Breaking into London IB/S&T with a CS+Math degree at a target?
I’m a CS + Math major at a target (warwick). I understand that most candidates tend to come from Econ, Finance, or Management backgrounds, so I wanted to ask:
Will having a CS degree significantly hurt my chances of breaking into FO roles (IB/S&T) in London, even if I put in solid prep for technicals and build a strong application?
I saw a comment in an earlier thread where someone mentioned they’ve “never seen CS grads in FO roles in the UK”, which is a bit concerning. I’m wondering if that’s an exaggeration or if there's some truth to it.
Would really appreciate hearing from anyone who's seen cs/math majors make the jump, or from those in similar shoes. Does the degree limit you that much in the UK scene, or can solid prep and networking override it?
Thanks in advance.
these days it's almost required to have a STEM background for S&T
not strictly true, but definitely easier
Not true
CS students are 100% smart enough to get into these roles its just most of them target swe or other roles in my experience. I think for S&T a STEM background is becoming more and more desirable from all firms. So don't stress.
that’s a relief. also how would my course be viewed for traditional investment banking roles?
I think it would absolutely be fine. I have seen people with degrees from nuclear engineering to english literature end up in IBD roles. Your degree does not matter that much but where you study it does. You will maybe asked about the career switch but thats great as its a guaranteed interview question which you can then prepare for, and have a unique story compared to most candidates. But IBD may not be for you if you like problem solving and programming (given your degree), it is a much more relationship-driven and business fundamentals career.
Estás mucho mejor posicionado de lo que crees. Warwick es una universidad target, y el hecho de que estés estudiando informática y matemáticas no te pone en desventaja automática —al contrario, puede ser un punto diferenciador si sabes contar bien tu historia.
Sí, es cierto que la mayoría de candidatos a puestos de Front Office (IB/S&T) suelen venir de economía, finanzas o management. Pero cada vez más bancos están valorando perfiles técnicos, especialmente en Sales & Trading, donde tener una base fuerte en cuantitativos y lógica puede marcar la diferencia. Y en Investment Banking, si estás bien preparado en contabilidad, modelos financieros y tienes una narrativa coherente, no hay ninguna razón por la que no puedas competir.
It’s a reqruiement now for S&T roles to be able to do SQL and Python. So yea you can get in. Just study and prep the process hard. Try and get an intership if you can and put very related stuff in your CV.
btw has recruiting gotten harder for international students in the uk (given the new visa laws)
Yeah but most trading has moved to Amsterdam now.
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