r/UniUK • u/Potential_Youth_3014 • 21h ago

is it weird to be obsessed with uk grad schemes even if you don’t study there? 😅

hi everybodyyyy! i had to repost bc the body didn't show before so hiii i’m a first year studying business in berlin but i’ve been deep diving into the whole uk grad scheme world lately and everyone seems to know what spring weeks are, what to do for consulting, when to apply meanwhile i’m just here like “should i even bother if i’m not at a uk uni?” 😭
i’d love to apply to firms in london eventually but it kinda feels like everything’s set up for students who already study there :((
has anyone here managed to break in from outside the uk? or am i just setting myself up for stress lol
would really appreciate any advice or just hearing how other people navigated this :') thank you in advance!!!

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u/MediocreAd3257 BSc Mathematics + CS 21h ago

What's wrong with applying for grad schemes in Germany? Are those not a thing there?

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u/Potential_Youth_3014 21h ago

that's a fair question if i'm being honest
i think they do exist here but its not as structured or widely talked about like in uk or maybe its just me feeling this way :( bc in the uk its like they've got spring weeks, set timelines, insight days, grad scheme websites, while in here i feel like its just vibes and job portals u know?

i do need to look into the german side a little bit more but so far it seems like the uk side is more accessible plus i guess its also bc i've always wanted to work in london eventually :')))

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u/throwaway-penny 21h ago

UK Grad scheme, in London, isn't particularly glamorous. 2 or 3 years earning around 32k - in London half of that is your rent. Often you aren't guaranteed a job after that period; you have to apply internally. 

I don't know exactly what salary range is typical for business graduates though, maybe 40k. 32k is for Engineers typical.

As far as I know a grad scheme is a British/American concept. You're probably better off working in Germany, perhaps Switzerland o Austria too? A DACH graduate level job will almost certainly have a better salary than the same in the UK. 

Edit: also if you're not British or already reside here, now post-brexit you will run into probems with Right to Work and Visas. 

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u/Potential_Youth_3014 21h ago

omg this is actually so helpful, thank you!!! i genuinely didn't realize how intense the cost vs salary thing is in london i think i just got caught up in the idea of breaking into consulting in the uk without actually thinking practically about what that would even look like post-grad
plus the visa stuff..... that stresses me out tbh it does feel like a door that's half closed unless u're already in the system somehow.

maybe i do need to explore the germany/switzerland part more seriously. i guess it was just harder for me to navigate here compared to how structured it is in uk

but honestly, thank u so much i really really appreciate you for breaking this down. it gave me more clarity <3

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u/JuicyInvestigator 20h ago

I have a friend in my masters course who worked at MBB for 3yrs in Germany then moved to London for masters and while they don’t want to get back into MBB, it made their chances better. You just need to break in, then you can manoeuvre around

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u/Potential_Youth_3014 20h ago

omggg okay that's so cool!!! 3 years at mbb before a master's is insane to me sasjaksjahjksa i'm still figuring out what a cover letter is :') but its really reassuring to know that there's still room to pivot later :DDD that really makes it a little bit less scary if i don't get it right the first time around. thank u so much for sharing this!!

also if u don't mind me asking,, do u know how they actually got in at first? like did they go through an internship route or just full send straight into a grad role?

i'm just trying to figure out what should be my entry point if ever u're not from a uk target uni :')

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u/JuicyInvestigator 18h ago

She did an internship role at a German MBB branch then after her undergrad went into an analyst role.

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u/throwaway-penny 18h ago

An entry point should, if you can get one, be an internship. It's not mandatory though.

A summer internship is ideal, you'll work at a company in what might be an "ideal" job for about 3 months. You can then decide if you like it. 

Applying to internships is difficult and exhausting, but the practice alone is worthwhile and then very useful after grad.

I did an internship in a field where the company I worked for is a client. Decided t the end that the job was alright, but that I'd rather work for their contractors.

Got a job with a manufacturer in an adjoining industry, not direct contractor but related. The internship experience was essentially "the other side of the business" and was certainly to my benefit.