The Student Room Group
Uni students - Complete our survey >>
Uni students - Complete our survey >>
Uni students - Complete our survey >>

Career in finance

Hello guys, this is my first question I believe! So I'm a little bit worried that what I intend to do isn't going to work. I'm finishing my joint honours mathematics and a language at the Uni of Birmingham and I'm about to start a postgrad finance court at LSE. I've heard that to get a job in finance (especially a decent one) you need to have gone to a top university. Does the fact that I will have gone to LSE count, or are they talking about undergraduate courses only/as well? I could have gone to a more prestigious university but I wanted this combination of subjects which is fairly unique to Birmingham ( a few other similar universities do it). So am I doomed to fail from the start? I would love to hear from people with specific knowledge and/or experience of my situation. Thanks!

Scroll to see replies

Reply 1
Avatar for Doones
Doones
21
Original post by mad_scientist_
Hello guys, this is my first question I believe! So I'm a little bit worried that what I intend to do isn't going to work. I'm finishing my joint honours mathematics and a language at the Uni of Birmingham and I'm about to start a postgrad finance court at LSE. I've heard that to get a job in finance (especially a decent one) you need to have gone to a top university. Does the fact that I will have gone to LSE count, or are they talking about undergraduate courses only/as well? I could have gone to a more prestigious university but I wanted this combination of subjects which is fairly unique to Birmingham ( a few other similar universities do it). So am I doomed to fail from the start? I would love to hear from people with specific knowledge and/or experience of my situation. Thanks!


? According to these posts you haven't started at Birmingham yet ?

http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showpost.php?p=62080423&postcount=1
http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showpost.php?p=62061361&postcount=3
Original post by jneill


Ok was hoping you wouldn't bother looking at that... Basically I want to explore a hypothetical situation without having to explain that it's hypothetical, why I want to do this, and also avoid all the "this is hypothetical what's the point" comments. Having said that, do you have any answer for my original question?
Reply 3
Avatar for Doones
Doones
21
Original post by mad_scientist_
Ok was hoping you wouldn't bother looking at that... Basically I want to explore a hypothetical situation without having to explain that it's hypothetical, why I want to do this, and also avoid all the "this is hypothetical what's the point" comments. Having said that, do you have any answer for my original question?


Birmingham is a perfectly good uni. Just get a job after your BSc. You don't need a Masters.

Focus on doing some extracurriculars at uni, and if you don't have a sandwich year, get some summer internships, etc.

That's much more important than a Masters.

Employers look for good people, not "good" universities.


Edit to add: in fact I'd say Maths + a language is a very employable degree. Get yourself a 2:1 (and do the other things) and you'll be fine...

Posted from TSR Mobile
(edited 8 years ago)
I have seen plenty of jobs that list "degree from top tier university" as a requirement though :?
Don't get me wrong I wouldn't change my mind about Birmingham, hardly anywhere else does my course combination which I know I'll love. I'm just worried it's going to leave me with fewer options.
Reply 6
Avatar for Doones
Doones
21
Original post by mad_scientist_
I have seen plenty of jobs that list "degree from top tier university" as a requirement though :?


Where have you seen these job ads?

Birmingham is RG and a semi-target for IB. You'll be fine.

Posted from TSR Mobile
Reply 7
Avatar for ULT
ULT
1
For High Finance you would need a target uni, the masters will get you into quant roles anyway
I have this (unrealistic perhaps) aspiration to work in the city, so that's the kind of jobs I'm looking at. I realise I might not get there but I'm using it as a carrot-on-a-stick kinda thing, it will serve as motivation for me to do my best. I would be very happy in quant roles.
Original post by mad_scientist_
Hello guys, this is my first question I believe! So I'm a little bit worried that what I intend to do isn't going to work. I'm finishing my joint honours mathematics and a language at the Uni of Birmingham and I'm about to start a postgrad finance court at LSE. I've heard that to get a job in finance (especially a decent one) you need to have gone to a top university. Does the fact that I will have gone to LSE count, or are they talking about undergraduate courses only/as well? I could have gone to a more prestigious university but I wanted this combination of subjects which is fairly unique to Birmingham ( a few other similar universities do it). So am I doomed to fail from the start? I would love to hear from people with specific knowledge and/or experience of my situation. Thanks!

Yes, it will count that you've gone to LSE.


Original post by jneill
Where have you seen these job ads?

Birmingham is RG and a semi-target for IB. You'll be fine.

Posted from TSR Mobile

It's not a semi-target.
Original post by Terry Tibbs
Yes, it will count that you've gone to LSE.



