Graduated in Law Master’s Advice, Is MSc in Banking & Finance a Good Move?
Ive recently Graduated with a 2:1 in Law which I was honestly surprised to get considering the circumstances but im not sure what to do now. Being completely honest i went to a low ranking uni, dont want to say specifics but because of Covid I received much lower A levels and so i had no choice. I didnt like the uni and law probably because it was closed for the first 2 years i was there. Im looking to do a masters at a better uni, one course ive seen is MSc in banking and finance and qmul but im not sure. Im not looking to work in IB or anything like that. I know it’s super competitive and it’s not something I’m even considering. But I think this degree could be useful for other careers. I probably dont have a high enough grade for KCL, UCL etc but ive seen on their website list GMAT or GRE scores.
Would doing well in those help me get in despite my current grades?
Has anyone here moved from law to banking/finance? How was it?
Is a master’s in banking and finance at QMUL worth it if for other careers within finance?
What alternative career paths should I consider with a law degree?
Would doing well in those help me get in despite my current grades?
Has anyone here moved from law to banking/finance? How was it?
Is a master’s in banking and finance at QMUL worth it if for other careers within finance?
What alternative career paths should I consider with a law degree?
Reply 1
Original post by Sttudentt123
Ive recently Graduated with a 2:1 in Law which I was honestly surprised to get considering the circumstances but im not sure what to do now. Being completely honest i went to a low ranking uni, dont want to say specifics but because of Covid I received much lower A levels and so i had no choice. I didnt like the uni and law probably because it was closed for the first 2 years i was there. Im looking to do a masters at a better uni, one course ive seen is MSc in banking and finance and qmul but im not sure. Im not looking to work in IB or anything like that. I know it’s super competitive and it’s not something I’m even considering. But I think this degree could be useful for other careers. I probably dont have a high enough grade for KCL, UCL etc but ive seen on their website list GMAT or GRE scores.
Would doing well in those help me get in despite my current grades?
Has anyone here moved from law to banking/finance? How was it?
Is a master’s in banking and finance at QMUL worth it if for other careers within finance?
What alternative career paths should I consider with a law degree?
Would doing well in those help me get in despite my current grades?
Has anyone here moved from law to banking/finance? How was it?
Is a master’s in banking and finance at QMUL worth it if for other careers within finance?
What alternative career paths should I consider with a law degree?
Ive recently Graduated with a 2:1 in Law
Congrats. Law is known as one of the most difficult subjects taught at uni. This is a good grade.
But I think this degree could be useful for other careers.
Which careers do you specifically think a master's would provide exactly? The purpose of a master's is to help you to get into academia in most cases. There are only a handful of scenarios where it helps you to get into specific jobs in industry, and finance isn't one of them. For economics, maybe but it's preferred if you do a PhD in it.
If you also look at the entry requirements for the degree (https://www.qmul.ac.uk/postgraduate/taught/coursefinder/courses/banking-and-finance-msc/), you would notice that it requires your undergrad degree to have a lot of maths and statistics which isn't something taught in law degrees generally (unless you correct me regarding your degree).
I probably dont have a high enough grade for KCL, UCL etc but ive seen on their website list GMAT or GRE scores.
Check the entry requirements for the specific degrees at those universities. KCL and UCL accept 2:1 degrees for some of their masters' (depending on the subject of course). GMAT and GRE scores aren't really required for masters' in the UK generally. The only uni that I know of that does require it is LSE, and even then it's only for some of their degrees in social sciences.
Would doing well in those help me get in despite my current grades?
It depends on the individual degree and the entry requirements. You would be pleasantly surprised by the range of universities you can apply to for masters' with just a 2:1.
Has anyone here moved from law to banking/finance? How was it?
I know of people who did, and they didn't need to do a master's for this. Banking in general doesn't require you to have a degree. Even for most graduate roles they ask for a 2:1 degree in any subject. It's a similar case with finance in general, although a number of finance roles will require professional qualifications specific for the role that you want to apply for e.g. you can't sell insurance if your professional qualification is in stockbrokering. And no, a master's in finance or banking won't help you in these cases, since the role requires professional qualifications and not random academic degrees.
Having said that, the QMUL MSc has affiliations with GARP and its FRM certification. I don't know whether this means that it would give you exemptions towards the FRM certification to go into risk management, or whether it means the content of the degree is similar to those for FRM but won't give you exemptions towards it. In either case, it's going to be significantly cheaper if you just did the FRM certification privately as opposed to doing it through the degree i.e. $1200 (or under £1000 at the time of writing) vs £20850.
