Dear readers,

    Welcome back to school! It’s been a fun and fruitful summer, and now we must prepare for the new school year, coursework, and, believe it or not, internship applications for next summer!

    For many financial institutions, summer analyst recruiting begins in September. Many of the summer internship programs are geared towards juniors in college. Employers partner with universities in a program called OCR, or On-Campus Recruitment, through which they hold corporate presentations and conduct first-round interviews on campus. In order to participate in OCR, students may be asked to complete a set of requirements, such as attending an orientation session to learn more about the program. Of course, the process varies by school.

    Companies may begin campus recruiting as early as the first month of school by hosting corporate presentations. These presentations are usually held in a formal business setting, kick off with an overview of the company and are followed by speeches from firm members. After an introduction and presentation, the event breaks out into a networking session where students and employers gather around by division and chat. This is an opportunity for potential candidates to inquire about the firm, industry or division. At the event, it’s important to look out for pamphlets and packets since they provide important information about the recruiting timeline and recruiter/employer contact information. These presentations typically last an hour or two.

    Besides the large-scale corporate info sessions, there are many smaller events as well, such as coffee chats or divisional information sessions held on campus. It’s important for people interested in applying to bring copies of their resumes to these events.

    The next step is filling out the applications and submitting a resume, cover letter and other materials. The deadline for this depends on the company, region, and division. It could even occur before some of the information sessions are held.

    Interviews are probably the most essential and difficult portion of recruitment. Career centers provide face-to-face interview practice. There are even online programs for mock interviews. In the case of interviews, preparation and practice are key. Some companies may conduct phone or video interviews in the preliminary rounds. Multiple rounds of interviewing are common before landing a job offer at many financial firms. A junior internship has the potential to extend into a full-time offer at the end of the summer, which is one reason the On-Campus Recruitment period is a busy time for many juniors.

    Sincerely,

    Bingyin