About City Career Series
City Career Series offers a comprehensive range of resources directly relevant to the recruitment process for a wide variety of City careers. Our resources have been designed and collated to assist you right the way through your pursuit of a City career, whether you are just starting out, working on applications, preparing for interviews or gearing up to undertake internships. City Career Series is unique in that it offers careers advice to students and graduates from fellow students and graduates. Our writers have all recently graduated from UK universities and have progressed successfully through the graduate recruitment cycle and secured careers in a range of top City firms in different industries (having collectively attended 100+ interviews and internships). This ensures that the information provided is as simple, concise and relevant as possible and reflects City firms’ current requirements and expectations of candidates.
CityCareerSeries.com
CityCareerSeries.com offers a wide range of high quality, concise and easy-to-understand tips, articles and blogs. You will find information on boosting your employability, networking and the different types of firms and opportunities that you can apply for. The interactive (and downloadable) calendar provides easy access to a multitude of firm deadlines and links to application portals. You will find examples of application and interview questions that are typically encountered, complete with detailed suggestions of how to tackle them. Psychometric, situational judgement and E-tray tests are explained and techniques on how to approach them are suggested. Appropriate behaviour during internships is considered and hundreds of previous interns have offered an insight into their experiences whilst undertaking a variety of internships and placements at different City firms. Topical news stories are presented, complete with explanations of why the stories may affect firms and their clients. Different industries have been analysed and the frameworks that can help you to conduct your own analysis of industries have been explained. An overview of the sources you should read to keep abreast of developments relevant to City firms and their clients has also been provided.
City Career Series Publications
City Career Series also produces and distributes short, concise guides that offer a solid grounding in the general knowledge required for City interviews and internships. Information on these publications can be found below.
Commercial Law Handbook
The Commercial Law Handbook offers a solid grounding in the general knowledge required for commercial law interviews and internships. The handbook includes a description of the role of commercial lawyers and the different practice areas. It considers issues relating to starting, running and growing a business. Different methods of purchasing and selling businesses are analysed, as are the benefits and drawbacks of different types of financing. An insight into the M&A process is included, complete with consideration of the key parties involved and issues that can arise. Key legal and commercial terms are defined and contextualised and documents and clauses commonly used by commercial lawyers are briefly explained. Basic economics concepts and financial accounts are also introduced. In addition, the handbook offers general interview advice relating to competency, commercial awareness and case study interviews (provided by different commercial law firms) and advice on appropriate behaviour during internships. A recommended reading list is included at the end.
Investment Banking Handbook
The Investment Banking Handbook offers a solid grounding in the general knowledge required for Investment Banking Division, Markets, Finance and Operations interviews and internships. The handbook includes a description of the role of the different banking divisions. It considers issues relating to starting, running and growing a business and the processes that facilitate transactions involving debt and equity finance. Different methods of purchasing and selling businesses are analysed, as are the benefits and drawbacks of different types of financing. Different business valuation techniques and methods are outlined and explained. Basic economics concepts and the key financial accounts are introduced. An insight into the M&A process is included, complete with consideration of the key parties involved. Key commercial terms are defined and contextualised and an overview of useful Microsoft Excel formulas and shortcuts is provided. Focused sections on the Investment Banking and Markets divisions are also included. In addition, the handbook offers general interview advice relating to competency, commercial awareness and case study interviews and advice on appropriate behaviour during internships. A recommended reading list is included at the end.
Consultancy Handbook
The Consultancy Handbook offers a solid grounding in the general knowledge required for consultancy interviews and internships. The handbook includes an overview of the role of consultants, the different types of consultancy firms and the industries typically serviced by consultants. It considers issues relating to starting, running and growing a business. Different methods of purchasing and selling businesses are analysed, as are the benefits and drawbacks of different types of financing. Basic economics concepts and the key financial accounts are introduced. An insight into the M&A process is included, complete with consideration of the key parties involved. Key commercial terms are defined and contextualised and an overview of useful Microsoft Excel formulas and shortcuts is provided. An introduction to case study assessments is included, complete with examples of market sizing, profitability, business situation and M&A frameworks. In addition, the handbook offers general interview advice relating to competency, commercial awareness and case study interviews, advice on appropriate behaviour during internships and a recommended reading list.
Training Contract Handbook
The Training Contract Handbook brings together a broad range of expert contributions and insider tips from dozens of trainees and associates from a range of market-leading City firms. It provides a comprehensive insight into what trainees do, including practice area overviews, example trainee work-logs, detailed explanations of key transaction documents and an in-depth insight into many of the legal processes that trainees tend to project manage in practice. It also includes explanations of hundreds of key legal concepts and contractual clauses, including the terminology, jargon and acronyms that you’ll likely come across during an internship or training contract.
- A Trainee’s Role
- Managing Your Workload
- Interacting With Supervisors
- Presenting, Writing & Proofreading
- Legal & Business Research
- Core Commercial Law Principles
- Transactional Teams
- The M&A Process
- Due Diligence
- Key Transaction Documents
- Dispute Resolution Teams
- The Litigation Process
- Document Review
Application, Interview & Internship Handbook
The Application, Interview & Internship Handbook offers a range of hints and tips designed to help guide you through the recruitment process for a range of City careers. The handbook includes an insight into the types of skills and strengths that firms will expect you to possess and advice on how you can try to accumulate experiences that facilitate your personal development. Examples are given of how you can begin working on your applications and preparing for interviews well in advance. An overview of how to network is provided, including an insight into why networking is important. Tips to help you approach and structure CVs and cover letters are given. Examples of the types of questions you may face on application forms and during interviews are discussed, complete with detailed suggestions of how you can tackle them. Psychometric, situational judgment and E-Tray tests are explained, along with suggestions on how to approach them. Advice on appropriate behaviour during internships is also provided, as is a recommended reading list.
Business Writing Handbook
The Business Writing Handbook is a comprehensive guide to writing professionally in a commercial context. It provides guidance on how to write, structure and present business emails, formal letters, client reports and presentations, web pages, newsletters and meeting notes. Detailed model examples are presented throughout, including examples of what not to do. An overview of English grammar, spelling and punctuation rules is provided, with a focus on the most common errors made in a business context. Strategies for improving your writing style are considered, with a focus on helping you to achieve maximum impact and clarity when liaising with clients and colleagues. Practical tips on effective proof reading and editing are included, along with advice on how to effectively use visual aids. There are also humorous examples throughout of terrible errors made where people have failed to follow the rules and guidance set out in this handbook.
LPC Handbook
Written only by authors that were awarded distinctions on the LPC before embarking on training contracts with top City firms, the LPC Handbook is a Legal Practice Course revision guide that covers the following core modules:
- Business Law, Business Accounts & Business Taxation
- Property Law
- Civil Litigation
- Criminal Litigation
- Professional Conduct & Regulation
- Wills & Administration of Estates
- Solicitors’ Accounts
- Drafting & Skills
What makes this revision guide unique?
- Detail and coverage: this is the most detailed LPC revision guide available. It includes: a multitude of defined terms; comprehensive, yet easily digestible explanations of key concepts; a variety of procedure plans and flowcharts; and full statutory references throughout.
- Full colour and format: this is the only full colour LPC revision guide on the market, which ensures that concepts can be introduced and explained as clearly and concisely as possible. The format has been developed over a number of years to facilitate readers’ understanding and retention of information.
- Illustrative examples: there are many practical, illustrative examples of exam questions and suggested answers throughout this guide, helping to clarify and contextualise the information contained in each topic.