Early careers | FCA

We're looking for graduates, apprentices and interns to join our early careers programmes.

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Shape the future

If you join us, you’ll gain valuable experience and develop expert knowledge, helping you build the career you want whilst making a real difference for consumers of financial services across the UK. Shape your future, and shape the future of financial services – join the FCA.

Whether your interests lie in Data and Technology, Financial Regulation, Operations, Risk and Compliance or Economics we will support you to grow your expertise in your chosen field.

Our programmes

Find out about our graduate, apprenticeship and summer internship opportunities. If you become a graduate or apprentice, you'll also gain access to our fantastic range of staff benefits.

Graduate scheme

Financial markets must be honest, fair and effective so consumers get a fair deal. Our rotational graduate programmes help you build an in-depth knowledge of how we work to ensure markets work well for individuals, for businesses and for the economy as a whole.

With a breadth of programmes that focus on Authorisations to Policy, Supervision to Enforcement, Economics to Data and Technology, each of our streams can help you find and develop your area of expertise.

Applications for our 2024 graduate programmes are now closed.

Apprenticeships

Our apprenticeships offer you an 18 to 36 month opportunity to take part in key aspects of our day-to-day work, develop new skills and gain an industry leading qualification while you earn. We look for passion and integrity as well as ambition and aptitude in our apprentices.

You don't need to have previous work experience, but you will need to have 5 GCSEs (A to C) and 2 A-Levels. With a variety of programmes to choose from, there’s no telling where your talent can take you.

Applications for our 2024 apprenticeship programmes are now open.

Below are the available programmes we have to offer:

Summer internships

Our 10-week Summer Internship Programme gives you valuable insight into the FCA and financial services, and provides you with an opportunity for real responsibility and learning. Internship roles span the Regulatory areas of the business as well as our Data, Technology and Innovation divisions.

Applications for our 2024 summer internships are now closed.

How to apply

When you apply to one of our programmes, you'll go through the combination of tests and interviews below.

Please note, this is the application process for our graduate and summer intern programmes. Applications for apprenticeships don't open until Spring 2024, so watch this space.

Submit application form

During this initial stage, we’ll confirm whether you meet the minimum requirements for our programme.

We’ll ask you to give details of your education and any previous work experience you may have had.

Online tests

If your initial application meets our requirements, we’ll ask you to complete an online strengths-based assessment.

We strongly encourage you to familiarise yourself with the test format, practice and read the instructions carefully when it comes to the real thing.

Our Cappfinity Preparation Hub has more information about the online assessment and practice questions.

Motivational questionnaire

Next, you’ll be invited to fill out a motivational questionnaire.

This will ask for your reasons for applying to the FCA and your chosen programme area.

We’ll also ask you to demonstrate some wider commercial awareness by explaining the FCA’s role within financial services.

Telephone interview

We’ll then ask you to undertake a 30-minute telephone interview which will cover your motivation, values and competencies.

Again, we’ll ask you to tell us in more detail why you feel you’re suited to a placement at the FCA and what you feel you can bring to the organisation.

We encourage you to look online for sample competency-based interview questions to help you prepare.

Assessment centre

This is the final stage of the process. Our assessment centres last half a day and consist of 3 exercises.

Here, you’ll undertake an analysis task, a presentation exercise and an interview.

Useful tips

We look for our values in all candidates. You should bear these in mind, especially during your telephone interview and at the assessment centre.

When you're asked for examples, try to give ones which relate to you and how you demonstrate them.

Our values represent the culture we aspire to every day, guiding us, building trust and helping us achieve our objectives.

Find out more about our values and core skills.

During this initial stage, we’ll confirm whether you meet the minimum requirements for our programme.

We’ll ask you to give details of your education and any previous work experience you may have had.

If your initial application meets our requirements, we’ll ask you to complete an online strengths-based assessment.

We strongly encourage you to familiarise yourself with the test format, practice and read the instructions carefully when it comes to the real thing.

Our Cappfinity Preparation Hub has more information about the online assessment and practice questions.

Next, you’ll be invited to fill out a motivational questionnaire.

This will ask for your reasons for applying to the FCA and your chosen programme area.

We’ll also ask you to demonstrate some wider commercial awareness by explaining the FCA’s role within financial services.

We’ll then ask you to undertake a 30-minute telephone interview which will cover your motivation, values and competencies.

Again, we’ll ask you to tell us in more detail why you feel you’re suited to a placement at the FCA and what you feel you can bring to the organisation.

We encourage you to look online for sample competency-based interview questions to help you prepare.

This is the final stage of the process. Our assessment centres last half a day and consist of 3 exercises.

Here, you’ll undertake an analysis task, a presentation exercise and an interview.

We look for our values in all candidates. You should bear these in mind, especially during your telephone interview and at the assessment centre.

When you're asked for examples, try to give ones which relate to you and how you demonstrate them.

Our values represent the culture we aspire to every day, guiding us, building trust and helping us achieve our objectives.

Find out more about our values and core skills.

Transcript

Ellie, FCA employee

What the FCA does well is the balance – giving you responsibility but also supporting you.

Ellie McCormack – Supervision, Policy & Competition Graduate

Page updates

12/12/2022 : Information changed Extension of grad scheme application deadline

21/10/2022 : Information added Application deadlines added

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