2. What is SEO London?
Sponsors for Educational Opportunity (SEO) London is an alumni driven
not-for-profit organisation
SEO provides students from under-represented ethnic minority backgrounds
the opportunity to gain internships at ALL of the top investment banks,
management consultancies, professional service and corporate law firms in
London
More than 320 summer internships with 26 of the City‟s leading financial
service firms in 2010 (plus 150 mini internships for first year students)
More than 400 summer/longer internships available in 2011 with
30+ City firms (plus 170+ mini internships for first year students)
SEO was originally founded in 1963 as one of New York City‟s first mentoring
programmes for BME (Black & Minority Ethnic) high school students, London
programme founded in 2000 by alumni of US programme
Since 2000, 80% of 1300+ alumni of the SEO London
programme have gone on to secure full-time graduate
positions with partner firms at the end of their placementwww.seo-london.com
3. SEO London programmes
There are currently five different programmes
supporting university students:
Investment Banking
Technology
Professional Services
Corporate Law
First Year Fast Track
www.seo-london.com
8. What do YOU get from SEO London?
Access All Areas, All Firms – one application to SEO can provide you with
access to 30+ partner firm internship schemes and 16 different internship divisions.
Application Support – SEO will help improve your CV and provide coaching
before interviews.
Comprehensive Training – receive up to 100 hours of tailored technical and
soft skills training before your internship starts.
Mentoring From Industry Experts – access to multiple industry mentors who
will guide you through your summer internship experience.
Network with CEOs – meet leaders from every firm and division in the
industry through both SEO‟s exclusive Seminar Series and extensive alumni network.
Highly paid internship – or vacation placement with one or more of the
world‟s leading City firms.
Fast Track To Graduate – be the first to be considered for graduate interviews
at all of our partner firms at the end of your internship.
Lifetime Access – to SEO‟s alumni support network at your firm and globally
(more than 6,500 members worldwide).
www.seo-london.com
10. Which division is best for YOU?
External facing
Investment Banking Division (IBD)
Capital Market Origination
Sales
Trading
Research
Structuring
Asset Management
Private Wealth Management
200+ internships available across these areas!!!
Internal facing
Technology
Risk Management
Finance
Operations
Audit
Compliance
Services
www.seo-london.com
11. A career in an industry with many benefits…
www.seo-london.com
Fast-paced, dynamic work environment
Work with the brightest and best
World class training and development
Responsibility from day one
Global reach
Career mobility (internally and externally)
Creative work
Client exposure
Access to resources for social change
12. www.seo-london.com
…including compensation!
Source: HESA stats, efinancial careers, SEO data
2010 average graduate staring salaries
0
50,000
£48,000
£23,220
£19,677
All FTSE 100 companies I-banks
Intern summer salary – any guesses?
13. www.seo-london.comSource: HESA stats, efinancial careers, SEO data
Compensation after 5yrs
Average salaries after 5yrs
0
150,000
£142,000
£39,850
£25,620
All FTSE 100 companies I-banks
2.5 times pay gap as graduates widens to 5.5 times after 5 yrs!
15. In 2011 SEO will provide up to 50 internships / industrial
placements at top tier banks and consultancy firms with
leading technology platforms
Students can either apply for a summer internship or a six
month / one year sandwich placement/graduate placement
Technology consulting opportunities also available with
Accenture
www.seo-london.com
SEO London Technology Programme
16. Is Technology for YOU?
Do you genuinely have an interest and passion for technology?
Do you keep yourself abreast with everyday technological
advances?
Why banking technology?
Which areas within technology are YOU most suited for?
Programmer / Developer
Infrastructure
Consulting
Business Analyst
Are you proficient in one or more programming languages?
Does your CV and application show your enthusiasm for
technology?
www.seo-london.com
18. Professional services programme
Over 100 places available in 2011
6-8 week summer internships at all of the Big 4 professional services
firms as well as summer/industrial/graduate placements with
Accenture
SEO offer summer internships in the following divisions
Audit/Assurance
Tax
Consulting
Advisory
Most placements will be London based but there will be provision to
work in other UK cities as well if you wish (including Birmingham,
Manchester, Leeds, Reading, etc.)
