Potential career paths for Master's in Economics with lack of experience
Hello!
This is my first post on here, I don't really know where else to ask super specific questions so I figured I'd give it a shot.
My background is a bit strange, 2 bachelor's degrees, one in economics, one in philosophy, and a math minor but completed quite a course load before changing it to a minor. Now, I have just completed two years abroad doing the "teach english as a native speaker" program, where I managed to pick up a decent competency of the language, and a master's degree in economics at a normal university, nothing crazy like LSE. In addition, I like to think I'm pretty good in interviews, I am just heavily lacking in the experience aspect in my resume. No internships or real jobs or anything.
I am looking for two main things. One, I am returning to the US this summer, and am wondering what are some possible jobs I should aim for in the US, and, if possible, potential jobs in northern Europe (scandinavian, nordic, germany, etc) about a year in the future after some work in the US. Whether the move to Europe be from a transfer, or just generally quitting and getting a new job, I don't mind. What are some jobs I can get with these degrees and experience, things I should beef up on, and firms I should look at for applying?
Thank you for reading :)
To a massive extent, this depends on what you want. I don't know a thing about teaching though, so I'll focus on finance.
I honestly think that, without much experience in Finance, you'll find it tough to pick up a role at an IB or HF or similar. What you could do, if money is no object, is go get an MBA and enter Finance (or a Corporate or any number of other career paths) that way.
Another idea could be to try applying for the Big 4 and picking up your CPA / ACA; advantage being that you'll be earning some money, getting a qualification that opens up a lot of doors and gives downside protection, and working for a global institution where you can transfer from the US to another geography fairly seamlessly.
Definitely not (obviously) an exhaustive list of ideas though.
I'd really need an MBA or CPA to get any decent job here? That's disappointing, seeing that an MBA seemed like the easier option when I chose my master's. Finance would be ideal as it is a passionate hobby of mine, I just have no credentials to back it.
I'd never say never sort of thing, but entry level jobs in Finance are extremely competitive (if by Finance you're referring to front office roles like IB, S&T, etc.) There are very well-established route into these roles (spring week, internships, FT offers), and (rightly or wrongly), you'll be viewed by HR as a non-traditional candidate. I'd love to be proven wrong here by others who have different experiences, and absolutely nothing should stop you from applying to internships or FT roles.
The big caveat to my earlier post is that most front office Finance roles do NOT require an MBA or CPA. My gut feel though is that given your non-traditional background, it might be a bit tough to get those entry-level roles.
I definitely invite others in the industry to disagree here.
I see, finance will be an especially difficult industry to break into for my background. If I were to do any of these options, it would be the CPA. I'm a very quick learner and can hunker down to study effectively for hours on end, however, is this actually worth my time? Or might there be a better choice?
Try global macro or FICC or equity research with a quant/research bent
Is this feasible to do without a CFA or any of the relevant certificates/degrees? I love the quant/research bent, but I have to acknowledge that on paper I am not the ideal candidate. Any advice?
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