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The Recruitment Process

16 September 2015 |

The recruitment process for City careers can involve an application stage, psychometric testing, a phone or Skype/video interview and an assessment centre at the firm"s offices. These stages are designed to test your strengths, capabilities and suitability to the role for which you are applying.

Recruitment Process

  • Banks generally set a series of application questions for you to answer online and/or require you to send a CV and cover letter.
  • A majority of banks tend to set online psychometric tests (typically verbal reasoning, logical reasoning and numerical reasoning tests).
  • Many banks also request that you undertake a phone and/or video interview at this stage
  • You will usually then have to undertake an assessment centre at the firm"s office, which usually includes a face to face competency interviews, case study/commercial interview and a group exercise. Note that assessment centres for Spring Weeks (short internships aimed primarily at 1st years) are typically less challenging than those set for students looking to undertake full summer internships.
  • If successful, you will either be offered a job outright or (depending on what you have applied for) an internship. Your performance during Internships is usually assessed throughout by various different methods, including additional (or final) interviews, department/supervisor appraisals and group presentations.
  • If you have successfully completed an internship, at this stage you may be offered a job.
  • Note that not all firms have the same recruitment process.

After Graduation

  • Depending on your role, you will have to take a number of external qualifications once you start work, including exams set by the Financial Conduct Authority.
  • When you start at the firm, you will take the title of Analyst.
  • Once you have worked at the firm for a few years (typically 3), you then become an Associate.
  • After years of being an Associate (and a great deal of hard work), you may have the opportunity to progress to the role of Director.