Looking for some advice... Reaching to the Oasis community :)

Hi all,

I'm normally not one to post my situation and seek advice from a large community; however, after searching through numerous posts and reaching out to individuals directly, I thought it would be good to get the collective view of the Oasis community.

Here's my situation. I am currently living in London and just completed my first year of a two year, part-time Masters in Finance program at the London School of Economics. I work full-time here in London. When I graduate from the LSE next June, I will have roughly 3 years of work experience - one year at a law firm (thought I wanted to be a M&A lawyer) but more importantly in that year, I founded my own start-up on a part-time basis (evenings and weekends and lunch breaks) and made well over 200k in profits (almost decided to do it full-time until I got into the LSE) for the company. I used that roll to spring board into my next role here in London where I work in a business development and strategy role for a venture backed media group. I report directly to the CEO and work on strategic initiatives for the management board (India development, etc.).

I'd like to potentially make the transition into i-banking when I graduate from the LSE. My first question is, would I qualify for an associate role with the MSc Finance over 2 years and approx. 3 years work experience when all is said and done? From what I've read (and it's been A LOT, believe me), it looks like I would in fact qualify in Europe more so then in the States. I could potentially have some interviews in the States but it seems more far-fetched then here in Europe. The second question is, if I do in fact qualify for an associate role, what is the best method for recruiting? Don't get me wrong, the LSE is one of the best schools for i-banking recruiting; however, the majority of banks are recruiting directly for internships and analyst roles and NOT associate roles. I'd have to recruit while still working a full-time job and attending courses, so I was curious if anyone knew the best method for this. Should I just attend all the networking sessions and let them know my situation? Or is it best to just apply on-line and see what develops?

I know it's a lot but if you could please be kind enough to read through and give me a reply (those knowledgable please!), it would be very much appreciated.

Many thanks in advance.

Cheers