Hey guys,
I'm going to be applying to a couple Msc Finance programs in the coming weeks and I was wondering whether any of you could provide some insight into the different options. First off, I think I have a competitive application so I'd give myself good odds of coming away with a couple good offers. I'm also 23 and a first year analyst, so I'm slightly older than most kids applying, which i think is both a plus (experience) and a drawback (I could be going back into recruiting at the age of 25 if i pick a longer program).
The above point on my age brings me to this explanation. I'm currently at a boutique in Europe, which I like and is a good first job. I do however wish to move to a bigger place and hopefully sit on an EU desk rather than my niche product. My reasoning therefore was "let me apply, see if i can get into someplace good and then take it from there". I don't really have the need to throw myself fully into the applications/GMAT paranoia so I guess you could say I'm trying to see what options are out there.
Therefore, do you guys think I should be applying only to one year (or less) programs or should I go for 2 year programs? These are my thoughts:
-1 year programs are shorter and therefore I could pretty much go straight into recruiting with no discernible time passing by between leaving work and graduating again.
-These however don't allow for internships
-I know many people preach about having that grad internship experience but if i went from FT back to school would it also apply to me?
-2yr programs sound pretty darn long to me. I'm not really trying to go back to school for that long and find myself at 25 (age at which my US counterparts are Associates) interviewing for 1st year analyst (or god forbid SA) positions.
-If it helps the schools I'm thinking about applying to are HEC Paris and Lausanne, Bocconi, IE, Essec, ESCP, Grenoble, Frankfurt, St Gallen. Language won't be a problem for me and as you can see i don't have any UK schools on that list becuase i think by the time i graduate most banks will have relocated teams locally/will be in the process of doing so.
BTW if anyone has any recruitment knowledge about any of those schools I would be really interested in hearing it.
Thanks a lot guys!
I had a similar problem not long ago. Being 23 when graduating I spent a lot of time considering 2 year programmes like Bocconi or HEC Paris MiM. However, eventually I decided to apply for 1 year programmes for several reasons. 1) When graduating from MSc I will be 24, 3 years behind people that went staight to work (your point as well) 2) Cost. I will start working one year earlier after all. Less burden for my parents etc. 3) I will definitely learn more at work than during another year at uni 4) I am thinking about an MBA in future so for me 1 year of exp > 1 year at uni
You may find those reasons more or less applicable to your situtation but older people I know in finance supported my decision. Well, they actually said dont do an MSc at all but that is a whole different subject...
Awesome, thanks for the input. Actually i'd have another question too now that you bring it up: How are the MiM program different in terms of recruiting? do you know ? did you ultimately get the offer/placement you wanted?
Why can't you lateral?
I could but idk, I feel like I haven't really done enough at my current place to have any meaningful chance of lateralling into a better position. It's not like I sit on my ass all day but I feel that I don't really have anything that distinguishes me from all the other kids out there applying to the same places as me. Having said that I will send out some apps later in the year but with the whole Brexit thing and banks moving i thought going back to school for a year or two would be a good way to see how that whole scenario planned out from the sideline while also getting a leg up with recruitment.
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