What is a spring week? #
A spring week is a period of work experience, training and networking taken during the Easter break. They are usually quite short (couple days to a week). They are quite common for roles within finance, but other industries are starting to have their own spring programs such as technology. You usually complete a spring week in your 1st year of university. Spring weeks are not common in all industries, and you don’t need to do one, but if you can I would advise you do so. They will help you secure internships/placements, which are the most important part.
What is a summer internship? #
An internship is also a period of paid work experience with an employer and are usually taken during the summer of your penultimate year of university and last roughly 8 to 10 weeks. Internships are usually completed during your penultimate year of university.
What is a placement year? #
A placement year is a 1-year internship, usually taken after your penultimate year of university. When you apply to university, often courses will have an optional placement year/ year abroad with a corporation. For example, the course may be called “Bsc. Computer Science with Placement” or “Bsc. Computer Science with a year abroad”. Effectively you take a year out of university to work a year.
What is a graduate scheme? #
Graduate schemes are permanent roles for university leavers. At this point, you are a full-time employee. You apply for them during your final year of university. They usually last 1- 3 years, and they are rotational training schemes, which means that you work with different teams / businesses areas for a short period of time before switching to another team. For example, if you’re on a Technology Graduate Scheme that lasts 2 years, then you may have 4 different “rotations” that last 6 months each with different tech teams e.g., Software Engineering Team, Data Science Team, Business Analyst Team, Cloud Team.
** Note: Not all graduate jobs are graduate schemes. Graduate jobs are jobs for graduates however graduate schemes are usually very structured and involve a lot of training and have that rotational aspect mentioned above, which means you get to try out different roles before you commit to a specific role. Graduate jobs don’t tend to have this. Graduate schemes tend to be a lot more competitive and have higher salaries. .
In conclusion, all graduate schemes are graduate jobs, but not all graduate jobs are graduate schemes.
Why are spring weeks, internships and graduate schemes important? #
Practical Experience: They provide hands-on experience in a real-world setting. They allow you to apply your academic knowledge in practical situations, helping you understand the nuances of a job role.
Skill Development: They not only help you hone your technical skills but also help you develop your soft skills such as communication, teamwork, and time management. These skills are invaluable in any professional setting.
Networking Opportunities: Being in a professional environment allows you to connect with industry professionals, mentors, and peers. Building these relationships can open doors to future job opportunities.
Increased Employment Chances: Many companies use internships as a recruitment tool. Performing well during an internship can often lead to you securing a full-time job offer from the company, which means you’ll have a graduate job before you’ve even graduated!
What does it mean to “convert your spring week , internship or placement? #
There is a process called “converting” which we will illustrate using an example.
Consider the scenario where you apply for a ‘Technology Spring Week’ online. After completing the application process, you’re fortunate enough to be selected. This Spring Week is not just an opportunity for learning; it’s also a potential gateway to a future internship. If you excel during this week and make a positive impression, the employer might offer to ‘convert’ your spring week experience into a full-fledged internship for the following year.
What’s the advantage?
You’re spared the hassle of undergoing the complete application process for the internship during your penultimate year at university. Essentially, while others are just starting their application process, you already have your Technology Internship secured a year in advance!
Also, if you manage to do well during your internship, then you can also convert your internship and receive an offer for their graduate scheme! It makes the process extremely smooth, so definitely try your best to do a spring week or internship while at university!
What does the typical application process look like? #
For Non-Technical Roles #
Now you’ve learnt about spring weeks, internships, placements, and graduate jobs, it is time to discuss the application process.
The typical application for an internship / placement /graduate job looks like this
1. Apply online with your CV and/or cover letter
3. Online tests – psychometric testing
5. Assessment centre and/or Final Interview
For Technical Roles #
However, the application for technical technology roles like software engineering look different:
1. Apply online with your CV and/or cover letter
2. Coding Test
** Note: Not all companies will give you an online coding test or coding question during your technical interview. It depends on the company culture, so make sure you check the companies website for more information on their application process.