Minority programmes

If you come from a minority group and want to work in investment banking, some schemes exist to help boost your chances of getting in. Here's a round-up of some of the main ones on offer.

Chances Events

For students from minority groups, mainly female and ethnic minorities, who are keen to gain an insight into careers in investment banking.

What's on offer?There are two main events each year. The first, which takes place in April, is for ethnic minority undergraduates interested in banking careers. The second, in June, is for female graduates interested in banking careers. The events are basically one-day sessions that take place in investment banking offices. The sessions include opportunities to meet recruiters and bankers, and a chance practise assessment exercises. Each year, around 800 female and ethnic minority university students take part.

Which banks take part? Deutsche Bank, Morgan Stanley, UBS, Barclays Capital, Lehman Brothers and JP Morgan among others.

What's in it for you?Managing director of GTI Mark Blythe says attending a Chances Event won't give you a free ticket into investment banking, but it will increase your chances: "It's a great opportunity to experience the sector, do some networking, and practise assessment exercises in a real-life context without the worry of screwing up."

How to apply? Interested candidates should apply directly to GTI through the company's website at https://www.chancesevents.com/apply/. Applications close a few days before each event.

Sponsors for Educational Opportunity

For penultimate-year ethnic minority students interested in working in investment banks. Originally an American operation, Sponsors for Educational Opportunity (SEO) has been active in the UK since 2000.

What's on offer? The charitable organisation organises 10-week summer internships. 115 students will go through the internship programme in 2006. Claire Miller, a diversity recruiter at participating bank Goldman Sachs, says the SEO programme is an excellent opportunity for ethnic minority students to find out about investment banking: "Unlike a standard internship which takes place in a single firm, SEO interns get to learn about the whole industry. They are offered mentoring from bankers at participating firms, and attend industry-wide seminars throughout the summer."

Which banks take part? In 2006 participating organisations will include Bank of America, Barclays Capital, Citigroup, Credit Suisse First Boston, Deutsche Bank, Goldman Sachs, HSBC, JPMorgan, Lehman Brothers, Morgan Stanley, Merrill Lynch, Royal Bank of Scotland and UBS.

What's in it for you? Jennifer Walper, associate director of SEO, says, in a typical year, around 75% of participants are expected to come away from the internship with an invitation to return as a full-time graduate trainee. Competition for places is therefore high: around 1,500 people typically apply and 300 are invited to interview, with the banks' own interviewers participating in the selection process.

How to apply? Interested applicants should apply directly to www.seo-london.org. The deadline for applications is typically mid to late January.

Employment Opportunities for Disabled People

For students with disabilities keen to get into investment banking.

What's on offer? UK charity Employment Opportunities for Disabled People works with investment bank Lehman Brothers to offer around 16 eight-week, paid summer internship programmes to UK university students with disabilities.

Which banks take part? At present, this scheme is offered by Lehman Brothers only.

What's in it for you? Fleur Bothwick, head of graduate recruitment at Lehman Brothers, says the scheme is seen as a recruitment tool to run parallel with the bank's standard graduate recruitment programme: "Many of the interns had their stay with us extended beyond the eight weeks and one guy has been extended until next March. We've also made two permanent job offers to people on the scheme."

How to apply?Interested candidates should apply directly to the charity's website at https://www.gradopps.org/lehmanbrothers.jsp. The deadline for 2006 applications is 28th February.

SCOPE

For students with disabilities keen to get a taste of what it's like to work in investment banking.

What's on offer? Participants are given a 12-month contract of employment with Scope, during which they undertake work placements with participating organisations.

Which banks take part? Again, it appears that currently only Lehman Brothers participates in the UK. Last year, the bank took on five Scope Leadership candidates for six-month work placements. Lehman Brothers also works with Prospects

(https://www.nas.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=473) to run internship programmes for students with autism, and with the Royal National Institute for the Blind https://www.rnib.org.uk/xpedio/groups/public/documents/code/InternetHome.hcsp) to run internships for blind and partially sighted students.

What's in it for you? Fleur Bothwick says the programmes offer a valuable route into investment banking for students with disabilities. "You will get a taste of what it means to do a proper job in investment banking, and it can be easier to get in that applying through the normal route - we are not inundated with applications."

How to apply? Applicants should visit:

www.diversityworks.scope.org.uk/services/lrt/howtoapply.shtml