Spring Week strategy 2021
I've recently received an unconditional offer for economics at LSE for this September and will be applying to springs week this coming autumn. Having friends who have went through the process this year, they have stressed the importance of applying early. However, I have spoken to other friends, who believe societies are vital for your cv and should make up the majority of your cv. I know spring week recruitment really starts to pick up in late October/early November, but speaking to a HR rep at an insight day, I was told they review applications in chronological order and that they like to have a wide variety in terms of unis/subject choice. Doing econ and going to LSE make it quite likely that the quotas for my subject/course may fill up quite quickly, so applying early may be essential?
I have 4 insight days, a variety of retail jobs and decent leadership/ volunteering experience, so I would say I could make an ok CV right now. So do you recommend I:
A) Use what I have at the moment to carve out a cv and apply in early/mid September, before I have even hit campus?
or
B)Enjoy freshers, go through the society recruitment process and apply with a better CV in mid/late October?
Applying early is the key for spring weeks. I know many people who have got in from semi targets so I wouldn't worry given you'll be at LSE.
Recruit for a society afterwards. Spring weeks typically end with an assessment centre so you'll be able to bring in the society during competency interviews at the AC.
Also, practise numerical tests. A low score in that will lead to an auto-reject usually.
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That is exactly why he should worry, because being at LSE does not give him any advantage over non-targets. My IBD spring week class only had 3 from LSE.
Go for option A, but make sure your CV is strong enough.
Springs are about applying early, but you do need societies at the same time.
Was in the same shoes as you before and I can tell you that societies don't mean much - probably half the spring week interns have done jackshit society-wise, just join them anyway to fill gaps. Do not put insight days as a "work experience" because you will be laughed at. And definitely do not say you did a work placement if you just went to an insight day. Do not say you are an excel God because you will be exposed instantly if they ask you about a function.
2 main things that you have to do: Practice interviews and answer those competency questions as best as you can, prepare stories and interesting things to say. You will usually do hirevue first.
Practice those verbal and numerical tests a lot, need at least 80th percentile to have a good chance of getting an interview. I heard Morgan Stanley needs 90 to get an interview. I got interviews from 8 different banks and the ones where I didn't get interviews I knew I fucked up the test.
If you are a minority, you should play the race card as much as you can and go to all the diversity events.
Agreed
hey there, current first year (four year course)STEM student @oxbridge. Done a couple on insight days + finance virtual internship, exec committee position on range of societies including finance society. You mentioned not putting Insight days under work experience, should you put them under ‘relevant experience’ or a title simple ‘insight days’? Also on the technical side, should I stay away from mentioning any valuation models that I’ve been learning through internships + general reading so that I don’t get shredded? I have a understanding of how the ones in my CV work but I don’t have a deep understanding that would be need to explain every intricacy in detail. Also for IBD, should I try and relate my degree to M&A but looking into industrials/ Energy deals? is that something everyone does or fairly unique especially if I can get a good compelling story? lastly, when answering why X bank, apart from culture, should I aim to talk about specific deals a bank has done that interest me about that bank, what other things can you do to show deep interest in a firm?
thanks a lot
Imo putting an insight day can only be beneficial if it’s the firm you’re applying to. But avoid doing it anyway because everyone knows they’re useless.
I have no idea because when I interviewed I didn’t have technical knowledge, but anything you put on your cv will be tested, some guy studied accounting and he got asked what a CLO was, he had no idea because he was only 8 weeks into his degree so he got rejected, so I wouldn’t write modelling if you don’t know modelling.
Go read some news and make a convincing story for interest in IBD.
As for the culture thing, go talk to people who work at the firm and name drop in your cover letter.
FYI Most people have shit CVs for spring weeks. Have seen countless talented people get rejected but end up getting offers for summers anyway.
Do you need to network? And is mid October too late with very good cv?
bump
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