Spring Weeks, Explained
What they are, why they matter, and how to actually get one. In plain English.
The 30 second version
- A spring week is a few days inside a firm during your Easter break, usually in first or second year.
- They matter because doing well often fast tracks you to a summer internship, which is the main route to a graduate job.
- Applications open early, around September to November, and they fill on a rolling basis, so applying early is everything.
What is a spring week?
A spring week is a short programme, usually three to five days, that a firm runs over the spring break. You spend the time inside the company. They show you what the work is really like through talks, workshops and shadowing, and you meet the people who work there. Think of it as a try before you buy, for both sides. You see if the job suits you, and the firm sees if you could fit there.
A short stay inside a firm, usually three to five days over the spring break. It is a try before you buy for both sides. You see whether the work suits you, and the firm sees whether you could fit there.
Listen to sessions about the firm and its work, take part in small group tasks and skills workshops, shadow employees, and network over lunches and socials.
To spot promising students early and build a pipeline. A spring week is how a firm gets to know you a full year or two before it hires interns.
Why they actually matter
This is the part most people miss. A spring week is not the end goal. It is the first step on a path. Do well on a spring week and many firms fast track you, which means you skip straight to later interview stages for their summer internship. The summer internship is then the main way people get a graduate job offer. So a good spring week in first or second year can set up the next three years.
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First or second year. A few days inside the firm.
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Penultimate year. Several weeks of real paid work, often fast tracked if your spring week went well.
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Final year. Many offers come straight from the summer internship.
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You start your career.
Who can apply?
Spring weeks are made for early years. You can usually apply if you are in the first year of a three year course, or the second year of a four year course. You do not need to study finance. You do not need any work experience. Curiosity and effort matter more than your subject.
When to apply
Timing is the thing people get wrong. Most spring weeks open for applications between late August and November, and the programmes themselves run in March, April and May. The catch is that many firms review applications as they arrive and close early once they are full. So the real deadline is often much sooner than the official one. Apply as early as you can.
Timings are approximate and vary by firm. Many close early on a rolling basis, so always check individual deadlines.
How to actually get one
Here is the order to work in.
One clean page. Clear structure. Read the CV Guide before you send anything.
Use the trackers and accounts that list live openings. Start with Where to Look.
They fill on a rolling basis, so a strong application in September beats a perfect one in November.
Most firms use short tests, a numerical test, a situational judgement test, and often a recorded video interview. Practise these so they do not catch you out.
Know the firm, know why you want it, and be ready to talk about a deal or a market you find interesting. Our guide to Answering Application Questions walks through it.
Spring weeks for alternatives
First, the honest truth. Spring weeks are mostly run by investment banks and large markets firms. Most pure private equity and hedge funds do not run spring weeks for first years. That does not mean alternatives are closed to you. A handful of the biggest names do run early programmes, and a strong spring week at a bank is often how people move into alternatives later. Here are the early programmes most worth knowing if alternatives are your goal.
Blackstone
EMEA Spring Insight Program
The world's largest alternative asset manager, covering private equity, real estate, credit and infrastructure. The strongest pure alternatives option for early years.
Learn moreMacquarie
Spring Insight Programme
A global leader in infrastructure and real assets. Applications usually close at the end of November and are reviewed on a rolling basis.
Learn moreBlackRock
Spring Insight Event
The world's largest asset manager, with a major alternatives platform.
Learn morePoint72
Academy UK Spring Insight Week
A leading global hedge fund. A strong choice if you are drawn to public markets investing.
Learn moreCitadel and Citadel Securities
Discover Citadel
One of the world's top hedge funds plus a leading market maker. Strong maths and coding focus.
Learn moreFidelity International
Spring Insight Programme
A large global asset manager offering broad exposure to investment management.
Learn moreThe bottom line
Spring weeks are the earliest real foot in the door, and the effort pays off for years. If alternatives are where you want to end up, get into a strong spring week wherever you can, learn everything, build your network, and use it as a springboard. That is how most people get there.