Frequently asked questions

Graduate applications for 2007 will open in October 2006 and close on Sunday 7 January 2007. The selection process will take place from October 2006 onwards. The earlier you apply the better.

The starting salary for graduates joining us in September 2006 is £27,500, plus a sign-on bonus and a flexible benefits package.

We have had more than 2,000 graduates request information in previous years.

Yes, we would welcome graduates who can offer some relevant commercial experience.

Yes you can. However, you will have to wait a full year before re-applying. For example, if you applied in October 2004 for the 2005 intake, you won't be able to re-apply for this intake. But you can apply in October 2005 for the 2006 intake.

We are in the heart of London's Docklands.

We have more than 2,500 employees, primarily based in Docklands. We also have a small office in Edinburgh. Graduates will be based in the Docklands.

We have welcomed students from across the country.

We accept all degree disciplines. However, we are particularly interested in those who have a degree with a highly analytical or numerical content.

Yes, to a certain extent you will all follow a basic outline, but individual departments or business units may alter this slightly. Due to the nature of our constantly evolving business, we may make ongoing changes to the programme to make it more flexible to meet the needs of the business.

No. You will be placed in an area of the FSA we feel would best suit your background and, more importantly, satisfies the needs of the business. After this, you will be moved around the organisation to ensure you get a broad exposure to some of the three main business areas (Regulatory Services, Retail Markets, and Wholesale & Institutional Markets), and other areas such as Enforcement, General Council and Business Review and Audit.

The programme aims to develop well-rounded individuals with a broad overview of the FSA. The programme is also driven by our business needs, so we will manage your rotations to ensure you get broad exposure.

Absolutely! The programme is designed to give you early responsibility during your first year with the FSA, from supervising your own institutions to policy development work.

A mentor is normally an associate in the organisation. While your line manager will focus on your day-to-day role and objectives, your mentor will encourage your broader professional development. Your mentor will have been chosen for their in-depth experience and knowledge, and will stay with you for the duration of the programme.

This is an existing graduate who has been through the graduate programme. They will be there to deal with day-to-day issues or the uncertainties of starting a job in a new environment, and will gently ease you in during your first few months.

We suggest you read the information on our website. All the information you need about who we are and what we do is there. It includes the publications we produce too. It would be helpful if you spent time looking at recent copies of financial publications and researched the FSA and the industry we regulate. You can do this on the internet, using sites such as www.ft.com and www.moneymarketing.co.uk (recommended to us by previous graduates).

This will be helpful if you get to the final selection centre. The interview at this stage focuses on who we are and what we do. We also discuss in detail your understanding of the key issues affecting both the FSA and the financial services industry.

Yes, we encourage all employees to undertake relevant further academic or professional qualifications.

The FSA offers a genuinely good work-life balance. Outside your working day, we have a sports and social committee which organises subsidised activities to cater for all tastes. These include theatre trips, summer balls, pub quizzes and sports events, giving you the opportunity to socialise with your colleagues.