I can stand out
from the crowd
Work Experience with global firms for Aspiring School Leavers
Entering its eleventh year, Big City Bright Future is an annual three-week paid work experience programme created especially to help school leavers who aspire to work within competitive industries. This year IntoUniversity is partnering with 20 globally-recognised firms to run the programme. These firms include BlackRock, Bloomberg, Simmons & Simmons, AllianceBernstein, and many more.
The aim of Big City Bright Future is to allow students to accelerate their career pathway by providing outstanding work experience before university. The programme offers internships in the fields of Asset Management, Investment Banking, Law, Technology, Consultancy, and more. This programme is not just for students who know they want to work in these fields. We welcome all students who are motivated, would like to develop their transferable skills, and are willing to try their best and work hard.
Year 13 and S6 IntoUniversity students are encouraged to sign up for our Prep Sessions to learn more about the programme before applications open in December 2024.
Applications for BCBF 2025 are now open.
Prep sessions for 2025 are now closed.
Key dates:
Preparation Sessions – between November and December 2024
Applications open – Friday 6th December 2024
Application close – Friday 10th January 2025
Opportunity to network with firms – February 2025
Interviews and Assessment Centre – April 2025
Work Experience programme – Monday 30th June - Friday 18th July 2025
Big City Bright Future is organised by IntoUniversity.
IntoUniversity is a growing education charity providing local learning centres where young people are inspired to achieve their full potential. Our mission is to bring Higher Education within the reach of students within the communities we support, thereby opening up a world of new life-possibilities including professional careers.
IntoUniversity has over 20 years’ experience of delivering high quality and impact-driven programmes through its national network of learning centres in Birmingham, Bridlington, Brighton, Bristol, Clacton-on-Sea, Coventry, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Great Yarmouth, Grimsby, Hull, Leeds, Leicester, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Middlesbrough, Newcastle, Norwich, Nottingham, Oxford, Peterborough, Southampton and Weston-super-Mare. In the 2022/23 academic year IntoUniversity supported over 52,000 children and young people across England and Scotland.
We have an excellent track record of working in partnership with schools, universities and businesses. Through our corporate partnerships we are able to offer our young people valuable opportunities including aspirational visits to workplaces, corporate mentors and work experience.
Firms
With global firms from Asset Management, Law, Investment Banking, Technology, Venture Capital, Consultancy, and more, Big City Bright Future gives you the chance to engage with experienced individuals and begin to form an idea of where your potential career may take you.
Every firm participating is a globally recognised organisation. Together, they work to make a positive impact and actively strive for equality and diversity in their respective fields.
Click on a logo to view a firm profile.
Overview of the Big City Bright Future Programme 2025
Big City Bright Future is a paid 3-week internship programme for IntoUniversity students in Year 13/S6, their final year of college or on a gap year. The Internship will take place 30th June - 18th July 2025 in London and Edinburgh.
If you are from outside London, your accommodation and travel will be supplied by IntoUniversity.
There are 20 partner firms with places for up to 120 students and the programme aims to accelerate student’s career paths by providing high quality work experience before university.
You will be paid £1,500 if successful on the programme.
For all enquiries please email bcbf@intouniversity.org.
Preparation sessions
As part of the application process, IntoUniversity hosts Prep Sessions. These sessions focus on the Written Application, CV Writing, and Interview and Networking Skills. You will hear from our corporate partners and alumni; ensuring you give yourself the best possible chance in your application.
You will receive extra points on your application by attending the Prep Sessions.
If you are a student who has not worked with IntoUniversity before, you will need to attend at least one of either the Application or CV Prep Session before you are eligible to apply.
NOTE Each Prep Session will have multiple dates. The sessions will be the same, you can choose the date which best suits you, there is no need to attend more than one of each session.
Prep Sessions will run from November - December 2024
Tuesday 5th November: Applications
Wednesday 20th November: CV Writing
Tuesday 3rd December: Interviews & Networking
All sessions will take place virtually from 16:30-18:00.