Is a master’s in banking and finance at QMUL worth it if for other careers within finance?
This is such an insultingly superficial question, so I won't entertain this by answering it. See the above regarding careers in finance.
What alternative career paths should I consider with a law degree?
You can typically go into 600+ different careers with just passes at A Levels, so I won't bother listing them all here. A law degree will typically allow you to go into any area of law, but if you want something outside of law you would need to be specific.
You typically won't be eligible for anything that require a degree in a specific subject for regulatory purposes e.g. most roles in healthcare, architecture. You can apply for anything that accepts a degree in any subject e.g. accounting, finance, property, design, civil service.
If on the other hand, you're looking for brochure like advice on what you can do with a law degree (that I think is anything but exhaustive), see the following for example:
https://www.prospects.ac.uk/careers-advice/what-can-i-do-with-my-degree/law
https://www.lawsociety.org.uk/en/career-advice/becoming-a-solicitor/alternative-careers-with-a-law-degree
https://www.whatuni.com/advice/career-advice/jobs-you-can-do-with-a-law-degree/80730/
https://www.brightnetwork.co.uk/graduate-career-advice/no-idea-what-do/what-to-do-with-degree/what-to-do-law-degree/
https://www.law.ac.uk/resources/blog/things-you-can-do-with-law-degree/
https://targetjobs.co.uk/careers-advice/career-ideas/what-else-can-i-do-law-degree
https://www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/student-advice/careers/careers-with-a-law-degree
As you have mentioned zero information on what you are looking for in a career or what you want from a career, I have no information to use to point you in any meaningful direction.
Reply 2
1
Original post by MindMax2000
Ive recently Graduated with a 2:1 in Law
Congrats. Law is known as one of the most difficult subjects taught at uni. This is a good grade.
But I think this degree could be useful for other careers.
Which careers do you specifically think a master's would provide exactly? The purpose of a master's is to help you to get into academia in most cases. There are only a handful of scenarios where it helps you to get into specific jobs in industry, and finance isn't one of them. For economics, maybe but it's preferred if you do a PhD in it.
If you also look at the entry requirements for the degree (https://www.qmul.ac.uk/postgraduate/taught/coursefinder/courses/banking-and-finance-msc/), you would notice that it requires your undergrad degree to have a lot of maths and statistics which isn't something taught in law degrees generally (unless you correct me regarding your degree).
I probably dont have a high enough grade for KCL, UCL etc but ive seen on their website list GMAT or GRE scores.
Check the entry requirements for the specific degrees at those universities. KCL and UCL accept 2:1 degrees for some of their masters' (depending on the subject of course). GMAT and GRE scores aren't really required for masters' in the UK generally. The only uni that I know of that does require it is LSE, and even then it's only for some of their degrees in social sciences.
Would doing well in those help me get in despite my current grades?
It depends on the individual degree and the entry requirements. You would be pleasantly surprised by the range of universities you can apply to for masters' with just a 2:1.
Has anyone here moved from law to banking/finance? How was it?
I know of people who did, and they didn't need to do a master's for this. Banking in general doesn't require you to have a degree. Even for most graduate roles they ask for a 2:1 degree in any subject. It's a similar case with finance in general, although a number of finance roles will require professional qualifications specific for the role that you want to apply for e.g. you can't sell insurance if your professional qualification is in stockbrokering. And no, a master's in finance or banking won't help you in these cases, since the role requires professional qualifications and not random academic degrees.
Having said that, the QMUL MSc has affiliations with GARP and its FRM certification. I don't know whether this means that it would give you exemptions towards the FRM certification to go into risk management, or whether it means the content of the degree is similar to those for FRM but won't give you exemptions towards it. In either case, it's going to be significantly cheaper if you just did the FRM certification privately as opposed to doing it through the degree i.e. $1200 (or under £1000 at the time of writing) vs £20850.
Is a master’s in banking and finance at QMUL worth it if for other careers within finance?
This is such an insultingly superficial question, so I won't entertain this by answering it. See the above regarding careers in finance.
What alternative career paths should I consider with a law degree?
You can typically go into 600+ different careers with just passes at A Levels, so I won't bother listing them all here. A law degree will typically allow you to go into any area of law, but if you want something outside of law you would need to be specific.
