Frequently Asked
Questions
FAQs on Timings and Location
Our programmes open for applications from mid-August.
The Technology Solutions Programme closes on 27th October 2021.
The Accountancy Programme closes on 10th November 2021.
The Investment Research and Business Operations Programmes close on 22nd November 2021.
All our programmes start in September 2022, apart from Accountancy which starts in August 2022.
Applications for the Application Development and Technical Infrastructure Internships open in mid-August 2021.
Our Business Operations Summer Placement opportunities open for applications in November 2021.
Applications for the Alternative Internship open in November 2021.
Application Development and Technical Infrastructure close on the 27th October.
Business Operations Summer Placements close for applications on 20th December 2021.
The Alternative Internship closes on 13th December 2021.
Our Application Development and Technical Infrastructure Internships run from June to August 2022. Our Business Operations Summer Placements vary in length and depend on the department, but they typically run from June until August.
The Alternative Internship is a flexible internship where you conduct your research at your own pace over the summer of 2022. You will then spend two weeks at our Edinburgh office in mid-to-late August 2022, where you will finalise your report and present your findings.
Unfortunately, we are not able to hold speculative CVs. Please visit our main careers website for available roles that may be of interest to you, and apply directly via our website.
As all of our UK graduate programmes are based in our head office, if you accept a place, you’ll need to either relocate to Edinburgh or be able to commute to our Edinburgh office.
Currently, the vast majority of our graduate programmes are only located in our head office in Edinburgh. However, depending on your training programme, you may get the opportunity to travel or to apply for a secondment to one of other offices. Our Shanghai office have also launched their Investment Research graduate programme which will start in the summer of 2022.
We will reimburse expenses related to the recruitment process. Our interviews will be conducted remotely in 2021-22. However, should you incur expenses related to attending your virtual interview, we will reimburse these. Subject to local restrictions at the time, we will also invite candidates who are made offers to visit our offices should they want to see our working environment and meet people face-to-face. In these instances, we will reimburse expenses including travel, accommodation, and reasonable food expenses. Please retain any receipts.
We appreciate that moving to a new city can be exciting but also a little daunting. The rental market in Edinburgh is fast moving and can be challenging. In order to support you with your relocation we have partnered with Scott’s Relocation to help you with your move to Edinburgh. This service will be available to those looking for accommodation in advance of joining Baillie Gifford. Scott’s Relocation is an Edinburgh based relocation agency which has an in-depth knowledge of the local property market.
FAQs on Requirements
We welcome applicants with degrees in any subject for all our graduate programmes. We expect a minimum 2:1 degree across our programmes. You will also need a Higher/A-level or equivalent in Maths for the Accountancy programme.
There’s no time limit on how long ago you gained your degree, and we welcome applicants who have gained postgraduate work experience. For our Investment Research programme, we encourage applications from Masters and PhD students.
The Alternative Internship is open to students from all degree disciplines. However, you must be in the penultimate year of your studies or a final year PhD student
Yes, we’re open to candidates reapplying for our graduate programmes. However, if you received feedback from a previous interview process, we encourage you to take this feedback on board to improve your chances of success for any subsequent applications.
We encourage you to think carefully about which opportunity is right for you and to apply to one programme or placement. Find out as much information as possible and attend one of our virtual events to hear from the programme leaders and current graduate trainees.
We welcome applications for our roles from all suitably qualified candidates. If candidates do not currently have the right to work, we may be able to offer sponsorship under the Skilled Worker regime. We will assess the likelihood of a successful application for an appropriate visa.
Just get in touch. We’ll do everything we can to make our application process accessible for you. So, if you do need our support, please contact us at [email protected] and we’ll be happy to help.
There’s no need to address your application to a particular person, as your application will be reviewed by several people in our early careers’ recruitment team.
FAQs on Application Process and More
You’ll receive an automated response when you submit your application to confirm that we’ve received it. We aim to get back to you within eight weeks of your application. However, depending on the number of applications we receive, timescales may vary. We begin screening applications from September. Interviews are scheduled and offers are made on an ongoing basis, so we’d encourage you to apply sooner rather than later.
If you attend an interview at Baillie Gifford, you can request feedback following this, regardless of the outcome. Unfortunately, we are unable to provide feedback if you do not make it past the application stage, due to the large volumes of candidates.
If you have any technical issues with our website when submitting your application or registering for one of our events, please email [email protected] for assistance.
While they are not a direct route to our graduate training programmes, you will receive guidance on our recruitment process.
All of our graduate programmes are permanent opportunities. Therefore, if you accept a role at Baillie Gifford, we will be committed to your long-term career development throughout the programme and beyond.
The number of Business Operations Summer Placements available depends on business need, but last year we had seven opportunities across our operational departments. There are currently two places on our Application Development Internship and a further two on the Technical Infrastructure Internship. We will also be taking up to six people on our Alternative Internship.