Fresh of the boat and ready to work my way up the corporate ladder

Hi there!

I discovered the site whilst researching all about Investment Banking which is my area of interest. I just turned 30 and currently reside in London, UK, however will move to NYC by end of summer (just waiting for my green card paperwork to come through) where I will work my best to find a job in finance - IB or otherwise.

On one hand I don't have financial background as I only have worked on Accounts Receivable position for around 5 years and prior to that have worked in various industries - IT, manufacturing, Advertising. While I'm still in the UK I work in Oil & Gas industry. On the plus side, I am very analytical, advanced in Excel and very accurate. I speak English, Latvian, Russian, German. Overall very advanced in technology. I'm part way through my accounting qualification (ACCA) - have done 7 out of 14 exams, doing it self-study hence it takes time. Looking to part qualify by Dec 2014 and qualify by 2016 (will be preparing and taking exams in NYC).

I am looking for any opportunities and new connections which would allow me to break into the industry. Any advice of where to take either apprenticeships or what websites to follow or which books to read to be better prepared would be much appreciated.

I look forward to keeping in touch with each and every one of you.