You typically won't be eligible for anything that require a degree in a specific subject for regulatory purposes e.g. most roles in healthcare, architecture. You can apply for anything that accepts a degree in any subject e.g. accounting, finance, property, design, civil service.
If on the other hand, you're looking for brochure like advice on what you can do with a law degree (that I think is anything but exhaustive), see the following for example:
https://www.prospects.ac.uk/careers-advice/what-can-i-do-with-my-degree/law
https://www.lawsociety.org.uk/en/career-advice/becoming-a-solicitor/alternative-careers-with-a-law-degree
https://www.whatuni.com/advice/career-advice/jobs-you-can-do-with-a-law-degree/80730/
https://www.brightnetwork.co.uk/graduate-career-advice/no-idea-what-do/what-to-do-with-degree/what-to-do-law-degree/
https://www.law.ac.uk/resources/blog/things-you-can-do-with-law-degree/
https://targetjobs.co.uk/careers-advice/career-ideas/what-else-can-i-do-law-degree
https://www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/student-advice/careers/careers-with-a-law-degree
As you have mentioned zero information on what you are looking for in a career or what you want from a career, I have no information to use to point you in any meaningful direction.
Congrats. Law is known as one of the most difficult subjects taught at uni. This is a good grade.
But I think this degree could be useful for other careers.
Which careers do you specifically think a master's would provide exactly? The purpose of a master's is to help you to get into academia in most cases. There are only a handful of scenarios where it helps you to get into specific jobs in industry, and finance isn't one of them. For economics, maybe but it's preferred if you do a PhD in it.
If you also look at the entry requirements for the degree (https://www.qmul.ac.uk/postgraduate/taught/coursefinder/courses/banking-and-finance-msc/), you would notice that it requires your undergrad degree to have a lot of maths and statistics which isn't something taught in law degrees generally (unless you correct me regarding your degree).
I probably dont have a high enough grade for KCL, UCL etc but ive seen on their website list GMAT or GRE scores.
Check the entry requirements for the specific degrees at those universities. KCL and UCL accept 2:1 degrees for some of their masters' (depending on the subject of course). GMAT and GRE scores aren't really required for masters' in the UK generally. The only uni that I know of that does require it is LSE, and even then it's only for some of their degrees in social sciences.
Would doing well in those help me get in despite my current grades?
It depends on the individual degree and the entry requirements. You would be pleasantly surprised by the range of universities you can apply to for masters' with just a 2:1.
Has anyone here moved from law to banking/finance? How was it?
I know of people who did, and they didn't need to do a master's for this. Banking in general doesn't require you to have a degree. Even for most graduate roles they ask for a 2:1 degree in any subject. It's a similar case with finance in general, although a number of finance roles will require professional qualifications specific for the role that you want to apply for e.g. you can't sell insurance if your professional qualification is in stockbrokering. And no, a master's in finance or banking won't help you in these cases, since the role requires professional qualifications and not random academic degrees.
Having said that, the QMUL MSc has affiliations with GARP and its FRM certification. I don't know whether this means that it would give you exemptions towards the FRM certification to go into risk management, or whether it means the content of the degree is similar to those for FRM but won't give you exemptions towards it. In either case, it's going to be significantly cheaper if you just did the FRM certification privately as opposed to doing it through the degree i.e. $1200 (or under £1000 at the time of writing) vs £20850.
Is a master’s in banking and finance at QMUL worth it if for other careers within finance?
This is such an insultingly superficial question, so I won't entertain this by answering it. See the above regarding careers in finance.
What alternative career paths should I consider with a law degree?
You can typically go into 600+ different careers with just passes at A Levels, so I won't bother listing them all here. A law degree will typically allow you to go into any area of law, but if you want something outside of law you would need to be specific.
You typically won't be eligible for anything that require a degree in a specific subject for regulatory purposes e.g. most roles in healthcare, architecture. You can apply for anything that accepts a degree in any subject e.g. accounting, finance, property, design, civil service.
If on the other hand, you're looking for brochure like advice on what you can do with a law degree (that I think is anything but exhaustive), see the following for example:
https://www.prospects.ac.uk/careers-advice/what-can-i-do-with-my-degree/law
https://www.lawsociety.org.uk/en/career-advice/becoming-a-solicitor/alternative-careers-with-a-law-degree
https://www.whatuni.com/advice/career-advice/jobs-you-can-do-with-a-law-degree/80730/
https://www.brightnetwork.co.uk/graduate-career-advice/no-idea-what-do/what-to-do-with-degree/what-to-do-law-degree/
https://www.law.ac.uk/resources/blog/things-you-can-do-with-law-degree/
https://targetjobs.co.uk/careers-advice/career-ideas/what-else-can-i-do-law-degree
https://www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/student-advice/careers/careers-with-a-law-degree
As you have mentioned zero information on what you are looking for in a career or what you want from a career, I have no information to use to point you in any meaningful direction.