In 2010, 96% of the SEO professional service class received full time
offers at the end of their internships
www.seo-london.com
20. SEO corporate law vacation scheme
SEO law interns will be placed on one / multiple summer vacation
schemes with our 15+ partner firms
Magic Circle / Top 20 UK / Top 10 US firms
Summer internships with i-bank law and compliance teams
Vacation placement duration (two / three / four weeks) will vary by
partner firm
SEO law interns will also have access to all partner firms through
exclusive open days and SEO hosted training contract networking
receptions
www.seo-london.com
22. Investment banking „fast track‟ for first years
More than 150 students will be invited to attend exclusive training from and
networking with SEO alumni and partner i-bank representatives
Learn about all of the different i-bank businesses and products from
managing directors to better understand how banks make money and where
you might be best suited
Network with analysts, associates, vice presidents, directors and recruiters
Participate in interactive trading games, case studies and panel discussions
with senior bankers
Get the inside track on what banks are looking for in both internship and
full time applications through CV workshops and interview skills sessions
with heads of graduate recruitment
Be fast tracked for spring 2011 and summer 2012 internships with SEO
partner investment banks
This year‟s event will also include sessions on Corporate Law and Professional
Services
The event will be held on 13th-14th December 2010 at Nomura and Goldman
Sachs www.seo-london.com
24. PROGRAMME ELIGIBILITY ASSESSMENT STAGES
INVESTMENT
BANKING
On track for 2.1
300 UCAS points
Penultimate year or final yr if planning to do a
Masters
Operations and Finance year long placements
available
Any degree background
Application form
Numerical Test
Phone Interview
DEADLINE – 14TH NOV
TECHNOLOGY On track for 2.1
240 UCAS points (340 points for Consulting)
Penultimate year or final yr if planning to do a
Masters
Summer or one year long placements available
C++/JAVA/C# beneficial
Any degree background
Application form
Numerical &
Programming Aptitude
Test
Phone Interview
DEADLINE – 14TH NOV
PROFESSIONAL
SERVICES
On track for 2.1
300 UCAS points (Audit/Tax)
320 UCAS points (Consulting/Corporate Finance)
Penultimate year or final yr if planning to do a
Masters
Some consulting opportunities for first and final
year students available
Any degree background
Application form
Numerical & Verbal
Reasoning Test
Phone Interview
DEADLINE – 31ST OCT
www.seo-london.com
Are you eligible – Banking/Tech/PS?
25. PROGRAMME ELIGIBILITY ASSESSMENT STAGES
COPORATE
LAW
On track for 2.1
300 UCAS points
2nd year of a Law degree or final year of a non Law
degree
(Should be completing LPC in 2012 or 2013)
Any degree background
Application form
Verbal Reasoning Test
Phone Interview
Written exercise
DEADLINE – 14TH NOV
FIRST YEAR
FAST TRACK
On track for 2.1
300 UCAS points
First year (or second year of a 4 year degree)
Should be graduating in 2013
Screened on application
form alone
NO INTERVIEWS OR
TESTS
DEADLINE – 7TH NOV
Apply online now at www.seo-london.com
www.seo-london.com
Are you eligible – Corp Law/FYFT?
27. What makes YOU a strong SEO intern?
Preparation!
