After school · 5 min read
What is a spring week and how do I get one?
Spring weeks explained: one-week insight programmes at banks and professional firms for first years, applied for in autumn, often leading to an internship.
The short answer
A spring week is a paid insight programme of three to five days at a bank, law firm, consultancy or large company, run in the Easter holidays for first-year students on three-year degrees or second-years on four-year courses. Applications open in late August and September and many close by October or November, with online tests and a short interview. Doing well on one often leads to a fast-tracked summer internship the following year.
Key takeaways
- For first-years (or second-years on a four-year course); applications open August to September and close early, some within weeks.
- Mostly finance, law, consulting and large corporates; it's a look inside, with talks, tasks and networking, usually paid.
- Expect an online form, a situational judgement or numerical test, and a video or phone interview.
- The prize is the fast track: strong performers are often offered a summer internship for the next year without reapplying.
On this pageWhat a spring week is for
What a spring week is for
Employers use spring weeks to meet students early and fill next year's internships from people they've already seen. Students use them to look inside an industry before committing a summer to it. Both sides win when the student finds out early that they do, or don't, want the work. The week itself is less important than the two things around it: the application practice and the summer offer.
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Who | First-year students on three-year degrees; second-years on four-year courses; some for penultimate year |
| Where | Investment banks, law firms, consultancies, accountancy firms, some large corporates and tech |
| When it runs | Easter holidays, three to five days |
| When to apply | Late August to November of first year; many close within weeks of opening |
| How you're assessed | Online form, tests (numerical, situational judgement, games), a video or phone interview |
| What you get | Pay or expenses, a look inside, and often a fast-track to a summer internship |
How to apply well in first term
- In the first week of September, list ten firms with spring weeks in sectors you're curious about and note each deadline.
- Write one short, honest paragraph on why that industry, using something you've read or someone you've spoken to.
- Practise the online tests free for two evenings. Most firms use the same few providers.
- Apply to the earliest deadlines first and in order; firms recruit on a rolling basis and close when full.
Doing well once you're there
- Turn up to everything, including the optional evening. Attendance is noticed.
- Ask people what they did last Tuesday, hour by hour. It's the question that tells you whether you'd like the job.
- In group tasks, include the quietest person and keep an eye on the time. Assessors watch for both.
- Write down two names and two things you learned each day, and follow up with one message afterwards.
Keep it in proportion
Spring weeks matter most in a few industries that recruit very early. Most graduate jobs don't work this way, and plenty of people in banking and law never did one. If you're applying because everyone on your corridor is, use the week to find out whether the work is for you. A clear no at 19 is worth as much as a yes.
Illustrative example: the week that said no
A first-year economist gets a spring week at an investment bank, enjoys the people and finds the trading floor talks leave him cold. He doesn't take the summer fast-track and instead applies for an internship at a competition regulator, where he spent an afternoon on a case study and lost track of time. The spring week did its job.
Questions people ask
- Are spring weeks paid?
- Most at banks and large firms pay a daily rate or a lump sum plus travel and accommodation, because they want students from everywhere to attend. Some smaller programmes cover expenses only. The advert says. A week that's unpaid and unrelated to your course should pay at least the minimum wage if you're doing real work rather than attending talks.
- Do you need a finance degree for a spring week in banking?
- No. Banks recruit from every subject and say so. What they filter on is grades (often 120 UCAS points or more and a predicted 2:1), tests and your answers about why this industry. Showing you've read about the sector, followed a few stories and talked to someone in it matters more than your course title.
- What happens during a spring week?
- A mix of presentations about the business, skills sessions, group tasks or case studies, shadowing a team, and social events to meet people. Some end with an assessment that decides who gets a summer internship offer. Treat it as a long interview and a chance to find out whether you'd want the job, in that order.
- What if I missed the spring week deadlines?
- You can still get a summer internship in second year through the normal route, which is what most interns do. Use first year for a part-time job, a society role, a small project and some reading in the field, so you have more to say next autumn. Many firms also run open days and virtual insight events year round.
Exercises are practice, not evidence of career fit or a qualification. How to read our guides and report a correction.
Sources
- Your investment banking career planner · targetjobs
- Student Recruitment Survey 2025 · Institute of Student Employers
- Employment rights and pay for interns · GOV.UK
How this page is written
Sources support the factual background, not a guarantee that an exercise predicts career fit. Fictional practice material is labelled. Dates record content updates; no independent expert review is implied. More about OffLadder.