Hi, thank you so much for the detailed response. I really appreciate it.
Regarding Queen Mary, they actually have a conversion course that allows entry into their MSc in Banking and Finance without requiring an undergrad with a lot of maths or statistics. Here's the link: https://www.qmul.ac.uk/postgraduate/taught/coursefinder/courses/banking-and-finance-conversion-msc/I feel like this could be a good option for me, especially since my background is in law.
As for KCL UCL etc they reason I mention the GMAT and GRE is because the UNIs mention mid to high 2:1 which I unfortunately did not get. I thought maybe gaining the GMAT and GRE could help close that gap I am missing.
Even for most graduate roles they ask for a 2:1 degree in any subject.
I’ve seen job listings where they ask for a 2:1 degree in any subject, and I’ve applied to some. However, I’m still concerned about whether I’d be able to stand out for entry-level roles. The main reason I’m considering a master’s is to give me an edge and gain relevant experience over the course of the year. Regarding the GARP/FRM certification, how important would those qualifications be at this stage? Would it make more sense to go straight for a certification, or would pursuing a master’s help me build experience and competitiveness?
Regarding the question about the MSc in Banking and Finance at QMUL, I apologise if it came across as superficial. What I meant was whether the master's at Queen Mary would actually improve my job prospects after graduating. I’ve read a lot online about target universities and how that can affect opportunities in finance, and I’ve also seen many people struggling to find work. My concern is whether it’s worth investing the time and money into this master’s if the job prospects after graduating aren’t that great.
What alternative career paths should I consider with a law degree?
I want to be honest here—I’ve never had a clear career aspiration. Obviously, I want to work and be in a position where I can make good money, but I’ve never really been sure about what I wanted to do. When COVID hit during my A-Levels, it completely disrupted everything, and I ended up choosing law without much thought because everything was uncertain. COVID was a difficult time for me, and I think that affected a lot of my decisions.
Now that I’ve graduated, I’m trying to figure out what path to take. I appreciate that a law degree gives flexibility in terms of career options, but I don’t have a specific direction in mind, and that’s part of why I’m considering doing a master’s. I know it’s not a great reason to go back to study, but I feel like I need something to give me a clearer path forward.
Do you have any advice on how I should approach figuring this out, or how to narrow down my options? I’m open to any suggestions.
Thanks again for all your help and patience.
Reply 3
Original post by Sttudentt123
Hi, thank you so much for the detailed response. I really appreciate it.
Regarding Queen Mary, they actually have a conversion course that allows entry into their MSc in Banking and Finance without requiring an undergrad with a lot of maths or statistics. Here's the link: https://www.qmul.ac.uk/postgraduate/taught/coursefinder/courses/banking-and-finance-conversion-msc/I feel like this could be a good option for me, especially since my background is in law.
As for KCL UCL etc they reason I mention the GMAT and GRE is because the UNIs mention mid to high 2:1 which I unfortunately did not get. I thought maybe gaining the GMAT and GRE could help close that gap I am missing.
Even for most graduate roles they ask for a 2:1 degree in any subject.
I’ve seen job listings where they ask for a 2:1 degree in any subject, and I’ve applied to some. However, I’m still concerned about whether I’d be able to stand out for entry-level roles. The main reason I’m considering a master’s is to give me an edge and gain relevant experience over the course of the year. Regarding the GARP/FRM certification, how important would those qualifications be at this stage? Would it make more sense to go straight for a certification, or would pursuing a master’s help me build experience and competitiveness?
Regarding the question about the MSc in Banking and Finance at QMUL, I apologise if it came across as superficial. What I meant was whether the master's at Queen Mary would actually improve my job prospects after graduating. I’ve read a lot online about target universities and how that can affect opportunities in finance, and I’ve also seen many people struggling to find work. My concern is whether it’s worth investing the time and money into this master’s if the job prospects after graduating aren’t that great.
What alternative career paths should I consider with a law degree?
