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Need Help regarding career in Finance

I am 18 years old at the moment and I was wondering if there's anything I should be doing right now to prepare successfully for a career in Finance aside from internships during university.
Thanks
Finance is a broad term. What professions exactly?
Reply 2
Original post by Khanify
I am 18 years old at the moment and I was wondering if there's anything I should be doing right now to prepare successfully for a career in Finance aside from internships during university.
Thanks


@jhgjhgg
Reply 3
Original post by Khanify
I am 18 years old at the moment and I was wondering if there's anything I should be doing right now to prepare successfully for a career in Finance aside from internships during university.
Thanks


I think you need to do things that show you are passionate about finance. I suggest reading books on finance and investing and then investing some money in the market via a broker yourself. You will get to see how the markets work and what drives them.

If you can say in an interview that you yourself invest money, they will know you understand finance and you won't have as steep of a learning curve.

I would also suggest doing degrees with a high level of math content, some of the best degrees to get into finance are ones like BSc Mathematics or BSc Economics and Mathematics. Also at university try and take as many finance modules as you can, finance is different from economics as it is practically only concerned with the stock market and not the general economy.

Economics is the subject about making a more stable and productive economy, finance is about making as much as you can and reducing your risk in making that.
Reply 4
Hi yeah sorry I was quite vague. I meant towards a career like investment banking or hedge funds.
Reply 5
Original post by jhgjhgg
I think you need to do things that show you are passionate about finance. I suggest reading books on finance and investing and then investing some money in the market via a broker yourself. You will get to see how the markets work and what drives them.

If you can say in an interview that you yourself invest money, they will know you understand finance and you won't have as steep of a learning curve.

I would also suggest doing degrees with a high level of math content, some of the best degrees to get into finance are ones like BSc Mathematics or BSc Economics and Mathematics. Also at university try and take as many finance modules as you can, finance is different from economics as it is practically only concerned with the stock market and not the general economy.

Economics is the subject about making a more stable and productive economy, finance is about making as much as you can and reducing your risk in making that.

Ooh ok thanks that helps
Reply 6
Original post by Khanify
I am 18 years old at the moment and I was wondering if there's anything I should be doing right now to prepare successfully for a career in Finance aside from internships during university.
Thanks


Basically, the path to getting a job in Financial Services after University follows these steps loosely:
1) Obtain a pre-university internship in Financial services (Look up Student Ladder, there are alot of pre-university experience days/ internships at large banks and other Financial Services

2) When you arrive at Univesrity, with your Pre-University internship on your CV, start applying for Spring Weeks, I would also HIGHLY recommend you develop an affinity towards Psycometric tests, i.e. mastering verbal/numerical tests.

3) You are now in second year and potentially have a summer internship offer from the firm you did a spring week at, if you don't this is the time you spend applying for Summer Internships, with your CV containing Spring weeks and Pre-university Internships

4) You have finished your summer internship and you have a graduate offer, if you don't you spend July/August doing applications for a Graduate Job.

5) You start your graduate scheme

IMO start thinking about what areas of finance you were interested in, Ie Investment Banking, Asset Management, Private Equity, Insurance, Brokerages, Clearinghouses, Exchanges, Big 4 Consulting etc. I would highly recommend Studentladder, it is a brilliant source of information, and provides links to firms at all stages, from Pre-university internship all the way to Graduate Scheme. If you feel university isn't for you, but you want to go into finance, get some decent A-Levels and Apply to the Big Four, or go through Investment2020 to get a role in Asset Management.
Reply 7
Original post by te159311
Basically, the path to getting a job in Financial Services after University follows these steps loosely:
1) Obtain a pre-university internship in Financial services (Look up Student Ladder, there are alot of pre-university experience days/ internships at large banks and other Financial Services

2) When you arrive at Univesrity, with your Pre-University internship on your CV, start applying for Spring Weeks, I would also HIGHLY recommend you develop an affinity towards Psycometric tests, i.e. mastering verbal/numerical tests.

3) You are now in second year and potentially have a summer internship offer from the firm you did a spring week at, if you don't this is the time you spend applying for Summer Internships, with your CV containing Spring weeks and Pre-university Internships

4) You have finished your summer internship and you have a graduate offer, if you don't you spend July/August doing applications for a Graduate Job.

5) You start your graduate scheme

IMO start thinking about what areas of finance you were interested in, Ie Investment Banking, Asset Management, Private Equity, Insurance, Brokerages, Clearinghouses, Exchanges, Big 4 Consulting etc. I would highly recommend Studentladder, it is a brilliant source of information, and provides links to firms at all stages, from Pre-university internship all the way to Graduate Scheme. If you feel university isn't for you, but you want to go into finance, get some decent A-Levels and Apply to the Big Four, or go through Investment2020 to get a role in Asset Management.

Wow. Thanks so much for your help I truly truly appreciate it
Reply 8
Original post by Khanify
Wow. Thanks so much for your help I truly truly appreciate it


These are all things i would have wanted to know at your age, PM me if you have any questions.

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