Best undergrad degree for IB?

Hi

Currently in Year 12, just wondering what degree do you think would be best in terms of job prospects in IB/Management consultancy? I'm hoping to do PPE at Oxford, is this a good choice?

Cheers

Hi

Currently in Year 12, just wondering what degree do you think would be best in terms of job prospects in IB/Management consultancy? I'm hoping to do PPE at Oxford, is this a good choice?

Cheers

If you're at a target, you can do anything you want - within reason. I know Music grads working as traders..

Anywhere else, a good quantitative degree should suffice: Computer Science, Economics, Engineering, Maths, Physics etc.

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Hi, cheers for this. Just out of interest, what are the target universities for IB?

Hi

Currently in Year 12, just wondering what degree do you think would be best in terms of job prospects in IB/Management consultancy? I'm hoping to do PPE at Oxford, is this a good choice?

Cheers

Yes, that's a perfectly good choice.

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Personally I would say if not Economics or Maths, a type of engineering preferably mechanical would be one of the best. 20% of goldman sachs IBD analysts studied engineering.

If you're at a target, you can do anything you want - within reason. I know Music grads working as traders..

Anywhere else, a good quantitative degree should suffice: Computer Science, Economics, Engineering, Maths, Physics etc.

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Hi, cheers for this. Just out of interest, what are the target universities for IB?

Oxbridge, UCL, Imperial, LSE and Warwick.

The semi-targets are places like: Nottingham, Durham, Edinburgh, Bristol, Manchester, Cass etc.

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The best chances of securing a place within anything in the UK, including IB, is actually contacts.

Read this article:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-30878568

It states despite not having formal qualifications, a retired tennis player can still make it into IB because they have "determination and commitment".

In my view, that's just an excuse to give the job to anyone they want. After all, how do you define determination and commitment and who doesn't have it?

So my advice is to study what you are best at, in order to strive for a 1st class degree, then use whatever contacts you have.

Obviously this will p*ss you off if the vacancy is taken up by someone who got in through the back door but remember, despite what the official line is, the workplace is NOT meritocratic.

Those are the top are not necessarily the brightest but have got there by other means. Once you venture into the workplace, you'll know the rules and how to play it or not.

Nevertheless, good luck.

PS Re harry218, are you currently a student or in the workplace? I have NEVER seen an ad placed by Goldman Sachs. It seems they only recruit by word of mouth but perhaps I am wrong.

The best chances of securing a place within anything in the UK, including IB, is actually contacts.

Read this article:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-30878568

It states despite not having formal qualifications, a retired tennis player can still make it into IB because they have "determination and commitment".

In my view, that's just an excuse to give the job to anyone they want. After all, how do you define determination and commitment and who doesn't have it?

So my advice is to study what you are best at, in order to strive for a 1st class degree, then use whatever contacts you have.

Obviously this will p*ss you off if the vacancy is taken up by someone who got in through the back door but remember, despite what the official line is, the workplace is NOT meritocratic.

Those are the top are not necessarily the brightest but have got there by other means. Once you venture into the workplace, you'll know the rules and how to play it or not.

Nevertheless, good luck.

PS Re harry218, are you currently a student or in the workplace? I have NEVER seen an ad placed by Goldman Sachs. It seems they only recruit by word of mouth but perhaps I am wrong.

Being a professional tennis player is pretty much the definition of having determination and commitment. Banks love professional athletes.

OP, if you're at a target, especially Oxbridge, you only need to do a course you like and one that requires numerical skills, writing / research skills or talent and you'll be make to make your way. Something sciency does help though

Oxbridge, UCL, Imperial, LSE and Warwick.

The semi-targets are places like: Nottingham, Durham, Edinburgh, Bristol, Manchester, Cass etc.

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Even if you studied Sociology at Warwick?

So determination and commitment are a good alternative to intellect?

Now I see why banks f**k up constantly.

You'll still be at Warwick. Tons of firms come to visit, a lot sponsor the finance and econ societies. It's just easier to get exposure.

seems unfair. Surely a, say, economics & law grad from Liverpool will have much more to offer a company than a sociology w/gender studies grad from Warwick?

It's not exactly binary. Athletes aren't dumb do default you know.
But yeah, you don't really need to be smart or particularly intellectual to get into banking. Just be a machine and do what you're told, don't **** up. Athletes and military are good at that and hence popular with banks. Common sense and intellect are a bonus and only come into play with more seniority

That typically sums up things in the UK / workplace / IBs, where it is NOT a meritocracy.

I can accept your fact that you DON'T have to be particularly smart to work in a bank.

What annoys me is why don't the banks have the courage to state that in the application process, instead of going on about a min of 2:1, leadership, blah, blah, blah?

As can be seen on forums like these, many students are running around like headless chickens trying to find out what grades and extra-curricular activities are required to get into an IB, when in fact in place of academic grades, "determination and commitment" is just as good!

Or is that just a get out clause so they can recruit their buddies?

What determines determination and commitment?

You're post is pretty much counter-intuitive.

The application process is about seperating yourself from the competition. Out of a pile of thousands of CVs, what will make yours more interesting? What's the determinent of someone's viability in the banking industry. Surely, it's their inter-personal skills which is demonstrated mostly by their extra-curriculars.

Commitment again demonstrated by learning stuff around banking for yourself, such as attending these insight events, learning what a DCF model / LBO model is, so when you get asked in an interview you can actually answer the question. Do you really think some high-school drop out would set aside the time to learn these models. Also, shown through academia via reccuringly achieving top grades, showing a students willingness to learn (very important in this environment).

If you think you will survive banking without being sharp, you're only kidding yourself. What team wants to pickup a slag off for their desk. Retention of technical knowledge is mostly demonstrated through academics, therefore it's a pretty solid indicator as to whether or not you'll be an efficient worker alongside key competencies demonstrated through work experiences to show whether you are adaptable, have leadership/teamworking skills.

How is my post counter-intuitive?

All I'm saying is for the adverts and employers to be truthful.

If determination and commitment is a substitute for high grades, state that.