Careers advice please

Hi, I'm new here and was hoping for some advice. I am 32 with a first class Economics degree from a reasonable UK university and have gone on to do an MSc in Management and Finance (think I'll only manage a merit) at a top university also in UK. Before I went to university (before 5 years ago) my C.V. is stringy with a collection of administration and sales type jobs (I did spend a year working in Portugal).

6 months before I went to university I tried and liked trading and thought I'd have a go at economics with the aim of getting a job in it. I like creating strategies and researching what to trade and seeing how it panned out. My maths and communication skills arn't amazing so I think I would struggle to do risk analysis or raising funds and such.

So far I have tried to apply to many IB firms with no success and I'm wondering if this is a wise career to pursue? Perhaps financial management or some other area of finance would be best. However I get very bored of doing repetitive tasks such as accounting.

Can anyone give me some advice as to which direction I could head in and how to get there ..If trading is advised should I go for stockbroking or other?

2 Comments
 
Best Response

" My maths and communication skills arn't amazing" How do you want to broke if your comms skills are not amazing? That said you might be just modest, which is a rare trait on this forum.

I've seen some 30 years old start broking, it's all a matter of who you meet, and whether they are willing to give you a shot. Now you need to also ask yourself this question: you are 32 years old, are you willing to take shit from someone who might be younger than you in your company? I sure couldn't. If you can go for it.

THe finance industry is massive, and there is always room somewhere. At the moment am potentially looking for a junior with certain skills. I've got tons of CVs and I meet a lot of people. But yet, I can't find anyone I'd like to have as my junior. This just goes to show that no matter what your background is, if you get along with the guy and you are switched on enough, there is no reason for him not to give you a job. The one thing I used to tell people at career events was: Meet, network, meet, network - it's the only way you'll find something.

Good luck. Also not to shoot you down, but don't bother so much applying via internet website to the top firms, HR will screen for CVs from fresh new grads from top tier schools usually; your best bet is to find someone to introduce you to someone in finance etc...

 

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