Seeking Advice on MSC Investment & Wealth Management at Imperial College

Hello everyone,

I'm a 26-year-old French professional with a background in finance, having graduated from a French business school almost 2 years ago (MSC Finance at Grenoble EM). My academic journey was very challenging due to a prolonged period of depression and therefore I have many regrets because I know I could have been enrolled in a top Uni if I did not have had this depression. Despite this setback, I've gained experience in private banking, initially at JP Morgan Private Bank in Geneva (1 year, Back office) and currently in fixed income research at Credit Agricole Private Bank (1 year).

However, I find Geneva and private banking less stimulating for someone my age, I’ve been interested in moving to London for almost 3 years now, and I'm considering three options for my next career move:

1. Staying in Geneva, securing a stable position in Private Banking with a good salary (100-120k CHF/year for 40-45hrs per week) and target a top MBA after having 3/4 years of experience in my cv.
2. Joining Société Générale in the Investment Banking division for a one-year contract in Business Management. It could give me the possibility to switch to the IB division of a big bank, experiencing life in London, and networking. However, the visa is 1 year only and the contract is not extensible. I’ll be dedicated to review the performance of all SG’s IB UK teams and prepare presentations for the management. Not my dream job but it could maybe give me the big picture of the IB, and if I perform well, I might also be given the chance to relocate in another country within another team for 1 year at SG (it is a weird type of contract for French people). Then, I’ll probably do an MBA after 3/4 years depending on my exit ops after this contract.
3. Pursue the MSC Investment & Wealth Management at Imperial College, for which I've been accepted. While this isn't my ideal choice (I’ve applied for the MSC Finance), it offers a two-year visa and networking opportunities. I'm uncertain about the return on investment, given the £45k tuition, but Imperial is appealing to me because I really feel I could have done 100 times better when in to comes to my academic journey.

Questions:
1. Is it too late to pursue the MSC at Imperial at 28 (average age is 23yo)?
2. Will the degree, combined with my two years of professional experience, make me competitive for associate positions? 3. Will this Master’s program add value to my CV? Or is the MSC Finance from Imperial the only one that BB really consider? 
4. can this program lead to IB positions in BB after this program? 

5. given my age and current experiences, should I rather wait and apply to MBA in 2 years ? 
    

Any insights or advice on the potential career paths and opportunities associated with each option would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you for your valuable input