XCEL STUDENT OF THE YEAR AWARDS 2008
Xcel Law Student of the Year Award
JOINT WINNERS - Anne-Marie Goodreid
Megan Phillips
University: University of Wolverhampton
Course: BA (Hons) Law
Sponsors for Educational Opportunity (SEO)
Sponsors for Educational Opportunity (SEO) London is a notfor-profit organisation that every year provides hundreds of outstanding undergraduate students from under-represented ethnic minority backgrounds the unique opportunity togain summer internships at some of the most prestigious investment banks and corporate law firms in the UK.
SEO London also provides students with extensive training, mentoring and networking, linking students not only to the firms that they work with, but to opportunities and experienced professionals throughout the entire financial services industry. By doing so, SEO London equally serves the diversity recruitment policies of its sponsor firms, as well as trains a future generation of business and community leaders.
In 2007 more than 80% of SEO interns received full time graduate job offers from partner firms after their internships, a success rate which is significantly higher than the industry average. SEO grooms its interns to excel in the workplace and become leaders in their communities who will give back and forge a path to success for the next generation. In 2008 SEO provided more than 220 placements with all of the major investment banks and most of the major corporate law firms in the City.
As a direct result of the SEO Internship Programme and the high performance of its interns, SEO has significantly increased the number of ethnic minorities employed in the most prestigious and demanding client facing roles in the City.
What SEO London Interns Receive
SEO London interns receive a comprehensive internship experience that goes far beyond simply placing students at companies for the summer. In addition, we offer intensive training before and during the internship that will enable them to excel in their placements as well as maximise their
chances of receiving an offer.
Each intern is supported by an extensive mentoring program and is welcomed into a powerful alumni network comprised of over 5,000 alumni in 40 countries. Interns gain exposure to CEOs and top executives of partner firms through the SEO Summer seminar Series and summer long networking events.
With this combination, these resources and networking opportunities put our interns on the fastest track to some of the most financially rewarding career opportunities in the world.
From Interns To Employees
The goal of SEO London is to help our interns land highly competitive jobs. At the beginning of the summer, every intern’s CV is included in the SEO CV and face book that is distributed to all of our partner firms.
Every student is given a detailed individually tailored training programme before their summer placement begins to ensure they outperform their peers from day one.
SEO’s involvement continues through the End-of-Summer Workshop, where interns learn how to turn their internships into jobs through interview training and workshops on how to handle multiple job offers. In addition, all interns have a chance to have practice interviews with mentors and alumni.
Don’t be fooled into thinking that being selected for an internship guarantees you a graduate job when you leave university. Investment banking internships and corporate law vacation placements are incredibly competitive – across the industry less than half of those that spend their summer at an investment bank or corporate law firm will subsequently
be offered a graduate position.
However, interns coming through the SEO programme significantly outperform their non SEO peers. In 2007 more than 80% of the 169 person SEO class received at least one full-time job offer. Over 40% received multiple offers. SEO is dedicated to providing each and every intern with unparalleled training.
SEO works to maximise both your exposure to the industry and your chance of securing multiple full-time offers in a number of
ways:
- SEO CV book – Your CV will be included in a SEO CV book that is distributed to recruiters and managing directors at all sponsor firms at the beginning of the summer. This will be used to identify talent in the wider SEO class.
- SEO Summer Seminar Series – Our Sponsor Firm Seminar Series offers interns exposure to the highest levels of management. Partner firms host seminars and receptions allowing interns to meet CEOs, presidents, managing directors, senior managers, and recruiting officers. These events are exclusive to SEO interns and are treated as major recruitment opportunities by sponsor firms. Follow on networking sessions run throughout the summer.
- SEO Fast Track – at the end of summer most sponsor firms will open fast track graduate application processes exclusively for SEO interns at all firms. In 2007 more than 50 additional fulltime offers were made through the fast track process.
- SEO Network – SEO support is not just for the summer – SEO alumni continue to support each other as they progress through their careers. SEO has an alumni network of nearly 5,000 working in 40 different countries across the globe. This network is accessible
to SEO alumni throughout their careers.
