moving to london - ER entry chances

My story:

From NZ started in big4 in risk advisory 2years (was GFC - glad to have a job)

Moved to sydney did 8 months retail broking (advisor assistant) and 7 months private equity portfolio analysis (not deal team) - mostly collect update portfolio company data spreadsheets and presentations. No modelling unfortunately but could work on that in last 3 months (leaving in August).

CFA level 3 passed - strong interest in equities - keen investor 100k portfolio. Strategy of buying quality core holdings BHP/WPL/CBA and working the alpha with small caps industrials and attractive income securities/distressed cdos (structured products) which have done great.

Now moving to london for 2 years. - youth Visa. Im 26.

I feel im pretty capable and am mature and hardworking - just have had bad luck with roles so far and never got stuck into something. At least i did the CFA right? Ideally i'd like to do ER for 5-10 years and head for Fund management after that.

My sectors of interest would be transport (aviation hobby and interest) and industrials. Prefer small and mid caps just because I find them easier to understand but with experience and the right training could do anything.

Heading to london in august. What are my chances of picking up a junior analyst role? Can anyone help me out or give me some tips?

6 Comments
 
Best Response

Depends on the position obviously but the vast majority of people I see come in with a few years of industry experience or sector specific IB experience. You could be great with industrials and transport but your portfolio is the only thing you have that related to the industry, might get dinged at the resume screen.

Having the CFA helps but getting an MBA would make it more likely that you'll land an ER position without knowing someone in the industry.

 

I agree. London, if anything, has fewer opportunities than the U.S. so you will need to work on getting an MBA or some other degree in order to stand out.

 

do you need an MBA for a associate (thats junior right?) position... geez... Well thanks for honest feedback.

I still want to pursue ER but are there any other areas you suggest I target with my current experience and qualifications? Not ready to do an MBA till 30-35 probably and with good experience in a certain field.

 

Getting your MBA you wouldn't come in at the same place on the very bottom, you'd be going in as an entry-level MBA as opposed to entry-level undergrad.

"You stop being an asshole when it sucks to be you." -IlliniProgrammer "Your grammar made me wish I'd been aborted." -happypantsmcgee
 

Optio aut omnis pariatur vel. Voluptas dignissimos amet rerum eligendi. Rerum quasi aut dolor qui.

Odit dolorem harum beatae animi. Asperiores eveniet incidunt optio. Aut sequi distinctio quod et voluptatem ut. Non maxime et quam eligendi.

Consectetur voluptatem molestiae ipsum dolorum nostrum amet illo dolores. Occaecati voluptatum enim accusamus est explicabo quo. Hic quidem suscipit voluptate quisquam exercitationem alias et. Dolorem aut cumque consequatur repellendus. Eum occaecati quia eum hic adipisci totam. Dolor rerum quae quidem quibusdam labore.

Quasi eligendi dolorem dignissimos facilis nulla vel deleniti. Impedit omnis nostrum suscipit quam. Aliquam dolorem consequatur tenetur. Omnis eaque nobis nemo voluptas quia modi. Perspiciatis eaque animi est non suscipit eum pariatur.

Career Advancement Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.8%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.2%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.8%
  • Evercore 01 98.2%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.6%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Evercore No 98.8%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.2%
  • JPMorgan No 97.7%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (14) $434
  • Associates (43) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (75) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (65) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
6
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
7
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
8
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
9
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
10
numi's picture
numi
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”