Frequently asked questions

Summer Internship

Our Summer internships last ten weeks and begin in June each year. You'll be working closely with a specialist team, giving you a unique insight into what we do and how we do it - as well as having an opportunity to deliver a project that enables you develop professionally.

Most of our graduate programme places will be filled by people who have successfully completed a Summer internship with us - so don't delay in getting your application in. You can find out which of our functions offer internships on the internships and graduate page.

Graduate Programme

We run graduate programmes in many different parts of the business and applicants have all kinds of degree backgrounds. Typically, programmes last two years, during which you'll have four different placements ('rotations'), each lasting six months. The accountancy programme lasts three years.

Most programmes begin in September. Accountancy starts mid-August. You'll have a permanent contract for the duration of the programme, apart from in the Legal programme, which offers a fixed-term traineeship.

Most of our graduate programme places will be filled by people who have successfully completed a Summer Internship with us, however, be sure to check whether we have opportunities available as we may well have vacancies to fill.

Find out more on our Graduate Programme page.

Traineeship

Moving from school or college to the world of work is a unique experience. It's one we understand and support.

Our Traineeship programme gives you:

• Access to qualifications
• Structured training
• A network of new colleagues
• A 12 month fixed-term contract

We open for applications to the Traineeship every Spring and the programme starts in October each year.

There are more details on our Traineeship page.

Our inclusive culture is really important to us. We aim to create a place where you can be you. Read more about Our inclusive culture.

The success of our business is down to our talented people across the globe. If you join us on one of our programmes, you can control your own development to take your skills, knowledge and career further. We'll support you, as well as making sure you are rewarded for the work you do. Read more out about how you can develop your career working with us.

If you join us, there's a range of benefits available for you, including healthcare cover, generous holidays and paid volunteering leave. Find out more about some of the benefits of working with us.

You can read what some of our early careers alumni said about working here on our Traineeship and Graduate web pages.

You may apply to more than one of our programmes during the recruitment cycle, however it is important to make sure you thoroughly research the business stream you are applying to, and ensure your skills, experiences and capabilities match the programme and stream.

The application process is outlined here.

Please check the job description for a closing date. If no date is mentioned then we are considering applications on a first-come, first-served basis, so it's important to apply early as our vacancies fill quickly. Once they are filled, we will close the applications.

Our vacancies for graduate and intern positions launch every Autumn. Summer internships start in June and the graduate programmes start in September.

You'll receive an email acknowledging receipt of your application within 24 hours of submission. We aim to inform you within a month of your application whether or not you're through to the next stage.

Please e-mail our online test provider.

Please contact us if you have a disability which requires any adjustments to be made to any stage of the recruitment process. Our Early Careers team will be pleased to discuss your needs and ensure that these are accommodated.

We would recommend applicants take the time to complete a few practice tests before undertaking the actual test. Getting familiar with the types of questions and timing of the tests will help you feel more relaxed in the real test situation, and give you a better opportunity to show your true ability. Please check out Cut-e (Aon) Assessments.

Our partners at i2020 have kindly collated some hints and tips for candidates who are preparing for an interview. If you’re interested in utilising this support, please visit their website.

If we have invited you to attend a selection event we will support your visit to our offices by covering accommodation and standard class travel, if you are travelling more than 12 miles to attend the event. All receipts must be provided.

Feedback is available for candidates attending the assessment centre day.

Intern & Graduate candidates relocating from 35 miles away are eligible for relocation support. For internships, this means we would support you to find shared accommodation for the duration of the internship. For those of you starting a graduate programme, we would support shared accommodation for up to the first 4 weeks of your employment. Other than that, there is plenty of help and advice available to help you settle in here.

All of our graduates and interns have a variety of opportunities open to them to support their development. Please visit our development page for more information on these programmes.

At the end of your internship, we will make a decision as to whether to offer you a place on a graduate programme for the following year. At the end of your graduate programme, we will support you to seek and apply for a suitable permanent role. This will be in line with the business area and your development aspirations.

If you are an international candidate applying for an internship, you must have a Tier 4 Student Visa in place. If you are then successfully selected for one of our graduate programmes, we can sponsor a switch from a Tier 4 Student Visa to a Tier 2 Work Visa so you can take part. We don't currently sponsor international trainees.

Our Traineeship is aimed at people between the ages of 16-21 who have recently left school or college. There are no minimum qualifications or experience required – we do however expect you to have lots of enthusiasm and be able to demonstrate an ability to learn and work hard!

Please check the information for the programme website page/advert for specific closing dates. Our vacancies launch in May/June and Traineeships start in October.

Yes, we will accept and consider applications from candidates who have applied previously.

Please contact us if you have a disability which requires any adjustments to be made to any stage of the recruitment process. Our Early Careers team will be pleased to discuss your needs and ensure that these are accommodated.

Our traineeship positions are based at our headquarters in Edinburgh and also our Bow Bells House office in London.

Our next cohort of Trainees will start in October.

Traineeships last for 12 months.

You'll receive an email acknowledging receipt of your application within 24 hours of submission. We aim to inform you within a month of your application whether or not you're through to the next stage.

Please contact us at entrylevel.recruitment@abrdn.com

We would recommend applicants take the time to complete a few practice tests before undertaking the actual test. Getting familiar with the types of questions and timing of the tests will help you feel more relaxed in the real test situation, and give you a better opportunity to show your true ability. Please check out Cut-e (Aon) Assessments.

Our partners at i2020 have kindly collated some hints and tips for candidates who are preparing for an interview. If you’re interested in utilising this support, please visit their website.

Our Assessment Centre’s include a competency-based interview, a case study presentation and a group exercise. Please note, this may differ if the process is ran virtually.

If we have invited you to attend a selection event we will support your visit to our offices by covering accommodation and standard class travel, if you are travelling more than 12 miles to attend the event. All receipts must be provided.

Feedback is available for candidates who have undergone a telephone interview or assessment centre.

If you are an international candidate applying for an internship, you must have a Tier 4 Student Visa in place. If you are then successfully selected for one of our graduate programmes, we can sponsor a switch from a Tier 4 Student Visa to a Tier 2 Work Visa so you can take part. We don't currently sponsor international trainees.

All of our Trainees have a variety of opportunities open to them to support their development. This can include gaining qualifications such as a Foundation or Modern apprenticeship. In addition to this, trainees will complete training courses as well as core development modules. Trainees are also given a mentor to work with them throughout their programme.

At the end of your Traineeship, you will either leave the Company or depending on your development and careers aspirations, we will support you to explore further opportunities within abrdn.