I want to be honest here—I’ve never had a clear career aspiration. Obviously, I want to work and be in a position where I can make good money, but I’ve never really been sure about what I wanted to do. When COVID hit during my A-Levels, it completely disrupted everything, and I ended up choosing law without much thought because everything was uncertain. COVID was a difficult time for me, and I think that affected a lot of my decisions.
Now that I’ve graduated, I’m trying to figure out what path to take. I appreciate that a law degree gives flexibility in terms of career options, but I don’t have a specific direction in mind, and that’s part of why I’m considering doing a master’s. I know it’s not a great reason to go back to study, but I feel like I need something to give me a clearer path forward.
Do you have any advice on how I should approach figuring this out, or how to narrow down my options? I’m open to any suggestions.
Thanks again for all your help and patience.
Regarding Queen Mary, they actually have a conversion course that allows entry into their MSc in Banking and Finance without requiring an undergrad with a lot of maths or statistics. Here's the link: https://www.qmul.ac.uk/postgraduate/taught/coursefinder/courses/banking-and-finance-conversion-msc/I feel like this could be a good option for me, especially since my background is in law.
As for KCL UCL etc they reason I mention the GMAT and GRE is because the UNIs mention mid to high 2:1 which I unfortunately did not get. I thought maybe gaining the GMAT and GRE could help close that gap I am missing.
Even for most graduate roles they ask for a 2:1 degree in any subject.
I’ve seen job listings where they ask for a 2:1 degree in any subject, and I’ve applied to some. However, I’m still concerned about whether I’d be able to stand out for entry-level roles. The main reason I’m considering a master’s is to give me an edge and gain relevant experience over the course of the year. Regarding the GARP/FRM certification, how important would those qualifications be at this stage? Would it make more sense to go straight for a certification, or would pursuing a master’s help me build experience and competitiveness?
Regarding the question about the MSc in Banking and Finance at QMUL, I apologise if it came across as superficial. What I meant was whether the master's at Queen Mary would actually improve my job prospects after graduating. I’ve read a lot online about target universities and how that can affect opportunities in finance, and I’ve also seen many people struggling to find work. My concern is whether it’s worth investing the time and money into this master’s if the job prospects after graduating aren’t that great.
What alternative career paths should I consider with a law degree?
I want to be honest here—I’ve never had a clear career aspiration. Obviously, I want to work and be in a position where I can make good money, but I’ve never really been sure about what I wanted to do. When COVID hit during my A-Levels, it completely disrupted everything, and I ended up choosing law without much thought because everything was uncertain. COVID was a difficult time for me, and I think that affected a lot of my decisions.
Now that I’ve graduated, I’m trying to figure out what path to take. I appreciate that a law degree gives flexibility in terms of career options, but I don’t have a specific direction in mind, and that’s part of why I’m considering doing a master’s. I know it’s not a great reason to go back to study, but I feel like I need something to give me a clearer path forward.
Do you have any advice on how I should approach figuring this out, or how to narrow down my options? I’m open to any suggestions.
Thanks again for all your help and patience.
I thought maybe gaining the GMAT and GRE could help close that gap I am missing.
Unless it specifically mentions that you would need a GMAT or GRE, then doing them won't help.
The application process is kind of black and white: either you have what they are looking for or you don't. You can try to apply with what you have and hope that they don't have enough applicants applying for the course and get a place, but if they are that competitive then you are not likely to get in.
If anything, having done some relevant work experience in the subject that you are applying for (or assisting a researcher in the subject) can spice up your personal statement. That seems more likely to help more than doing an admissions test that they didn't ask for in their entry requirements.
I’m still concerned about whether I’d be able to stand out for entry-level roles
Usually what makes candidates stand out tend to be things that would help in the job role e.g. relevant work experience, relevant and specific professional qualifications to the role. Doing a master's (unless it's required for legal or regulatory reasons e.g. architecture/medicine, or is actually something you need/can do further down the line e.g. engineering) isn't usually helpful. You can ask a number of employers and graduates with master's degrees to verify this.
Regarding the GARP/FRM certification, how important would those qualifications be at this stage?
Not particularly but if you are certain of the role and you fit the bill in every other way, then doing it would make you stand out. As far as I know, risk management whilst is a very technical area doesn't require you to have the qualification to do the job. However, FRM is a highly recognised and appreciated qualification in risk management so it can help in some ways.