Academic excellence
Excellent quantitative, analytic and creative skills
Leadership in extra curricular activities and a demonstrated
commitment to community service
Very good attention to detail
Strong interpersonal and networking skills
Career commitment
Commercial awareness
Strong academic reference
www.seo-london.com
28. Commercial Awareness
Genuine, demonstrable interest in how the city works
All you need to know about the City 2009/10: Chris Stoakes
All you need to know about being a Trainee Solicitor: Elizabeth
Cruickshank & Penny Cooper
Be aware of latest business, economic and government
developments and have an opinion
FT / The Economist
• FT (First Page / Lex column / Companies & Markets headlines - last 4 pages
in particular / M&A news)
• The Economist – great for helping you form your own views
Times/Guardian/Telegraph business sections
• Read business news and market stories to understand facts and issues
• Develop an opinion by reading comments/analysis sections
Bloomberg / Reuters (especially for i-banking candidates)
www.seo-london.com
29. Why should SEO choose YOU?
Do I like you? Do you have a personality, opinions?
Do you show an interest in the business world and current affairs?
Do you pay careful attention to detail? Can I trust you with clients and big deals
someday?
Are you prepared? Can you explain why you are (a) interested in working in a
particular business and (b) why you think you will be successful in that business?
Are you bright? Do you have sound analytic and quantitative skills? Do you
demonstrate good decision making skills?
Are you creative? Are you adaptable?
Are you someone who is action orientated? Do you have drive? Are you willing to
go that extra yard?
Are you a team player? Can you listen and can you persuade? Will you network?
Will you give back?
To help prepare yourself please visit http://www.seo-london.com/
www.seo-london.com
30. Curriculum Vitae (CV)
Prepare before you put your CV together:
Do your research / target your CV
Check CVs of friends/family who have done internships
Be yourself and pitch yourself appropriately – be consistent with your cover-
letter
Follow instructions provided by SEO or by banks (ESPECIALLY with online
applications)
Keep it to one page (!!!) and have a simple structure (no paragraphs please!)
Use consistent tense
Look it over with a “fresh pair of eyes”. Have someone else proofread and
give feedback/check errors
Keep a copy (so you know WHY you applied and WHAT you wrote)
Use spell check!!!
www.seo-london.com
31.
32. Preparing your cover letter
Think of it as a way to frame and position your CV to be attractive to SEO or a
specific firm.
You should not have a summary or objectives on the top of a CV for investment
banking, so use the cover-letter as a guide to the most important features of
your CV.
Each cover letter should be different, so always keep a copy and check over who
you wrote it to!
Be specific and concrete – your cover letter is your opportunity to paint a very
visual picture of who you are, what motivates you, what your successes are, etc.
Let us see you in action!
Make sure that cover letter has a structure as you would any essay
Paragraph one: Why you are interested in the industry
Paragraph two: Why you are interested in the division to which you are
applying
Paragraph three: Why would you be great candidate for the SEO
programme
www.seo-london.com
33.
34. www.seo-london.com
FORMATTING ERRORS:
Multiple page CVs
Dynamic summaries or objectives on the top of your CV
Fancy fonts (Arial/Times New Roman ok.)
Anything swirly or multi-coloured not ok!)
CONTENT ERRORS:
Poor spelling, punctuation, and grammar errors
Inaccurate or untrue information
Forgetting to change the company name on a previously used cover letter!
Incorrect dates on your CV (there is a background check, so make sure it‟s right!)
Misspelling contact person‟s name
Inconsistent tenses
Negative comments about past work experience/colleagues
Procrastination – if you leave CVs and cover-letters to the last minute, you WILL
make mistakes!
Silly/inappropriate e-mail address (i.e cutie_pie@gmail.com).
Wrong or outdated phone number
Writing in TEXT speak, U NO WAT I MEAN?
If you do not receive a favourable response, do not send a rude e-mail or
leave a rude phone message. Recruiters have good memories!!
CV & cover letter bin-proofing
35. What next?
Make an (online) application asap – all admissions are on
a rolling basis!
Please visit the website www.seo-london.org for more details
SEO interviews will be held in December 2010 and January
2011 for summer programmes
Start your preparation
Ensure you are commercially aware
Practice numerical and verbal reasoning tests
Practice interview questions
www.seo-london.com
36. Join the SEO Family
For more information, including access to the online application,
please visit www.seo-london.com
We look forward to hearing from you!
www.seo-london.com