IB, VC, PE, HF: Does School Prepare You at All?
Nowadays competition for IB, PE, HF, and VC is fierce, and with more and more candidates comes more competition.
Ironically enough, a huge part of what people compete with IS their school and GPA, but many finance professionals argue that school did not teach them much about their job/ industry.
So I ask, does school really prepare you for a job in this field? Or is a check mark to put on your resume so that you can start to learn at work.
It teaches time management, and how to work with others. Also I did learn a lot about finance but I don't think anything can truly prepare you for a job as demanding as these. Plus people usually have to get experience in IB or another finance job before they even get to VC PE or HF. When I was younger though I can admit I saw it as just a check mark for my resume
I definitely see it as a check mark now. Didnt go to a top school though so maybe why that is why
I didn't go to a top school either and felt the same way. I learned a lot of things but nothing that I apply day to day. My best advice is just try and get the best GPA possible to put on your resume and learn whatever you can. Eventually you will learn a lot on the job. We all have to start somewhere
School is mostly for signaling.
Thanks!
I'd say school is as anything where you can associate a brand name a signal of quality for a candidate. ie a Non target candidate that worked in IB will always carry the name of his BB to signal the fact that he is a quality applicant.
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Bump
No. Honestly, school in the best cases teaches you the horrible trait of perfectionism, which will actually hinder your professional development, and in the worst cases it fills your mind with ideological nonsense that will make you unable to think rationally.
The only disciplines that teach you anything worthwhile are medicine, engineering etc. provided that you stick to that field after.
DAE STEM MASTER RACE??????
Yes, I really used my advanced math courses a lot when aligning ppts & triple-checking my model.
There's no higher level math necessary or even applicable in IB, but there are a shitload of soft skills & business sense to keep things running well. These are - in my view - probably better developed by someone doing a "softer" major than engineering.
Read my last line, I actually agree with you more than you think.
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I agree 100
I'm of the belief that school does TEACH YOU. But remember, unless it is a very technical field of study, it may not always be applicable teachings.
For example business schools / economics courses DO TEACH YOU about econ / accounting / etc but always for a "ceteris paribus" view. And in the real world "all else is NOT equal".
Teaching someone in theory is not the same as it's use in real world application.
I believe school teaches you how to learn, manage time, interact with others, etc. Applying those lessons to then learn something a bit different is the difference between school learning and being ready for the "real world"
This is true, I just believe that specific programs that are labeled "for investment banking" or certain finance areas that are more competitive to get into should teach you more than general econ etc.
It all depends on how the program is structured. I know at my alma mater they could have done a better job with preparing us for the careers you mentioned above, but I don't regret my time in college whatsoever.
It taught me numerous skills I wouldn't have been able to learn otherwise and I think the growing one does while in college is worth more than its weight in gold.
I strongly feel college should be transitioning into career-training rather than the same old "memorize, test, forget, repeat" structure but this is a hopeful goal which I am not sure will change for a long time.
This is true, though a lot of people associate college to the personal growth they did and experimentation and all. Was not the case for me
It teaches you discipline and how to learn. Beyond that, it's just a check box to help you stand out from the crowd. Kids fresh out of school know absolutely nothing when it comes to real world application.
I worked harder in school than I do as an associate, but my alma mater is a "sweatshop"
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