EB -> MBA -> HF?
Obviously no single right answer here — but wanted to consider my options and so any (educated) views are highly appreciated!
Disclaimer: fully aware of the low academic value and huge cost of a US MBA program, but really have no alternative here as I’m a Euro national and want to work in the US long term
Background: Undergrad + masters at European semi targets/targets (c.5 years), currently an A3 at top EB in LDN. I have an MBA deferred enrollment acceptance at Columbia and wondering what would make most sense as a next step, considering end goal is L/S in the US
Personally don’t see a tremendous amount of value in staying in banking any longer (I really enjoyed my exp and learned a ton though) and considering whether I should recruit for PE and stay 1.5y or stick it out in banking for a year, save some cash, and go MBA a year earlier
Option 1 (fast-track mba): If MBA is the move, does CBS make the most sense given the option of joining their Value Investing program (aware I have to be accepted into the VI first)? Or should I consider applying to H/S and hope to get lucky — I have good ECs/background story and a 740 old version GMAT, could retake if needed but not sure it’ll move the needle
Option 2 (PE): If on the other hand, PE recruiting makes the most sense, would c.18 months exp be enough? If I land an offer (not a given these days), with sept 25 recruiting the earliest start date would be Jan 26, and latest MBA start date for me is sept 2027 or I lose the deferred enrollment spot
Option 3: Alternatively, perhaps it’s best to recruit for a LDN HF directly (have received some calls from recruiters but haven’t pursued as I didn’t think it was the right time yet) but obviously want to make the move to US at some point
I personally don’t see a lot of value of the MBA if your passion is in public markets and there’s the right opportunity to make that jump now. For the few SMs that do recruit and care about MBAs , I also think CBS (although a very good programme already) may not make the cut (though this is just anecdotal and likely very skewed).
FWIW - I sit in Europe with a similar background to you, and felt at multiple points in my career after leaving banking that I could’ve moved to the US quite easily. I personally don’t want to but am quite certain if I said they’re either going to move me or I’m leaving, the firms would’ve let me move as it costs them nothing and is better to keep talent within the system (can argue if I should be considered talent!). I’ve also throughout the years received numerous inbounds from HHs in the US who are looking to fill rolls in NYC - I’ve never really taken the calls seriously as it didn’t feel like the right fit, but again it does happen.
My suggestion would be, try to find an investing role in London at a shop that aligns with what you want to do long term with a strong presence in the US (most funds are HQ’d there anyways). It may not be the perfect fit but a lot of the “top shops” frequently referenced on this site also don’t hire straight out of banking so you’re somewhat axed to move sooner rather than later. You can then either try to move internally, move to another fund with your dream strategy and then move, or recruit directly. At the same time, you can also reapply to shoot for H/S if you so desire.
Thank you — extremely helpful and some very good/common sense points brought up here. Completely understand the point re skipping MBA altogether and tbf it does make the most sense if an alternative route is actionable — only curious what in your exp makes you think CBS would not make the cut generally speaking? My initial understanding was that through the VI program it was much more tailored towards publics, whereas H/S (despite the better brand) seem like more generic MBAs (i.e. great for VC, PE, etc. but not so much for the publics space)
Also, if I can ask, is the preference to stay Europe purely personal (completely understandable here) or do you actually see an economic benefit in staying in Europe in the following years? Have heard differing opinions around this but from my view the gap EU vs US just seems to grow larger
Finally, would also appreciate any input if you have it on the type of shops I should be targeting in London — will definitely try to pursue this path asap and so any guidance is welcome. Again thanks a lot for your response and for the guidance!
Bump
Option 2 or 3 would be best IMO. I did my MBA at Harvard, and the best finance placements were those who had ~2 years buyside before coming to school. Having one additional year of banking won’t help anything except your bank account, but option 2 and 3 will help your account too. I’d decide between 2 and 3 based on what you want to do long term. Of course it may not be 100% your choice for what options are available, so I wild just aim to get some buyside experience pre MBA
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