I think employers care more about whether you can be self sufficient and be more of an aid in the company than a burden at this point (I can't speak for all employers and it's just my opinion). If it's a highly regulated field and the qualification covers all the basic regulations that you need to adhere to, then having the qualification can help showcase that you're not deadweight and you know what you're doing (employers don't like training people apparently).
What I meant was whether the master's at Queen Mary would actually improve my job prospects after graduating.
Yep, the question is as superficial as implied.
The master's is designed for you to advance in academia first and foremost, not improve your employment prospects in industry. This is what degrees were initially designed for.
Second, nobody can tell you whether your job prospects will improve by doing the master's. Neither the uni nor some government body would track your each and every step post graduation until you retire. The economists who do are not really doing that good of a job at it.
Third, there is no universal metric to measure "job prospects".
Fourth, a degree only shows to people that you understand a subject in academia to a certain level. It does not mean that you are automatically competent in a job nor does it mean that you are more qualified than other job candidates.
Fifth, if the degree has no meaning to the employer in the job that you are applying for or the knowledge from the degree is irrelevant to the role, then it doesn't matter what the degree is in.
I’ve read a lot online about target universities and how that can affect opportunities in finance, and I’ve also seen many people struggling to find work.
Both parts are true to an extent. Some employers do target people at certain universities since they are more likely to have the sort of candidates (with the sort of background) they are looking for (it doesn't mean you won't get a chance to get into the industry by getting a degree elsewhere, but it would involve more work). Also, a degree from any university doesn't guarantee you any particular job (see my comments above regarding what a degree is actually for) - you can graduate from the top unis and still be struggling to find work.
My concern is whether it’s worth investing the time and money into this master’s if the job prospects after graduating aren’t that great.
The correlation between doing a specific degree and getting a job is not clear cut in my opinion. If you are not doing the degree because you just want the degree and you are looking for the indirect outcome of getting the degree (e.g. job prospects), you're in for a lot of hurt.
Obviously, I want to work and be in a position where I can make good money, but I’ve never really been sure about what I wanted to do.
Not always the best approach. Don't get me wrong, you need enough money coming in to keep a roof over your head and to get food on the table. However, money doesn't tend to give you the life satisfaction that a lot of people make it out to have (this is backed up by research such as those by Kahneman & Deaton - see: https://behavioralpolicy.princeton.edu/news/DK_wellbeing0323). If you do a search on YouTube or Google, you can find numerous testimonies on this.
If you're the type who is significantly motivated by money, then by all means. However, even then you would still quickly notice that you would need more than just money in your life.
From experience, the jobs that tend to pay the most involve one of the following 5 things:
1.
Long unsociable hours e.g. investment banking
2.
Years of training and expertise (or very specific expertise that very few people have - usually for good reason) e.g. medical consultant
3.
A lot of personal risk or responsibility (or supposedly) e.g. management
4.
Very very strong people skills e.g. sales
5.
A combination of the above.
Law should comprise of 1, 2, and 4. If you make it to senior management or partner where the money actually is, then 3 is also involved.
Do you have any advice on how I should approach figuring this out, or how to narrow down my options? I’m open to any suggestions.
I am not an expert in this area, but it often helps if you do a lot of self reflection. There is various philosophies out there regarding how you can go about this (e.g. ikigai), but I tend to use the following:
•
What are your values?
•
What do you absolutely need from a job? What purpose does the job serve for you?
•
What do you want to do day in and day out? What in a job would drive you up the wall?
•
What can you do over and over again and still not get bored or fed up doing?
•
What sort of people do you want to work with? What sort of people can you not stand?
•
When was the last time you felt alive? What were you doing?
•
Who were your role models? Why were they your role models? What did they do?
•
What did you wanted to do when you were 5 (or at an age when societal expectations and reality didn't hit you)?
•
If you were not paid a single penny for the work, what would you go out of your way to do?
•
Outside of your current work hours, what would you go out of your way to do in your spare time?
•
If you were to retire now, what would you be doing?
•
What sort of jobs would other people say they think you would be doing?
•
What sort of jobs did your peers do when you were growing up?
•
From the people who know you, what did they expect you to be when you grew up?
•
Have you done an MBTi test? If so, have you looked up the career recommendations for the personality type?
•
Hypothetically if you were to die tomorrow, what would you regret the most not doing?
•
Which subjects were you always good at? Which subjects were you always bad at?
•
What sort of things can you never shut up talking about?
•
What sort of opinions do your friends and family have of you, and what sort of jobs do they think you should have? What do they always come to you asking you advice on or talk about?
