CAMPUS CHRONICLER: How seriously should I take my spring week offer?

In the last three years there has been an explosion in spring weeks, both in terms of importance and number. Virtually every bank runs one in some shape or form; some banks even run two to accommodate a greater number of students. For the first time ever, Nomura has launched a proper spring week programme this year.

What's the big deal?

Well, spring weeks are now seen as an important pipeline into banks' summer internship programmes. They also offer an invaluable insight into investment banking and its culture.

Banks like Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, UBS and RBS use their spring week programmes to identify students for their summer internships: if you impress during spring week, you'll get an internship offer. Others offer fast-track summer internship interviews to some or all of their spring week interns

Spring weeks are doubly important because they give you exposure to members of the business. You will get to meet people who could influence the decision to hire you. When you do, you want to impress them. For example, BarCap's Global Markets summer programme is desk-based, so the interviews are desk specific, which means any members of the business you impress in the spring week could hugely increase your chances of landing a place in summer.

In preparation for spring week, you therefore need to be reading the FT and the Economist. You need to know what's going on in the global economy. Equally, if you know anyone who's already done the spring week programme you're about to embark upon, get in touch with them now. Find out what they did to maximise their chances of an offer; what advice can they give you?

Places on spring week programmes are few and far between. If you've got one, don't waste it. It needs to be taken very seriously indeed.