A spring week CV is still a one-page first-year document, but the bar is different from a penultimate-year summer analyst file. This guide shows what to include, what to cut, and how to tailor for IBD versus markets.
Spring week applications ask for a CV long before you have a summer internship to list. That catches first-years out: they either submit a blank-looking page or inflate empty society titles until the file reads like fiction.
This guide is the spring week CV playbook: what belongs on one page, how it differs from a penultimate-year summer analyst CV, and how to tweak bullets when you apply to IBD, markets, or asset management on the same autumn cycle.
How a spring week CV differs from a summer analyst CV
| Spring week CV (first year) | Summer analyst CV (penultimate year) |
|---|---|
| A-levels or equivalent often visible | A-levels may shrink as internships grow |
| Societies and part-time work carry weight | Internship bullets dominate |
| Commercial awareness from reading, not deals | Deal or markets evidence expected |
| One division emphasis per application | Division depth from prior seats |
Same ATS rules apply. Different evidence bar.
The one-page structure that passes screening
Use this order:
- Name and contact (email, phone, LinkedIn, city; no photo)
- Education (university, degree, expected graduation, A-levels if requested)
- Experience (jobs, projects, tutoring, relevant coursework outputs)
- Leadership and extracurriculars
- Skills and interests (languages, Excel, coding, sports with discipline signal)
Keep headings literal. "Experience" parses better than creative labels.
Education block for first-years
Include:
- University, degree title, expected graduation year
- A-level grades (or equivalent) if the portal asks or you are early in degree
- Relevant modules only when they support your division story (econometrics for markets, accounting for IBD)
Do not list every module. One line of strong grades beats a course catalogue.
UK versus US wording on the same file
UK portals say CV. US portals say resume. For spring week you are almost always on UK CV rules: one page, no photo, A-levels visible for first-years. If you also apply to US spring insights from a UK campus, keep the same structure and adjust spelling (organise vs organize) consistently, not two different layouts.
Example Education and Experience lines (patterns, not copy-paste)
These are patterns. Replace with your real details.
Education (IBD-leaning first-year):
- University of Example, BSc Economics, expected 2029
- A-levels: Mathematics (A*), Economics (A), History (A)
Experience bullet (no internship):
- Built simplified three-statement model for local retailer case in investing society; presented margin and working-capital drivers to 25 members
Experience bullet (part-time job):
- Supervised café shifts of four staff; cut waste 12% by reordering stock weekly using simple sales counts
Leadership bullet:
- Treasurer, Finance Society: tracked £800 budget, ran one alumni speaker session on markets careers
If a bullet could belong to any student at any university, sharpen it with your number or decision.
Bullet formula that works without internships
Use: Action + context + outcome.
Weak: "Member of Finance Society."
Stronger: "Co-organised weekly stock pitch session for 40 members; sourced two alumni speakers for Q&A."
Weak: "Interested in investment banking."
Stronger: "Built three-statement model for local retailer case; presented margin drivers to university investing club."
You do not need a bank logo on the page. You need proof you can think clearly and finish things.
Division-specific tweaks on the same master CV
Keep one master file. Change bullet order and Skills emphasis per application.
| Division you select | Lead with | De-emphasise |
|---|---|---|
| Investment banking | Analytical projects, commercial reading, teamwork with stakes | Generic "passion for finance" |
| Markets / S&T | Numeracy, quick judgement, calm under pressure examples | Long M&A essays in motivation |
| Asset management | Research-style projects, long-horizon thinking | Pure deal prestige language |
If you rank IBD first on the form, your top Experience bullet should not be a trading game anecdote with no analytical hook.
What to cut from a first-year spring week CV
| Cut | Why |
|---|---|
| High school awards after A-levels are listed | Wastes space below the fold |
| Every society membership | Signals padding |
| Skills bars and graphics | Breaks ATS parsing |
| "References available upon request" | Adds nothing |
| Unrelated part-time job with no transferable line | Either rewrite the bullet or drop the role |
ATS and recruiter skim checklist
Before you upload:
| Check | Pass signal |
|---|---|
| Length | Exactly one page |
| Parse | Single column, standard headings |
| Top third | Degree, grades, best outcome visible without scrolling |
| Division fit | Bullets match the programme you selected |
| Honesty | Every line defensible in a HireVue or call |
Run the same file through a plain-text paste test. If dates and headings scramble, simplify formatting.
Build versions without losing your mind
Practical workflow for autumn:
- Write one master CV with your strongest four bullets.
- Save IBD and markets versions that reorder bullets and adjust Skills (three minutes each, not a rewrite).
- Name files clearly:
Firstname_Lastname_SpringWeek_IBD.pdf. - Upload the version that matches each portal's division question.
Track which version went to which bank. Log CV file name, deadline, and stage on each row in your investment banking application tracker with programme type set to Spring Week.
Common spring week CV mistakes
| Mistake | Fix |
|---|---|
| Penultimate-year CV on a first-year form | Strip to one page of honest first-year evidence |
| No numbers anywhere | Add one metric per bullet where true |
| Same file for every division | Reorder bullets to match IBD vs markets |
| Creative template | Use plain structure from the ATS CV guide |
| Finishing CV after tests arrive | Finish by September before portals peak |
Before you upload: a ten-minute CV review
Read the file once as if you had twenty seconds total.
- Top third test: Can you see degree, expected graduation, and best outcome without scrolling?
- Swap test: Replace "Barclays" with "HSBC" in your mind. If nothing breaks, your bullets are too generic.
- Speak test: Read the first Experience bullet aloud. If you stumble, shorten it.
- File test: Export PDF from Word or Google Docs; confirm one page and no broken spacing.
Save the PDF with a clear name before each upload. Log that name on the matching tracker row.
After spring week offers: updating the same CV
If you earn a spring week place, you are not done with CV work. You will reuse the file for penultimate-year summer applications within eighteen months.
| After spring week | CV change |
|---|---|
| During the programme | Note the programme name and month on a master doc (not necessarily public LinkedIn hype) |
| Before summer apps | Add one bullet on what you observed (division clarity, project, skill) |
| Before superday season | Shift emphasis from A-levels to internship-style outcomes |
The spring week conversion strategy guide covers how performance feeds summer pipelines. Your CV should evolve with it, not stay frozen at first-year version one.
One-page layout mistakes on mobile uploads
Some portals accept uploads from phones. Avoid:
| Mobile mistake | Fix |
|---|---|
| Screenshot of a CV | Export a real PDF |
| Two-column Canva export | Rebuild single column |
| Tiny font to force one page | Cut content instead |
If the portal rejects the file, assume formatting first, not conspiracy.
What to do after reading this
Building your 2026 or 2027 spring week list? Draft the one-page CV first, then open portals from our spring week application guide. When offers arrive, use the spring week conversion strategy guide for the summer pipeline.