Advice - Urgent please
I have an offer for LBS MFA from 2025 sept start. I am have an European target bachelors. I have a mid-market M&A internship. I am a EU national.
Now, I am expecting an offer from MS/JPM Investment Banking Full Time Analyst - Healthcare group at a regional office in Europe. (Think of eastern European countries) not a major city ofc then it wouldn’t be a question. But that team works with London office.
Salary is pretty low given the location is not in major EU cities. Base is Twice the national average if that country but nothing comparable or close to other cities like London, Frankfurt, Paris.
So, should I take it and do it for a year then go for LBS MFA in 2026 instead of 2025? Or I should go to MFA straight away?
I have a feeling if I have MS brand name even from a low tier city from eastern europe for 1 year and it is going to help me after if I choose the do LBS MFA in 2026 instead of 2025
Because these days all the school LBS/HEC doesnt guarantee interview at a top firm from my understanding. Please share your view. What do you think? Please let me know
Commenting for better reach
I would say start in MS for a year instead of the MFA. It's challenging to land a full time role in IB straight out of the MFA programme, the most likely route is to secure a SA offer in London and convert into a full time. It's a great path, but less certainty, depending on your risk appetite. It's always possible to lateral into London you start abroad.
If I choose to do MFA after having 1 year experience, would it hurt my possibility to apply for summer internships after MFA? Like would banks be like why I am applying for “summers”? I am afraid my eastern eu IB experience won’t be equivalent to london to secure a FT role in London right after MFA. and, Working in that BB Eastern EU office more than a year is impossible for me bcz I would rather be unemployed in my home country. Unemployment benefit is higher than the IB salary xddd. So, I will only survive and mentally accept it if it gives me a good prospect after a year.
Jealous, in which case I also want your country’s citizenship. Jokes aside, it’s quite common for people to work for a year and then pursue a one year masters, from what I see. They seem to be landing impressive summers. That being said, I do think there are some companies who would find it weird, so perhaps apply for off cycle and summer at the same time to max out chances.
Even then, employers and interviewers care about your story. I think if you start in ms for a year, come to London, you’d have a pretty good story as to why you want to start in London. That should help.
MFA alum here. 100% take the IB offer instead if you get it. Much of the MFA recently haven't got any offers and would kill for that, even if not in London. MFA is certainly not a golden ticket to making it to the interview stage. I'd estimate less than half the cohort has any offer at all, and the ones that do are not top-tier IB or PE (GS/MS/JPM/BX...), like everyone thinks. The only people with top offers are those who did their undergrad at a target and got internship the summer before started the MFA. The cohort is only increasing in size (almost doubled this year I think), and placement on a per capita basis is not great.
why not just take the MS offer and try to transfer to another office (London) after 1-2 years?
Thing is this is kind of impossible to move to other office unless I get to the senior level (Senior Asos or Vp)
This is more of a support office roles. I will support the london team basically. Not sure if I will even get good deal experience.
Salary is similar to unemployment benefit in my home country. And lower than my current internship salary haha
So I can’t think of working more than a year for that salary.
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