How to research banking internships

So, you want to be a banker? The first step is to decide what kind of banking you’re interested in and find out what kind of options are available to you within that particular field. Check out our pages on investment banking and retail banking for insights into different options available to you within each of these paths.

Once you’ve chosen…

Ok, so you’ve picked a field (or two or three, it’s ok to have varied interests!) and now you need to explore it. Each field has a variety of different options and some of the schemes you’ll be looking at will be more broad than your specialisms but that’s ok—it’s about getting your foot in the door, no one snags themselves a dream job on day one!

Compare and contrast

Pick a variety of companies that offer schemes related to what you want to do and then make a document which highlights their strengths and weaknesses in relation to you—remember this is as much about finding out if the company suits you as it is about finding out if you suit them—so nothing is too insignificant to make a decision over—you want to be applying to the places you’re most excited about.

Apply

The final step in the research process is the finalisation and this involves your actual applications to the places you want to work. Whittle it down to just the places you’re really keen on and then do thorough research into these schemes to make sure your applications are as fully thought through and comprehensive as possible. Once you’re happy with your applications, get them in nice and early and make sure that your name is in the mix because some schemes close as soon as a certain number of applicants is reached, even if this is before the scheduled due date.

Now all that’s left to do is wait. If you’re successful, congratulations—check out our guide to internship interviews here! And if not, then pick your head up and try again; think about different routes into the profession and remember, it’s not our falling that defines us, but our rising each time. Touché?