•
What things do people who really don't like you complement you on?
•
What do you find particularly easy as if it's second nature to you?
You can have multiple careers or features that you find suitable, since most people don't just have one career within their lifetime, and we're all multi-dimensional people.
Reply 4
Original post by MindMax2000
Ive recently Graduated with a 2:1 in Law
Congrats. Law is known as one of the most difficult subjects taught at uni. This is a good grade.
But I think this degree could be useful for other careers.
Which careers do you specifically think a master's would provide exactly? The purpose of a master's is to help you to get into academia in most cases. There are only a handful of scenarios where it helps you to get into specific jobs in industry, and finance isn't one of them. For economics, maybe but it's preferred if you do a PhD in it.
If you also look at the entry requirements for the degree (https://www.qmul.ac.uk/postgraduate/taught/coursefinder/courses/banking-and-finance-msc/), you would notice that it requires your undergrad degree to have a lot of maths and statistics which isn't something taught in law degrees generally (unless you correct me regarding your degree).
I probably dont have a high enough grade for KCL, UCL etc but ive seen on their website list GMAT or GRE scores.
Check the entry requirements for the specific degrees at those universities. KCL and UCL accept 2:1 degrees for some of their masters' (depending on the subject of course). GMAT and GRE scores aren't really required for masters' in the UK generally. The only uni that I know of that does require it is LSE, and even then it's only for some of their degrees in social sciences.
Would doing well in those help me get in despite my current grades?
It depends on the individual degree and the entry requirements. You would be pleasantly surprised by the range of universities you can apply to for masters' with just a 2:1.
Has anyone here moved from law to banking/finance? How was it?
I know of people who did, and they didn't need to do a master's for this. Banking in general doesn't require you to have a degree. Even for most graduate roles they ask for a 2:1 degree in any subject. It's a similar case with finance in general, although a number of finance roles will require professional qualifications specific for the role that you want to apply for e.g. you can't sell insurance if your professional qualification is in stockbrokering. And no, a master's in finance or banking won't help you in these cases, since the role requires professional qualifications and not random academic degrees.
Having said that, the QMUL MSc has affiliations with GARP and its FRM certification. I don't know whether this means that it would give you exemptions towards the FRM certification to go into risk management, or whether it means the content of the degree is similar to those for FRM but won't give you exemptions towards it. In either case, it's going to be significantly cheaper if you just did the FRM certification privately as opposed to doing it through the degree i.e. $1200 (or under £1000 at the time of writing) vs £20850.
Is a master’s in banking and finance at QMUL worth it if for other careers within finance?
This is such an insultingly superficial question, so I won't entertain this by answering it. See the above regarding careers in finance.
What alternative career paths should I consider with a law degree?
You can typically go into 600+ different careers with just passes at A Levels, so I won't bother listing them all here. A law degree will typically allow you to go into any area of law, but if you want something outside of law you would need to be specific.
You typically won't be eligible for anything that require a degree in a specific subject for regulatory purposes e.g. most roles in healthcare, architecture. You can apply for anything that accepts a degree in any subject e.g. accounting, finance, property, design, civil service.
If on the other hand, you're looking for brochure like advice on what you can do with a law degree (that I think is anything but exhaustive), see the following for example:
https://www.prospects.ac.uk/careers-advice/what-can-i-do-with-my-degree/law
https://www.lawsociety.org.uk/en/career-advice/becoming-a-solicitor/alternative-careers-with-a-law-degree
https://www.whatuni.com/advice/career-advice/jobs-you-can-do-with-a-law-degree/80730/
https://www.brightnetwork.co.uk/graduate-career-advice/no-idea-what-do/what-to-do-with-degree/what-to-do-law-degree/
https://www.law.ac.uk/resources/blog/things-you-can-do-with-law-degree/
https://targetjobs.co.uk/careers-advice/career-ideas/what-else-can-i-do-law-degree
https://www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/student-advice/careers/careers-with-a-law-degree
As you have mentioned zero information on what you are looking for in a career or what you want from a career, I have no information to use to point you in any meaningful direction.
Congrats. Law is known as one of the most difficult subjects taught at uni. This is a good grade.
But I think this degree could be useful for other careers.
Which careers do you specifically think a master's would provide exactly? The purpose of a master's is to help you to get into academia in most cases. There are only a handful of scenarios where it helps you to get into specific jobs in industry, and finance isn't one of them. For economics, maybe but it's preferred if you do a PhD in it.
