Stand Out Summer
We can all now breath a sigh of relief at summer having finally arrived. Whether you are putting your feet up, holidaying or working, it makes a welcome change from the pressures of exams.
However…
It is important not to lose touch over these summer months if you want to be in with the best chance of securing a highly sought-after internship or graduate role at a prestigious financial institution. I hope to offer you five easy and convenient tips to stay-up-to-date and to know your options come the opening of applications.
1.Market Mogul
Sign up to Market Mogul to receive a daily email update on everything and anything that affects the financial sector. This free service is a great way to keep up to date on current affairs with minimal effort, as every email is designed to be read in under three minutes. Most articles are written by professionals in the financial sector, therefore, offering an interesting insight into how news stories affect the work of these finance sector workers.
Take this a step further by keeping a ‘market wrap’ notebook – advice given to me during my Goldman Sachs Spring Week. Every morning note down interesting fluctuations in the markets and think about why they have occurred (the Market Mogul emails will help you with this). Over time you will be able to build up an interesting and personalised history of market fluctuations which will set you in brilliant stead for any internship or graduate role you are seeking.
Sign up to Market Mogul here
2. ‘GoodAt’ App
I have just started using this free app, so am still discovering all its features. Personally, its two greatest features are testing your key cognitive traits such as leadership and decision-making by designing mini quizzes, and then matching you with suitable job opportunities, and, offering daily mini quizzes on the main industries, finance being one of them. Each quiz consists of 5-10 multiple choice questions so they are quick and easy to complete, whilst also making a welcome change from reading through emails and webpages.
Download the free app here
3. Bright Network
This is another fantastic free service for motivated students which I recommend you make use of. By signing up to Bright Network and filling in an online profile about which industries you are interested in, they can send you emails about the latest job and internship opportunities. Additionally, many schemes at major firms open their applications early or give preference to Bright Network applicants, so this alone should be enough to make you consider signing-up. Their website also has a wealth of information and advice about companies and their schemes which is well worth a read before applying to opportunities.
Sign up to Bright Network here
4.The Financial Times
“You never appreciate what you have until it’s gone”, so I urge you to sign up to The Financial Times whilst you get free membership as a University of Bristol student. This award-winning newspaper can be accessed online and via an app for free when you use your Bristol student login details. The news and feature articles will help you to build your knowledge of the markets and financial sector which will be indispensable come interview time to help you demonstrate your knowledge, personal interest and make you a positively memorable applicant.
Sign up to The Financial Times for free
5.“The Early Bird catches the Worm”
Timing is everything when it comes to applications and last year I heard from sources that for some summer internships you were 90% more likely to be successful if you applied in the week of opening versus the week of closing applications. It is vital to remember that many firms hire on a rolling basis, so you are at a huge disadvantage if you apply close to the deadline. Most firms will open their applications for summer 2018 internships this August so get ahead by making sure your application is ready to send in before you return to University. The Career Service is open during summer and my committee and I will also be happy to help over the next few months to ensure your application is ready.
Thank you for reading this article, and I hope it has been useful. Please do not hesitate to get in contact with me (sw16547@my.bristol.ac.uk) or my committee (uobwomeninfinance@gmail.com) if we can be of assistance in any way. Additionally, if you have any great pieces of advice for fellow members please post them below.
I hope you all have a fantastic summer!
Sarah Woodard
President
