FirmScopeInvestment Banking · application timeline
Investment banking application timeline (UK)
Investment banking runs the most front-loaded recruiting calendar in finance. Large firms fill next summer's seats a year early; boutiques hire closer to need, often through a well-aimed email rather than a portal.
August - October
Spring week and summer analyst applications open
Most structured programmes open applications in late August and September. Many assess on a rolling basis - an application sent in week one is competing against a far smaller pool than one sent at the deadline.
October - December
Online tests and first-round interviews
Numerical tests and recorded video interviews arrive within weeks of applying. Assessment centres and superdays for the earliest applicants land before the winter break.
January - April
Spring weeks convert; boutique season begins
Spring weeks run at Easter and convert strong attendees to summer offers. This is also when boutiques start hiring in earnest - they rarely plan a year out, and respond well to direct, informed approaches.
Year-round
Off-cycle and direct approaches
Boutique M&A and advisory shops take interns and analysts off-cycle when deal flow demands it. A concise email to the right person, referencing live mandates, beats a portal application that does not exist.
What works
- Apply in the first two weeks of a rolling window - not the last.
- Build a target list of boutiques alongside bulge-bracket applications; response rates on direct outreach are far higher.
- Track every approach - the follow-up a week later is where replies happen.
Where the firms are
The same playbook works in every market FirmScope maps. Live counts, straight from the database:
The target list is the other half
FirmScope tracks 2,061 investment banking firms across 18 cities (492 in London alone) - the boutiques that never reach job boards - with websites, LinkedIn pages and contacts.
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