Prep sessions for 2025 are now closed.
Application and Interview process
Your Application
Applications Open - Friday 6th December 2024
The first stage of the application is a series of questions and submission of your CV. This will allow IntoUniversity to assess your motivation and drive for the programme, whilst getting to know your personality. On your application you will be asked to express your industry and firm preference. This allows IntoUniversity to assess which firm should interview you (if you are successful to that stage).
You will be awarded marks based on your answers to the questions and the information on your CV, and the total number of marks determines whether you have made it onto the next stage.
To gain support with your application or CV, get in touch with your local IntoUniversity Centre. The team at the Centre can arrange a 1:1 session to support you with your application.
Apply for the Big City Bright Future programme here
Interview and Assessment Centre
This stage of the programme will take place during the half term in April 2025.
The Assessment Centre will involve:
- Welcome & Introduction
- Group activities
- Q&A
- Individual interview with corporate volunteers
The individual interview will last 30 minutes and will be a series of competency and scenario based questions.
You will be allocated an interviewing firm based on your industry and firm preferences expressed through your application.
Specific dates and a timetable will be provided closer to the time.
The Internship
Your internship will be in London (and Edinburgh for Scottish applicants) from 30th June - 18th July 2025 (excluding weekends).
Your allocated firm will be chosen by a number of factors, including your preference shown throughout the application, firms recommending students and being impressed at interview, suitability to the industry and firm.
Week 1 – Bootcamp (London)
One-week initial training facilitated by an external facilitator Seth Wainwright focusing on soft skills such as presentation skills, effective team working and commercial awareness. This week is designed so you can excel during your firm placement.
Weeks 2 & 3 – Work Experience (London/Edinburgh)
You are allocated to a firm for two weeks of work experience. The aim is to develop core skills, get a better understanding of day-to-day life in the organisation, work with a team on an assigned project and interact with senior management.
Week 3 – Final Day
On the final day you come back together as a group. This is a chance to reflect on how the programme has gone, what you have learnt and how you plan to take this experience forward to help you with your time at university and beyond.
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FAQS
Applications for Big City Bright Future will open on Friday 6th December 2024 and close on Wednesday 8th January 2025. Please note - the internship is only open to Year 13/S6 students and young people in their last year of college/sixth form or on a gap year who are part of the IntoUniversity programme. If you would like to find out more about our eligibility criteria please get in touch with bcbf@intouniversity.org.
Each student accepted on to the 3-week programme will be paid £1,500 at the end of their placement. Please note - applicants need to provide documents proving right to work in the UK in order to be onboarded by the firms, i.e. a passport, driving licence, bank statement, birth certificate, etc.
We recommend business dress for the programme. Each of the firms taking part will have a slightly different dress code that they will inform you of. The most casual dress you should dress is smart casual. If you have any questions or concerns about dress code or accessing business dress clothing, please contact bcbf@intouniversity.org.
If you have a commitment that cannot be changed (i.e. interview, family wedding, etc.), please get in touch with your IntoUniversity centre contact to discuss. We do not encourage missing any part of the paid programme, but we understand that some things are unavoidable.
Students will be provided with a food voucher to cover lunch during the first five days of bootcamp. You will need to bring in or pay for your own lunch during the rest of the programme.
For students living in Scotland: Accommodation and travel cards will be provided for the bootcamp and final day in London, but will not be provided while you complete your internship in Scotland.
For students living outside Scotland and outside London: Accommodation and travel cards will be provided for students living outside of London.
For students living in London: Accommodation and travel cards will not be provided if you already live in London.
Please contact bcbf@intouniversity.org or your IntoUniversity centre contact if you have any questions or concerns regarding travel arrangements or accommodation for the duration of the BCBF programme.
We aim to inform students about which firm they have been allocated to up to two weeks before starting the programme. Please note - whichever firm or team you join, you will still gain an invaluable experience.
Please contact IntoUniversity by emailing bcbf@intouniversity.org for more details and how to get involved.