Early Career Opportunities
Capital One is an award-winning place to work. We got this recognition by practicing what we preach.
We make work life simple, giving our associates an inclusive culture that enables them to develop, thrive and be creative.
Expect challenging work, but not ridiculous hours. You’ll be set up for career growth and plenty of new opportunities to explore along the way.
Our programmes
Technology
Have you got the potential to turn the latest technologies into fantastic customer experiences?
We’re looking for keen coders, so you’ll need a good understanding of at least one programming language and showcase your coding skills during the application process.
Internship
Duration: 10 weeks
Start date: June
Eligibility: You’ll be in your penultimate year of studies in any discipline at any university.
Placement
Duration: 1 year
Start date: September
Eligibility: You'll be studying a course with a 12 month placement year.
Graduate
Duration: 2 years
Start date: September
Eligibility:You'll be in your final year of university or graduated last year. We welcome applications from graduates of all levels including masters and PhD.
Strategy Analyst
This is an opportunity to turn ideas into reality. To improve the way we do things right across our business. And to have a direct impact on our customers.
Bring us a high level of numeracy, and we’ll help you develop the coding skills and analytical capabilities you need to influence our future – and succeed in yours.
Internship
Duration: 10 weeks
Eligibility: You’ll be in your penultimate year of studies in any discipline at any university.
Graduate
Duration: 2 years
Eligibility: A degree in any discipline from any university. PhD and Masters students are also welcome.
Product Manager
Do you want to disrupt the financial sector with cutting edge products and features to make people's lives easier?
Graduate
If you are a skilled communicator and a proven team player with a passion for collaboration outside of your studies we want you to help us create visions and strategies for our products.
Our partners
We work with a number of external partners who support us in diversifying our approach and thinking, whilst expanding our reach to students across the UK.
Application process
Here you can find out exactly what’s involved in the application process for the programme you’ve applied for.
Get the ball rolling
Choose the role that is right for you. Click ‘apply’, attach your CV and answer a couple of standard application questions.
Show us what you bring to the table
Take an online assessment. This is your chance to show us how well you can:
- Deal with different situations
- Use numbers and information to make good decisions
- Code (if that’s part of the job)
Fire up your webcam and say hey!
Answer the questions we give you, via video. Some of them will be about why you want the job. Some will be technical questions. If you’ve applied to be an analyst, you’ll do a case study with one of our Analysts over video too.
Come and meet us
We’ll chat to you on Zoom first and then meet you. Wear whatever makes you feel comfortable and confident. Don’t shy away from who you are as a person – we want to see the real you! We’ll set you several tasks that could include things like:
- Case studies: to test your problem solving and business instincts
- Presentations: how well you can research and communicate ideas?
- Group tasks: to make sure you have a team mentality
- Coding tests: depending on the programme, there’s usually a technical interview to check you’ve got the right skills
Your final interview
This is the last interview, we promise! Depending on the role you’ve applied for, we might invite you in for a final interview to get to know you a bit better before we make our final decision.
Yay or Nay
You’ll get plenty of support from your recruiter to help you prepare for every stage. After each step, we’ll be in touch within a couple of days. If it’s bad news, we won’t just say ‘no thanks’. We’ll be very happy to give you feedback to explain. We’ll tell you where you did well and where you could improve. If it is good news, we’ll tell you everything you need to know for the next stage. Once you’ve run out of stages, it’ll be a ‘Congratulations, see you soon’. Best of luck!
Frequently asked questions
Anything unclear? Here are some of the most common questions we hear about our processes.
When do applications open and close?
Our programmes open for applications in September but closing dates vary by programme. Make sure you check the programme listing for specific closing dates. Closing dates are always subject to change if we receive high volumes of applications, so it’s best to apply as soon as you can.
Can I apply to more than one programme?
Yes, you can apply to more than one programme. However, if you're interested in multiple positions for the same programme (you’re undecided if you want to apply to a graduate or an intern role), we'd suggest just applying to one job posting as the application process is the same. If you reach the interview stage, you can discuss your interest in other positions with your recruiter.
If I applied previously but didn't complete my application, can I be fast tracked to the stage I already reached?
If you already completed online assessments, the results stay valid for 12 months so you won't need to retake these (as long as our criteria hasn't changed). If this is the case, a recruiter will automatically move you forward to the next stage of the process. For any other stage after that, we don't typically fast track candidates for any other reason. That’s so that we can assess your current performance against other candidates in the process at that time.
Can I reapply if I've previously made an unsuccessful application?
Yes, you can reapply six months after your last application.
Why do I need to provide personal data about my background at the application stage?
When you apply, we’ll ask you to provide your gender and ethnicity. But you can choose not to declare this. We use this data to help us better understand who is applying to our roles and measure if they’re representative of the overall population. We don't use this information to make hiring decisions.
Do you have minimum grade requirements to apply?
No, we recognise that educational attainment is not the only measure of your suitability to our programmes. This means we won't ask for your grades and we welcome applications from candidates of all degree disciplines.
Do I need a cover letter?
No, cover letters are not required for any role and won't be reviewed as part of your application.
Am I eligible to apply to internships if I'm in my first year?
Currently, we don’t have opportunities for first year students. Our internships are open to students in the penultimate year of studies. You’ll need to be either in your second year of a Bachelor's degree or the third year of an integrated Master’s or degree with a year in industry. You can apply in your final year if you’re considering post-graduate studies or have a place confirmed.
Can I apply to a programme if I've already graduated?
Recent graduates are able to apply to graduate roles only. This will need to be within 12 months of you graduating or completing your post-graduate studies. After that time, we'd suggest you explore other roles to join Capital One.
Are you able to offer sponsorship?
We're able to offer sponsorship to candidates who are currently studying in the UK or have the right to work full time unrestricted via another visa type. This is subject to change at any time, dependent on current UK immigration rules.
I require reasonable adjustments during my application, who should I contact?
Please email ukgraduaterecruitment@capitalone.com once you've submitted your application and they’ll be able to support you.
What kind of preparation can I expect ahead of my interviews or assessment centre?
Take a look at our video of hints and tips. Your recruiter will send detailed preparation info ahead of the interview day as well as calling you personally to ensure you feel comfortable and prepared. We also run interview skills workshops.
Can I get feedback on my application if I'm unsuccessful?
Due to the high volume of applications we receive, we're not able to provide individual feedback on our video interviews – but we may be able to provide you with general themes. Once you reach our interview stages, we’ll be able to give you personalised feedback on your performance to support your ongoing development.
When does the graduate programme start?
All of our graduate programmes start in early September.
When does the internship programme start?
Our intern programme runs for 10 weeks in the summer. This is typically the end of June to August. We're not able to offer internships outside of the main programme dates as the onboarding and training dates are fixed.
When does the placement year run from?
Our placement programme runs for 12 months. Placement students typically join in September alongside our graduates.
Do you offer work experience?
We don't currently offer any paid/unpaid work experience programmes.
Where would I be located?
Our offices are in Nottingham and London with roles across both. We will ask you to provide your office preference in the application process. More detail is shared in each of the role descriptions.
Does Capital One offer remote working?
We have a hybrid working approach. Our offices in Nottingham and London are used for collaboration, connection, networking and events. Across all our early careers roles, we expect our people to be in the office for 3 days a week on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and work remotely Mondays and Fridays.
I've got another question not answered here, who can I contact?
Feel free to drop us an email to ukgraduaterecruitment@capitalone.com if you can't find an answer to your query and we'll get back to you!
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Don’t see a role that’s right for you? Don’t fret. You can sign up for our job alerts and we’ll make sure to let you know when the right one comes up.