Life ruined? Urgent advice needed before 7th June!!!

So I have got offers from Edinburgh and Manchester for economics.i am aiming for a FO investment banking job.However from what I have seen on this site it seems that there is very little hope if you are not from the top 5 targets. Is this true? Will I not be able to get a FO job even if I go to semi targets like Edinburgh or Manchester? What are your views? Please reply as I have to make a decision before 7th June. What are my chances of getting such a job if I go to one of the two above unis and have perfect grades and perfect internships etc??

23 Comments
 

Agree with the two posts above. They aren't targets but are good so make sure you focus on grades, networking and extracurriculars. If you want to feel better about your choices, do a Linkedin search of both schools for all the BBs, EBs, MMs and boutiques you can think of and find people hired in the last 3-5 years. Between the two I dare say Manchester has the edge but up for debate.

 

i checked it out on linkedin..it seems that manchester has a kind of huge alumni base in investment banking.even edinburgh numbers seemed pretty decent but there were many for manchester.

 
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I've just been looking at their prospectuses and it looks like you are right, Edinburghs website does have a lot about placements but nothing specific for MA Econ. Manchester Econ does not offer it but it says they will allow you to take a year out to do one if you want - which you could source yourself. A few banks offer placement schemes in London (Laz, MS, GS [BO/MO not FO as far as I know]). Just a thought, its not going to help you decide between the two but is a potential route you can consider during your 1st year - these schemes can be easier to get into than an SA but give you an entire year to impress,

 

very much possible but it is what may happen down the road.At this point it seems like my dream career and since i could not apply to the top 5 targets even though i had the grades due to various reasons,it seems pretty disheartening for me at the moment.

 

Out of the two, the career services of which is better? Also can I presume that Edinburgh may have some geographical disadvantage for networking?

 

I attend a Russell Group (red brick) that is classified as a non-target; managed to secure 2 M&A internships and have a good friend in markets at a BB. Don't be afraid to network with smaller shops initially, make sure you perform well at University, and make sure you have the technical and fit questions down.

I imagine those will at least get you some traction, assuming your CV isn't completely hopeless.

 

You can definitely get in. This post is a bit stupid. Especially if it’s your goal from the onset. Join investment clubs, study hard, apply for spring weeks, perhaps do a placement AND an internship to really boost your experience advantage, do something unique at uni to help you stand out. Make sure your cv is attractive etc. Give it all you have and I’m sure you’ll get there.

 

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