It's not a semi-target.


It is.

Posted from TSR Mobile
Original post by Princepieman

Birmingham? I mean, by who's list, because it isn't yours http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=3863519 http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?p=64136533
(edited 8 years ago)
Original post by Terry Tibbs


https://www.linkedin.com/edu/rankings/gb/undergraduate-investment-banking
Original post by Terry Tibbs


Actually, I'll retract my statement... Just did a LinkedIn search. Thought it was but apparently not.


Posted from TSR Mobile
Original post by Princepieman
Actually, I'll retract my statement... Just did a LinkedIn search. Thought it was but apparently not.


Posted from TSR Mobile

What "LinkedIn search"? Curious, what do you make of this? https://www.linkedin.com/edu/rankings/gb/undergraduate-investment-banking
Original post by Terry Tibbs
What "LinkedIn search"? Curious, what do you make of this? https://www.linkedin.com/edu/rankings/gb/undergraduate-investment-banking


For how many recent grads had 'Investment Banking Analyst', 'Sales and Trading Analyst', 'Research Analyst', 'Markets Analyst' etc job titles at the various banks, AM firms etc using the alumni search tool.

The list above is accurate apart from Southampton. If you look at the example grads that come up, not a lot of them are in FO. Imperial is artificially surpressed because finance isn't the goal for most students there.
Reply 16
Avatar for Doones
Doones
21
Original post by mad_scientist_
I have this (unrealistic perhaps) aspiration to work in the city, so that's the kind of jobs I'm looking at. I realise I might not get there but I'm using it as a carrot-on-a-stick kinda thing, it will serve as motivation for me to do my best. I would be very happy in quant roles.


Show me actual recruitment ads that state that Birmingham is excluded.

Also, B'ham is mentioned here as semi-target: http://www.canarywharfian.co.uk/threads/a-level-ucas-guide-for-investment-banking-part-i.102/

And, by-the-by, Deutsche Bank has a significant office in Birmingham. I imagine they, if no one else, will be hiring from their local university alumni. (49 vacancies at the moment. http://www.indeed.co.uk/m/jobs?q=Deutsche+Bank&l=Birmingham (yes, I know they aren't necessarily all grad roles....) )

Posted from TSR Mobile
Reply 17
Avatar for Doones
Doones
21
Original post by Princepieman
For how many recent grads had 'Investment Banking Analyst', 'Sales and Trading Analyst', 'Research Analyst', 'Markets Analyst' etc job titles at the various banks, AM firms etc using the alumni search tool.

The list above is accurate apart from Southampton. If you look at the example grads that come up, not a lot of them are in FO. Imperial is artificially surpressed because finance isn't the goal for most students there.


What's wrong with these Birmingham alumni?
Deutsche Bank https://www.linkedin.com/edu/alumni?id=12662&facets=I%2E45%2CI%2E41%2CI%2E46%2CCN%2E10%2CCC%2E1262&trk=edu-rk-com-CC-0
RBS https://www.linkedin.com/edu/alumni?id=12662&facets=I%2E45%2CI%2E41%2CI%2E46%2CCN%2E10%2CCC%2E1730&trk=edu-rk-com-CC-1
HSBC
https://www.linkedin.com/edu/alumni?id=12662&facets=I%2E45%2CI%2E41%2CI%2E46%2CCN%2E10%2CCC%2E1241&trk=edu-rk-com-CC-2

Analysts, VPs, MDs

Posted from TSR Mobile
Original post by jneill


Comments are about FO - front office (I-banking, sales and trading/markets, structuring, research, asset management (portfolio management/research), private wealth/private banking)

Link 1 yields only 4 people
Link 2 yields 6 people
Link 3 yields 3 people

And they aren't strictly recent hires
Reply 19
Avatar for Doones
Doones
21
Original post by Princepieman
Comments are about FO - front office (I-banking, sales and trading/markets, structuring, research, asset management (portfolio management/research), private wealth/private banking)

Link 1 yields only 4 people
Link 2 yields 6 people
Link 3 yields 3 people

And they aren't strictly recent hires


So 10%, not bad...

Anyway, the point is the OP *is* going to Birmingham (not LSE) and needs to make the most of it, which is largely within their own control to do so.

Adding an LSE Masters (assuming, and its a big assumption, they get accepted) delays them by another year and gives how much extra to their CV? (Genuine question...)
(edited 8 years ago)

Quick Reply

Related discussions

Latest

Trending

Trending

Articles for you