underrated regions for finance?
Hello! I am a high school student from South Korea aspiring to pursue a career in corporate banking/finance, investment banking, or consulting. I initially intended to study at a UK university due to its strong reputation in finance and the relatively lower emphasis on degree specialization in the British finance market (I was considering majors such as geography or politics). However, recent political changes in the UK have made it increasingly difficult for international students to secure finance-related roles. I would like to know if there are other regions that may offer better opportunities.
For reference, I have a B2 level of proficiency in Spanish.
Spain… 1/3 the cost of London, 90% the salary, same bonus, easier to stick out
Do top uk schools hold strong reputations in Spain? Also, I wonder how degrees will be important in Spain.
I unfortunately don’t know much about the finance scene outside of Europe, but I think Madrid and Amsterdam are up and coming and underrated. They’re also really cool and fun cities to live in.
This obviously depends on what you do, as there are specific niches that are better than others (for instance quant finance is big in Amsterdam).
If you work in front office roles, I think you’ll eventually be expected to know the language. But you already know Spanish, and you can get by in Amsterdam with English in the beginning.
Appreciate it. By the way, based on your knowledge of corporate finance, what do you think is the best way to break into corp fin (e.g., types of internships, certifications like the CFA or CPA)? Also, do you think studying an unrelated major at a target university can still open doors?
CFA helps quite a bit in CF in Europe.
Ideally you’d do a degree in a related field, but I’ve seen people come in from engineering, biomedicine, mathematics, history etc. Worst case scenario, you’d have to do a masters in finance or take a role that is related to CF and move your way around.
Forgot to mention Geneva (strong in AM) and Zurich (strong in CF, IB) as other cities to consider living in. Lovely cities with the best pay in Europe (even relative to CoL), but a bit boring when you’re young unlike AMS/MAD.
Unpopular opinion from a native European who worked there for several years : France and Paris.
Pros:
-Higher salaries compared to London because of lower rents
-Much more qualified bankers (less DEI recruits, more capable and hard working students because of the Grandes Écoles system and the several mandatory internships). You junior peers and interns are actually competent on the job and it's a life changer
-Best place in terms of food, cultural activities, or even places to visit in the country (you have everything in France, sea, sun, mountains, forests...)
Cons:
- Working culture: the French are much more direct,like the Italians can be (not like the Dutchs or the Germans who are in reality not direct, but just lack of subtility). They will tell you straight away that you or what you did is just dogshit
-Language barrier: here, you can't bullshit your way in "I speak this language". For the French, saying this means you actually master the language and good luck mastering French
-Politics : French politics are insane and you have virtually no chance if you're not native/fluent
I am assuming you want IB/PE:
Getting a skilled worker visa in the UK in an entry level role is very hard. Especially in this political climate which is making it harder
Has not been ime. Everyone that needed it got it firm did not care.
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