What can I do during gap year to gain experience for Spring Weeks next year?
I’m currently on a gap year and am planning on going to university next year having sent off applications a few days ago. I didn’t really intend on doing a gap year so I didn’t plan any travel, work experience or volunteering for the next 10 months. I’ve currently got a part time job but it’s just a regular retail one at a supermarket to save up some money for the summer/uni and give me something to do.
I’m aware that next year I will be applying for Spring Weeks but I have absolutely nothing finance related to put on a potential CV in a years time, with my only work experiences being part time jobs in tutoring and now retail. I’m also lacking in my extracurricular activities as I don’t have any leadership or notable experiences. All I did was play in some sports teams at school but I wasn’t captain or anything.
I received some advice to look at programmes like Investment 20/20 and apprenticeships but honestly I prefer the university route and it’s something that I’ve wanted to do. Also a lot of these run for an entire year starting from January 2024 which would obviously run into my university starting Sep 2024 so it’s not viable. I was wondering how I could go about trying to improve my CV for next year through work experience and extracurriculars. Also how do I go about trying to find work experience especially finance (or even politics as I’m applying for joint honours in Pol & Econ) related as someone who's only qualifications are A Levels.
Any help is greatly appreciated!
Based on the most helpful WSO content, here are some suggestions to make the most of your gap year and boost your CV for Spring Weeks:
Internships: Try your absolute hardest to do an internship this summer. Any experience is better than none, and you need any help you can get. If you don’t have family/friend connections to get you an internship, you should cold email 50+ smaller firms or startups and ask them if they’re willing to take you on as an intern. Do this around March. I personally did an internship at a startup by reaching out to the founder on LinkedIn and it greatly helped my interviews as it was a unique experience.
CV & Cover Letter: Spend the summer polishing your CV & cover letter, practicing tests & interviews, and making a big list of all the companies you will apply to. Reach out to current analysts to review your CV, once you get a good mentor, they will be the best resource.
Off-cycle IB internships: There are many MM and smaller boutique banks that don’t run spring weeks, meaning that all the spots on the SA are still there. These pay similarly to the BBs, sometimes have better hours, and I think everyone would agree that doing a year at one of them and looking to lateral (if you really want to be at a BB) would be a better alternative than doing a masters. This is because you both gain experience, get paid, and avoid having to pay for a masters.
Volunteering: Volunteering can be a great way to gain some valuable skills and experiences. It can also show your commitment to serving others, which can be a great talking point during interviews.
Remember, the goal is to gain as much experience as possible during this gap year. So, don't be afraid to step out of your comfort zone and try new things. Good luck!
Sources: (London) So you didn’t get any spring weeks, here’s what you need to do:, What should I do the summer after freshman year?, How to deal with a recession career-wise? A few lessons learned during the previous GFC
Get pussy and have fun spring weeks can wait
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