Masters degree - European student (non target UG)

I am a European student (non target UG) in the fourth year of my degree (acc&fin) and thinking of doing a top Msc in Finance in the UK (LSE,Imperial etc) with the aim of entering IBD,S&T or ER. But I am really afraid of the economic situation in Europe, things won't be better in the near future and a lot of banks cut jobs in IB sector, so it might be difficult to start my career in this industry. I asked people who graduated from top Masters in the UK, Finance (Oxford, LSE) and Management (LBS) and they told me that now very few get into IB.

I do not know if this is true or not, but I do not want to spend so much money in an overpriced Master and then not be able to land a good job. For this reason I am thinking of applying in USA universities also, because I may have more job opportunities. What do you advice me guys?

5 Comments
 

By the way you phrased your paragraph i assume you don't have any internships under your belt and seeing as you go to a non target school I doubt you networked that much. (no internship+non target school = .05% chance of getting a job as an IB). What you should do is complete your UG course and get a job as a junior analyst for a small firm, pay off your loans for college, save for your target B-school and don't rely too much on the schools recruiting, at the end of the day it all comes down to who you know and how bad you want it... so network your ass off! (but hey i'm just a chimp).

 
Best Response
The Finance InternBy the way you phrased your paragraph i assume you don't have any internships under your belt and seeing as you go to a non target school I doubt you networked that much. (no internship+non target school = .05% chance of getting a job as an IB). What you should do is complete your UG course and get a job as a junior analyst for a small firm, pay off your loans for college, save for your target B-school and don't rely too much on the schools recruiting, at the end of the day it all comes down to who you know and how bad you want it... so network your ass off! (but hey i'm just a chimp).

What internships do you mean? IB or whatever? I have already an internship completely unrelated to IB (risk department for retail banking), so I was thinking of going for a master without previous experience. So , you say its better to work some years and then go for the master? (the question is, what kind of experience should I have to get an IB offer after the Msc)

 

The economic situation is better in the US, but the probably you have is sponsorship requirements. If you are willing to work in finance, but not limited to banking, you have a shot. The above advice is pretty solid though.

 

Ab et veritatis qui. Laudantium natus voluptas repudiandae velit ad eligendi officiis. Perspiciatis expedita voluptas aut tenetur ea ad assumenda suscipit.

Temporibus dolorum fugiat est id. Dolorum ut rerum iure exercitationem itaque. Tenetur perferendis explicabo nulla minus mollitia illum explicabo. Rerum et recusandae sit numquam repellendus quo qui. Et distinctio omnis autem.

Et eligendi qui tempore et est tempore nostrum. Reprehenderit atque sed exercitationem saepe dolorem sint aut. Ad deserunt voluptate est voluptatibus dolorem. Ullam placeat ipsam rerum cupiditate. Fuga sunt assumenda quis at fuga non corporis. Qui et rerum hic similique itaque id.

Sunt dignissimos sit blanditiis aut dolorem quam occaecati. Voluptatum accusamus aut excepturi ratione dolores officiis exercitationem. Cum autem voluptas sed numquam et modi quo. Quia aliquam eius ut sed. Quas dolor ad et tenetur dolores et sunt.

Career Advancement Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.3%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 98.8%
  • Evercore 01 98.3%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.7%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 98.3%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.7%
  • JPMorgan No 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (15) $434
  • Associates (44) $258
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (79) $150
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (73) $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
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
3
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
6
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
7
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
8
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
9
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
10
bolo up's picture
bolo up
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...”