as well as those looking to recruit for SA/FT? Does anyone have any personal experience attending these events as a first year student? (Part of the reason I ask is that a lot of the registration deadlines are before term starts, so I assume there won't be too many First years who know about/ sign up for them, and I'd rather not be out of place!)

• Apart from these on-campus events held by banks, is there any point reaching out to contacts/ "networking" American-style (as is often discussed on WSO) to land spring weeks? Or is networking not as important for Spring Weeks as it is for SA/FT positions?

• Any other tips on how to maximise my chances of landing good offers?

Thanks again in advance for your help. And since I've not seen any other Spring Week threads, please feel free to use this one for general discussion!

Cheers,