This is our first impression of you, so make it count. Take your time and do your research before completing the form. Be honest and concise, and check your application before submitting it.

From the beginning of the application process right through to the end, you’ll need to be clear about what you’re looking for and why. Even though you might not know exactly what you’d be doing day to day, do your research and work out why you think you fit the role, whether that’s down to your education, personality or work experiences to date.

Whichever department you want to work in, you need to be clear and confident about its role in the commercial world. The better prepared you are, the more facts you’ll have at your fingertips throughout the selection process. Use the internet (with our main site and graduate site as your starting points) as well as leading financial publications like The Economist and FT to get the information you need.

Practice, practice, practice ahead of the real thing. And then when you’re finished, practise again. When it comes to the test itself (which is timed), find a quiet, comfortable place and work quickly and accurately. Do the test on your own – if you make it through to assessment you’ll take another version of the test so it’s not worth getting help at the online stage.

Make sure your CV is concise and clear – just the one page that we’ve requested for the upload. You’ll be able to add more detail about yourself at other points.

Prepare and research (see ‘Be commercial’). Find somewhere quiet and make sure your phone is fully charged. Remind yourself why you want to work for this company in this role. Re-read your CV and think about the challenges you’ve faced to date.

Do yet more research and preparation beforehand. Decide what you want to ask the interviewer and what you want to get out of the interview. Remind yourself what makes this job and this company stand out for you. Refresh your memory about the experiences and challenges that make you the right person for the job. And be yourself.

Express yourself clearly, sound positive and upbeat. Be concise – aim to get to the point and make sure you’re answering the question you’ve been asked. The main thing is to relax, be honest and be yourself. We don’t want over-rehearsed answers – we want to hear about you.

Even though you may well be applying to lots of different companies, you must be clear why you’ve chosen a particular industry or business area. If you’ve settled on financial services, think about why it appeals to you. Do your research and have good reasons why you’ve picked the companies you’ve applied to. If you’re not sure then find out more from us when we’re on campus.

Work with your team – these are not your competitors, they’re your colleagues. So guide them as necessary while making sure you listen to their points of view. Show us you can think commercially and have good product knowledge. Speak clearly so assessors can hear what you have to say.

Lots of practice in advance will help you manage your nerves. Make sure you make eye contact and engage your audience. Know your topic so you can take questions at the end. And try to smile!