Is the first call really free?

Yes. Thirty minutes, no cost and no obligation. We tell you honestly what we would do in your position, even if that is not working with us.

Is it online or in person?

Both. Most sessions are online, and in-person sessions can be arranged on request.

How does it work for under-18s?

A parent or guardian arranges any paid programme and is welcome on the first call. We keep written records of every session.

Can you guarantee an offer?

No, and anyone who does is not being straight with you. We make sure students apply to the right places, at the right time, and walk into every stage prepared.

Do you work with schools?

Yes. We deliver careers talks online and in person, and offer a whole-school platform that supports Gatsby Benchmark evidence. Request a demo and we will send the details for your school.

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FOR PARENTS

What is a spring week and does my child need one?

The first-year insight programmes, explained for parents.

In brief

A spring week is a short, paid insight programme that investment banks and other financial firms run for first-year university students - typically a few days to two weeks of presentations, shadowing and workshops. It exists to introduce students to the industry early, and for many firms it is the start of their selection process for summer internships.
Your child does not strictly need one to build a finance career. But if the university route is likely, it is the earliest structured door, and it happens in the first year of university - which is why the preparation starts in Year 13, before your child has even packed for halls.

Published 8 October 2026 · Updated 8 October 2026

What actually happens on one

A typical week mixes division overviews, desk visits or shadowing, skills workshops, and networking with analysts and graduates. Students work in groups on a short project, and the week usually ends with a session on how to apply for the firm's summer internship. Travel and accommodation are covered by some firms and not others - each programme's page sets out what is included.

Who runs them

Most of the major investment banks run spring weeks: J.P. Morgan, Goldman Sachs, HSBC, Morgan Stanley and Barclays among them, alongside other financial firms. Programmes differ in length, structure and eligibility, so the details always live on the firm's own early careers page.

When students apply

Applications for the following cycle open in late summer and autumn of your child's first year at university. In the current cycle, spring week applications clustered in October, which was the busiest month in our tracked timeline of 96 programmes. For a student starting university in September 2026, that means applications opened within weeks of arrival.

The practical implication for parents: the CV, the experiences and the practice all happen in Year 13, not during freshers' week.

Does my child need one

Many firms use spring week participation when deciding who to invite to summer internship interviews - check each firm's own recruitment process for how it treats spring week attendees. Participation is not a guarantee of anything, and students who miss one still apply for summer internships and graduate schemes directly every year. What a spring week reliably gives is information: whether the industry suits your child, before a single career decision is locked in.

The parent's part

Three things help: encourage the application without writing it, help your child keep a simple record of what they have done at school so the CV writes itself, and know that rejection is normal - competitive programmes reject strong candidates, and the students who succeed are the ones who keep applying.

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Related guides

The free parent guide explains spring weeks, the three routes and the calendar in plain English.

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