Bankable Blog

Investment banking vs consulting vs asset management: which is right for you?
These three are the most commonly confused finance-adjacent career paths — they overlap in prestige and pay but differ significantly in day-to-day work, culture, and what actually gets you hired.Investment bankingAdvising companies on raising capital, mergers and acquisitions, and major financial transactions. Grad analyst total comp typically runs £84k–£165k, rising sharply with seniority (Analyst → Associate → VP → Director → MD). The trade-off is genuinely long, unpredictable hours, especially in the first few years — this isn't exaggerated, it's a real and common reason people move on after 2–3... Read more...
Spring weeks, summer internships and graduate schemes, explained
These three terms get used loosely, but they represent three distinct, sequential stages — understanding the difference matters because they have different eligibility, timing, and purpose.Spring weeksShort (usually one week) programmes run by banks in spring, aimed specifically at first-year university students. They're the real entry point into the industry — strong performance on a spring week often leads directly to a summer internship offer the following year, skipping a chunk of the usual competitive process. Applications typically open in autumn of first year and fill quickly.Summer internshipsLonger (typically 8–10... Read more...
Networking and LinkedIn for aspiring finance professionals
"Networking" sounds like something only adults with business cards do, but at your stage it just means having genuine, low-pressure conversations with people a few steps ahead of you. Here's how to do it without it feeling forced.Setting up LinkedIn properly A clear, simple headshot — no filters, no group photo crops A headline stating what you're aiming for (e.g. "Aspiring Investment Banking Analyst | Year 12 Student") A short About section — 2–3 sentences, similar tone to a CV personal statement List any programmes, courses, or societies as you... Read more...
Assessment centres: a survival guide
Assessment centres are the final filter before an offer — usually a half-day or full day combining several exercises. It sounds intimidating, but every part of it is preparable.What's typically included Group exercise — a case or discussion task done with 4–8 other candidates, watched by assessors Case study / written exercise — analysing a business problem and presenting a recommendation Individual interview(s) — competency-based, sometimes technical depending on the role Presentation — often prepared in the room with limited time, then delivered to assessors The group exercise: what assessors... Read more...
Online tests and HireVue interviews: what to expect
Before you ever speak to a human, most finance applications route you through an online test and a recorded video interview. Both are genuinely learnable — here's what they actually involve.Online tests: what's actually being measuredMost banks and firms use numerical reasoning, verbal reasoning, and situational judgement tests (SJTs), often from providers like SHL, Pymetrics, or Cappfinity. Numerical tests involve interpreting graphs, tables and percentages under time pressure — the maths itself is rarely hard, the clock is the real challenge. Situational judgement tests present workplace scenarios and ask you... Read more...
Cover letters that actually get read
Cover letters get skimmed in under a minute, sometimes less. The job of a cover letter isn't to repeat your CV in sentence form — it's to answer one question convincingly: why this firm, specifically?The structure that worksThree short paragraphs. Paragraph one: why this firm, with a specific reason, not a generic one. Paragraph two: what you've done that's relevant, even if it's a course or a simulation rather than paid work. Paragraph three: what you want to learn and a simple, confident closing line.Zero experience? Here's what to write... Read more...
How to write a CV that actually gets you into finance
Most finance CVs fail before anyone reads a word of the personal statement — wrong structure, wrong emphasis, or trying to sound like a graduate when you're not one yet. Here's what actually matters at your stage.Structure firstStick to one page. Section order: Personal Statement, Education, Work Experience, Extracurricular Activities, Skills & Interests. Recruiters skim in seconds — a predictable structure means they find what they're looking for instead of hunting for it.Personal statement: be specific, not impressive-soundingSkip "hardworking, ambitious team player." Every CV says that. Instead, name the specific... Read more...