How to apply, what to expect
We want you to apply. We want you to come here. And we want to see everything that makes you, you. Because our people make us Saffery.
For our Early Careers roles, you don’t need any previous work experience to apply. Bring your curiosity, your potential, and your true self. There are some minimum academic requirements, which you’ll find listed in each vacancy. When you apply through our Early Careers vacancy page, be sure to include your academic details in the relevant section.
If you’ve already got over 12 months of relevant experience and training at another firm, you might find our Experienced Hire opportunities a better fit. Take a look at those on our Experienced Hire vacancy page.
We’ve tried to make our application process as human and painless as possible. Here’s everything you need to know – and do.
School leavers, summer internships, placements and graduate jobs
Applications for our Early Careers programme open in September. This includes roles across our September and January intakes. As we recruit on a rolling basis, applications will remain open until the roles are filled or until we have received enough applications. Whilst we do have closing dates for applications, roles can close earlier than this, so we’d recommend applying as soon as possible to avoid any disappointment. Stay up to date with us on LinkedIn in order to find out more about our launch dates each year.
Our application process has been designed to help us understand more about you and your potential. Throughout, we’ll explore whether we’re a good fit for each other. Just as we’re getting to know you, it’s equally important that you feel a sense of belonging and alignment with us.
It’s important to note that as we only allow one application every 12-months that you take you time considering which role is right for you.
See our school leaver, summer internship, placement and graduate jobs
Stage 1 – Online Application Form
Once you have found the right role for you, the first stage in our application process is to complete an online application form. This is an opportunity for us to gather basic information and to confirm your eligibility. Further details on our eligibility criteria can be found on the job advert. You will also have the opportunity to share your passion and interest in joining Saffery, the team, role and knowledge of the qualification. You will also be asked to share a copy of your CV. The application form typically takes up to 20 minutes to complete.
If you have any questions or require any reasonable adjustments in order to support you throughout our process, please reach out to us at [email protected].
Stage 2 – Online assessments
You will be asked to complete a series of assessments that measure cognitive skills and competencies.
Part 1
The first assessment consists of inductive, deductive, and numerical reasoning questions designed to measure your problem solving abilities. Please allow up to one hour to complete this section, including time for practice questions.
Part 2
If you meet the minimum threshold in Part 1, you’ll be invited to complete a second stage, which evaluates competencies. This is something you do not need to practice for and will take up to 30 minutes to complete.
In addition, you’ll also be invited to complete the RARE questionnaire. Saffery is proud to be using the Rare Contextual Recruitment System (CRS) which allows us to understand each applicant’s achievements in the context in which they have been gained. We seek to recruit the best people, from every background, regardless of their personal circumstances, and the CRS helps us to do that.
You will have six days to complete all the online assessments. Tests are typically administered every Monday and Thursday.
Want to get a head start? You can practice the General Ability Test here, selecting the ‘General Ability Test’ from the practice assessment.
Once you have completed the General Ability tests and RARE questionnaire, a member of the Early Careers team will review your test results. We aim to provide an update on next steps within two weeks of completing this stage.
Stage 3 – Early Careers interview
If successful in the online assessments, you will be invited to a live Early Careers interview. This will consist of a short 30 minute interview with a member of our Early Careers team, via Microsoft Teams video meeting. This interview will focus on motivational and competency-based questions. To help you prepare and feel confident, you’ll receive an interview preparation guide at this stage.
Stage 4 – Interview Day
The final stage in our application process consists of an in-person Interview Day. The Interview Day will consist of formal assessment elements but also an opportunity to network with our teams:
Part 1: Case Study
On the day, you’ll be asked to prepare a business case study and present your findings to a small panel. You’ll have 1 hour to prepare and 10 minutes to present.
Part 2: Senior Leadership interview
This will involve a 30 minute competency based interview with a member of the local Senior Leadership team.
Once your place is confirmed, we’ll share guidance to help you prepare effectively.
Stage 5 – Your Offer and Onboarding
A member of the Early Careers team will contact you with feedback following your final interview. If you are successful, you will receive a formal offer to join us.
Once you accept the offer, you’ll gain access to our onboarding website, where you’ll find helpful resources and suggestions to explore before your start date.
These materials are designed to help you feel confident and well-prepared as you transition into the workplace.
You’ll also be invited to one of our pre-joining events, where you can meet others who will be starting on the same programme. We understand that beginning a new role can feel daunting, and we’re here to support you every step of the way.
If you’re an experienced hire…
…then the application process varies depending on the specific role you’re applying for. All our live jobs for experienced hires have all the details you need.