Banking and investment is a competitive sector and being able to demonstrate that you have relevant work experience will be a great advantage. Various opportunities exist for undergraduates. For example, many large financial organisations offer insight days, paid summer internships and placements.

Employers often invite students who have impressed them on insight days back to do a summer internship or placement year. A successful internship or placement may then lead onto a place on a graduate scheme.

Insight days and spring weeks are usually offered to first years from any discipline and give students an inside view of a company and its work. They generally run during the Easter break and can last from 1-5 days. They are usually open to students from any degree discipline. Applications open from winter onwards.

Summer internships offer the chance to experience paid work at an organisation for 6-12 weeks during the summer break. These are usually offered to penultimate year students from any discipline. Applications for summer internships open from the autumn term onwards.

Here are some of the internships on offer:

A placement year at a financial firm is an excellent way to gain practical accounting work experience.

Here is a sample of companies that offer placements:

Impress recruiters with your knowledge of the company, role, key clients, the industry, current events and how organisations function.

Develop your commercial awareness by keeping up to date with the latest news and trends in finance.