If you also look at the entry requirements for the degree (https://www.qmul.ac.uk/postgraduate/taught/coursefinder/courses/banking-and-finance-msc/), you would notice that it requires your undergrad degree to have a lot of maths and statistics which isn't something taught in law degrees generally (unless you correct me regarding your degree).
I probably dont have a high enough grade for KCL, UCL etc but ive seen on their website list GMAT or GRE scores.
Check the entry requirements for the specific degrees at those universities. KCL and UCL accept 2:1 degrees for some of their masters' (depending on the subject of course). GMAT and GRE scores aren't really required for masters' in the UK generally. The only uni that I know of that does require it is LSE, and even then it's only for some of their degrees in social sciences.
Would doing well in those help me get in despite my current grades?
It depends on the individual degree and the entry requirements. You would be pleasantly surprised by the range of universities you can apply to for masters' with just a 2:1.
Has anyone here moved from law to banking/finance? How was it?
I know of people who did, and they didn't need to do a master's for this. Banking in general doesn't require you to have a degree. Even for most graduate roles they ask for a 2:1 degree in any subject. It's a similar case with finance in general, although a number of finance roles will require professional qualifications specific for the role that you want to apply for e.g. you can't sell insurance if your professional qualification is in stockbrokering. And no, a master's in finance or banking won't help you in these cases, since the role requires professional qualifications and not random academic degrees.
Having said that, the QMUL MSc has affiliations with GARP and its FRM certification. I don't know whether this means that it would give you exemptions towards the FRM certification to go into risk management, or whether it means the content of the degree is similar to those for FRM but won't give you exemptions towards it. In either case, it's going to be significantly cheaper if you just did the FRM certification privately as opposed to doing it through the degree i.e. $1200 (or under £1000 at the time of writing) vs £20850.
Is a master’s in banking and finance at QMUL worth it if for other careers within finance?
This is such an insultingly superficial question, so I won't entertain this by answering it. See the above regarding careers in finance.
What alternative career paths should I consider with a law degree?
You can typically go into 600+ different careers with just passes at A Levels, so I won't bother listing them all here. A law degree will typically allow you to go into any area of law, but if you want something outside of law you would need to be specific.
You typically won't be eligible for anything that require a degree in a specific subject for regulatory purposes e.g. most roles in healthcare, architecture. You can apply for anything that accepts a degree in any subject e.g. accounting, finance, property, design, civil service.
If on the other hand, you're looking for brochure like advice on what you can do with a law degree (that I think is anything but exhaustive), see the following for example:
https://www.prospects.ac.uk/careers-advice/what-can-i-do-with-my-degree/law
https://www.lawsociety.org.uk/en/career-advice/becoming-a-solicitor/alternative-careers-with-a-law-degree
https://www.whatuni.com/advice/career-advice/jobs-you-can-do-with-a-law-degree/80730/
https://www.brightnetwork.co.uk/graduate-career-advice/no-idea-what-do/what-to-do-with-degree/what-to-do-law-degree/
https://www.law.ac.uk/resources/blog/things-you-can-do-with-law-degree/
https://targetjobs.co.uk/careers-advice/career-ideas/what-else-can-i-do-law-degree
https://www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/student-advice/careers/careers-with-a-law-degree
As you have mentioned zero information on what you are looking for in a career or what you want from a career, I have no information to use to point you in any meaningful direction.
Responding to the "how will banking and finance msc help my career?" question
I believe that this question is highly jurisdictional..I am also a lawyer (graduating this year) applying for Msc courses (banking and finance (conversion) at Queen Mary included..amongst other courses at different unis such as management, international business etc.) I trust MindMax's judgment on the UK as I am not as familiar with the local market. On the other hand, in countries within the EU, such as the central European region the vast majority of jobs require "a degree in an econ-related field" if you want to apply for positions within this segment of the market. Unless you want to be a lawyer (and that is de-facto impossible if you dont have a degree from that country + speak the language perfectly) then the degree can be a highly career-enhancing option.
If you intend to stay in the UK then the points raised above are definitely worth consideration but I would argue that there are markets where the "will it help my career?" question is not overly superficial, but a highly relevant one. With that being said, I do not know what your situation is. Let me know which path you opted for as I am really interested, given that I have not met as many lawyers in my degree who are looking to move towards the financial sector.
(edited 3 months ago)
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