I have a 3.2 econ degree from a non target, I am 26 years old with 2.5 years of experience in the financial industry. 1 year as an M&A analyst, 1 Year as a financial advisor and now working for 5 months at a hedge fund as a prop trader. I've been all over the place taking whatever opportunity I could get.
I know to get the job I want I need to go get a masters, but I am not competitive enough for a MBA thats worth the investment, I dont have the grades or the work experience.
I was hoping that an MSF would give me a better shot at a decent job. Now my idea of a decent job is corp finance, corp strategy. I would like to work in f500 comapny in the future and I dont see myself in IB, ER, or PM roles for the long term future.
The reason being that I know as I get older and start a family I'll want stability and security with a nice stable income and working for a f500 company seems to provide the most opp. I enjoy finance in general so I am not picky on the exact role I have. I just enjoy working with finance esp. in a bigger picture role which is why management is exciting.
I was considering these schools Vanderbuilt, Villanova, BC, Duke. I live in the NYC area and would like to stay and work here.
Now here is my question, recently I was accepted to the business certificate program at columbia university. Though the program is expensive it offers about 12 classes with a unique transcript from columbia. I feel like if I were to take this program, it would offer the adcoms more proof into the fact that I am a capable student and improve my ability to get in to a msf program
Because of mistakes I made in UG, it took me 8 years to graduate which I feel like is a big stain on my record. So the certificate program at a good school would help make up for it.
Is there anything about my plan that you see that doesnt make sense?
Thank you
TNA will be able to give you much better advice, but from talking to current MSF students, most seem to think that full time work experience is a negative as far as FT recruiting goes. You will not only have to explain the MSF and why you want to do banking, like everyone else does, but also how you are willing to start at the bottom, despite your previous work experience. Again, that is just what current MSF students have told me.
Have you taken the GMAT? That GPA along with a good GMAT score should be enough for the top MSF programs. If you want to stay in NY, I would cross Vanderbilt off of that list. From speaking to some of the current students, it seems like all, if not nearly all, of their current class placed in the Southeast.
So you started college at 15 1/2 years old? You're 26 with 2.5 yrs of FT work experience and it took you 8 years to graduate college. What's the real deal here...
I started college at 18. I finished the majority of my classes by 24 but had about four or five left which i took one at a time in the evening while I worked full time. Which is why I graduated last august.
No havent taken the gmat yet.
I dont find explaining things, I will tell them the truth that I wanted to re-brand myself and take a diff path. I dont mind starting at the bottom, as of now I dont get paid a salary anyway.
I mean it's your only shot at this point right. Being at colombia will enable you to network at that level. bol.
The MSF might be an option for you to consider. Honestly given your UG history and spotty work experience an MSF might not be the right tool, especially if you are targeting F500 positions.
Honestly, skip the degree and just go out and network - you have some work experience, even though it's all over the place and you'll have explaining to do.
Look high and low (even in satellite locations away from Corporate HQ) - you can still find manufacturing sites and Division HQ's spread out all over. My old firm, a $20Bn+ company, is currently in the process of hiring 6 Financial Analysts at a Divisional HQ that's definitely off the beaten path of NYC, Chicago, Philly, etc.
The MSF might be an option for him to consider. OP, honestly given your UG history and spotty work experience an MSF might not be the right tool, especially if you are targeting F500 positions.
Honestly, skip the degree and just go out and network - you have some work experience, even though it's all over the place and you'll have explaining to do.
Look high and low (even in satellite locations away from Corporate HQ) - you can still find manufacturing sites and Division HQ's spread out all over. My old firm, a $20Bn+ company, is currently in the process of hiring 6 Financial Analysts at a Divisional HQ that's definitely off the beaten path of NYC, Chicago, Philly, etc.
Hmmm.
I generally advise people to not do an MSF if they have more than 3 years experience. This isn't a hard and fast rule, more so if the person is looking to use the masters as a way to break into investment banking. Since you are looking for a F500 role this isn't the case.
In your situation the MSF will be more of a MBA substitute, allowing you to change careers/get into a FLDP program and maybe rebrand.
Things to consider.
1) Personally, I would avoid Duke in your situation. It is more for junior people without experience than an MSF would be, IMO.
2) You might want to consider MSF programs that allows you to also do an MBA afterwards. Villanova has a 1+1 program and Vanderbilt has a similar option where some of the MSF credits apply to your MBA. If you end up working in the area it would be a benefit. BC might have something like that also and they also have a night time MSF option which would allow you to keep working.
Another option you might want to consider is the Rochester NYC program. It is the only NYC based MSF program worth attending. It has a cool international component and allows you to keep working. I believe they have an MSF>>>MBA option which is decent since Simon is a good enough B school, especially for F500. They also have a Masters in Management program in NYC if you are looking for something more generalized (IMO, if you planned on doing an MBA later on down the road I would do the MSF first, if you have no interest in an MBA then you might want to look at the Master in Management).
I would go for the Columbia program.
Anthony, do you think Rochester's MSF will ever place kids the way Vanderbilt, Villanova, WUSTL, etc. do? I would think the location would give kids a massive advantage, but the placements do not seem to agree with me.
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