At Baillie Gifford, we are interested in people who are curious about the world around them. People who combine intellect, insights and a fresh perspective.

If you can prove to us that you have those qualities, this is an opportunity to win £5,000 to travel the world this summer, followed by two weeks in Edinburgh with paid accommodation. To enter, all you have to do is to complete our fun quiz, answer this year’s question, and be prepared to embark on an exciting research project over the summer.

The Question

We would like you to consider the following question, in no more than 300 words:

The Greek philosopher, Heraclitus, once said that “change is the only constant in life”. It is happening all around us: industries, societies, environments – the list goes on. Pick an area where you see rapid change and tell us why you’re optimistic about the future.

In the spirit of adventurous inquiry, tell us how you would explore your arguments further if you had £5000 and could spend 4 weeks travelling anywhere in the world.

Be original, creative, and thought provoking. Address an area that is specific enough to draw conclusions.

The Quiz

Before you answer the question, first answer this short quiz. There are 7 questions in the quiz. The questions are wide ranging and designed to ignite your curiosity about the world. No pre-requisite knowledge is required! With each question you answer, it will reveal part of the password you need to unlock the application form. There are no time constraints. Once you have solved the quiz, use the unlocking password to submit your application.

We hope that you have as much fun doing the quiz as we had making it.

Up to four winners will each receive a grant of £5,000 to spend four weeks travelling anywhere in the world. During this time you will be testing your hypothesis and carrying out further research to support your argument. Following that, you will be based for two weeks at our offices in Edinburgh with paid accommodation, writing up your research before presenting it to our investment teams. In short, this is an alternative kind of internship.

We want ideas that excite us. Well-reasoned insights that don’t just showcase your curiosity and original thinking, but bring out your passion for the subject. We want to see how you can construct a convincing argument as you approach your topic from a new and fresh angle.

Your response shouldn’t just answer the question though. Tell us why you want to explore your concept further – and how you are going to use your four weeks’ travelling to develop your research piece.

Up to 10 entries will be shortlisted and invited to our office in Edinburgh for further discussion.

Established more than a century ago, Baillie Gifford provides investment management services for a wide range of international clients, from large pension funds to individual private investors.

Our focus is on generating long-term growth for our clients by developing a deep understanding of the underlying fundamental drivers behind potential investments. That means questioning everything that happens around us – and appreciating the context and repercussions of local, regional and global events.

In other words, we are endlessly curious about what the future of the world looks like. For students from any degree discipline who share our inquisitive nature, we offer a tailored Investment Research training programme. To find out more visit www.bailliegifford.com/graduateprogrammes.

The competition is now closed

• Shortlisted entries invited to Edinburgh: meetings to take place week commencing 9th December 2019
• Two weeks at Baillie Gifford’s offices: 17th August 2020

Why does Baillie Gifford have an Alternative Internship?
We used to have a more traditional approach to internships and invite students to work in our offices during the summer period. But this felt artificial and didn’t accurately reflect the job or our forward-thinking ethos. So, we created the Alternative Internship to better illustrate the purpose and approach of our firm as well as dispel some preconceptions about investment management as a career choice.

At Baillie Gifford we try to imagine what the future will look like – we research ideas, form a hypothesis and discuss our opinions. This is the role of an Investment Analyst at the firm and what we expect our candidates to do during their internship.

What are you looking for in applicants?
We’re looking for curiosity about the world and a breadth of thinking. You need to be able to join the dots of seemingly unrelated topics to see where innovation and opportunity could lie. We’re also looking for truly original ideas and angles that people haven’t explored before, and we don’t expect your answers to be about companies or economics. For example one of our interns researched how creativity is being taught in global education systems. This is a very important question for society going forward and therefore it’s something we’re very interested in.

You don’t need to be someone who already knows a lot about their subject, but you should have the curiosity and interest to find out more. So you have to be a self-starter who is open-minded to new ideas and ways of thinking. We don’t expect you to know all the answers at this stage, but you should know how to ask the right questions.

Why limit answers to 300 words?
Sometimes less is more and having the ability to distil complex thoughts into short, coherent arguments is an essential part of life here at Baillie Gifford. Limiting answers to 300 words shows us that you can consider a large amount of information but then focus on the most salient points to communicate your idea succinctly.

How much do we advise interns?
We deliberately give our interns very little guidance, as we expect them to be self-motivated and organised enough to carry out their own research. This is just what we expect of our Investment Analysts. You’ll have the independence and complete freedom to make the most of this exciting opportunity.

Fairness. Equality. Openness. These three principles form the backbone of diversity and inclusion at Baillie Gifford, where we believe everyone should have the opportunity to develop and maximise their potential.

If you want to explore diversity and inclusion at Baillie Gifford further, you can find a selection of articles on our website which feature interviews with our staff and insights into some of our employee-led networks.

Find out more

• The competition is open to penultimate year undergraduates or penultimate or final year PhD/DPhil students.
• Entries must be submitted via the online application form.
• Prizes are non-transferable and are only open to the winners.
• Between two and four winners will be selected.
• Please note that this is not a competition to receive investment to develop your own business idea or funding to carry out your own research, project or current studies. We are looking for applications that answer the set question.
• By entering this competition you are agreeing to allow Baillie Gifford to keep your contact details on file for the next 18 months. These details may be used to keep you informed about Baillie Gifford’s graduate training schemes.
• By entering this competition you will be deemed to have read and understood these rules and to be bound by them.
• The competition is governed by Scottish Law and any matters relating to the competition will be resolved under Scottish Law.
• No responsibility will be accepted for failed, partial or garbled computer transmissions, for any computer, telephone, cable, network, electronic or internet hardware or software malfunctions, failures, connections, availability, for the acts or omissions of any service provider, internet, accessibility or availability or for traffic congestion or unauthorised human act.
• The competition is not open to current employees of Baillie Gifford.