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Aspiring member said:
I am aiming to pursue a career in banking and finance. However I realise my grades and academics are going to hold me back, as well as my experience. Was wondering how I can boost my CV?

  • A Levels - BCC
  • LLB (Hons) degree at BPP Law School. So far, passed first year with a 2:2. However, I did score one of the highest marks in Business Law (76%).

Academics aside, I have some legal experience. So far, I have completed an internship at a regional law firm doing Immigration work one day a week during my first year. I was drafting legal submissions to the Home Office, working with solicitors on immigration cases and performing extensive legal research. I have also completed a years' Apprenticeship in a law firm in my gap year. Mainly administrative tasks, but also advised clients on property and wills.
Also managed to fundraise £2000 for a community service trip in India during sixth form.

Was just wondering what my chances are for securing a position in the banking sector. I realise its stiff competition, but what internships or work should I be aiming for in the next two years of university? Appreciate your help.
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See the advice given to ironmike.
Lekel94 said:
Firstly,i am from elsewere in Europe,alreay done an year of college in my country in engineering.
My final marks at the end of highschool were:
-Maths 9.50
-Physics 9.70(my optional)
-Native language 7.6 (its mandatory for everyone and i really suck at it,could have easily scored 9+ at chemistry,biology,economy and others...)
I pmed my Nott country advisor and he told me the following:
-For Finance,Acc and Management(AAB course), i need 7.5 and above on average to "get a place" at their course.
-For Financial Math(A*AA-AAA) , i need 8 and over with 9 at maths.
-Management or Econ with Econ history at LSE are AAB grades and according to their site ,for my country,i need usually 8 and above.(For A*AA-AAA) they require 9 and above.
As you can see universities have different grade conversions rate ,but i've seen so far that all top 10 consider 9 as A and 9.5 as A*
-Last option is most likely Manchester(anything from econ to finance and math) as they have a little lower standards than Notts.

As "academical background" i have done a bitcoin to paypal monetary exchange site which made me some bucks.So ya,i kinda suck at this chapter..

I dont necessary target FO (even thought it would be my principal target), i can settle for big 4 and middle/back offices too with absolutely no regret.
What do you recommend me?I dont wanna fail miserably.
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I can't read that. It makes my head hurt. Reformat it.
 
lofaszjoska said:
By all means put it. Just write "Basic Haskell/Java skills" -> won't help much for banking, but if you are applying for S&T it definitely will to some extent. BTW I'd much rather concentrate on VBA if I were you - unless you end up on a desk which 1. either trades more technical products 2. or just something on the spot (cash equities), that's what you'll use.

There's quite a good amount of luck involved in apps, so you must aim for as many as you can but obviously quality over quantity.
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Thanks a lot. I actually don't know if I'll apply to IBD or S&T yet...
Is it recommended to send off apps before they come to campus or not?
 
Sorry for that,i have the habit in giving as many details as possible and many times it looks like a "block" of words..
I am from elsewhere in Europe ,have already done a year of college at a local university and i am going to apply for one in in UK.(starting again from year 1,not continuing).
My grades will be judged according to my highschool(year 12) final grades which are as following(the scale is from 1 to 10):
-9.50 Maths
-9.70 Physics(the optional i chose)
-7.60 native language(it is mandatory for everyone,could have easily scored over 9 for chemistry,economy etc)
The average mark is 8.93.
I've done some research ,so here they are:
-Nottingham:The advicer for my country told me that i need 7.5 and above on average to get a place at their Finance,Accounting and Management course and for their Financial Math i need 8 and above on average with 9 at maths.
The first course is AAB and the second A*AA-AAA.

-LSE(the info is from their site,havent talked with anyone yet):The equivalent for AAB is 8 and for A*AA-AAA over 9.I could try for Management or Econ with Econ History as both of them are AAB.

-Lastly,i think Manchester would be an ideal backup.They have lower standards than Nottingham.

My biggest weakness is my academical background and that 7.60 at my native language.All i've done extra are some local math and physics competitions(between city highschools) were i've placed in top 3 and a monetary exchange site(bitcoin to paypal) which made me some money for a time.

What should i do?How important is the academical background?What to do to not fail miserably?
 
Paul Allen said:
He wasn't being rude. At university and post university level, you either intern or you work. Shadowing is a bullshit term for "I know you're trying to figure your life out at the age of 17/18...just make it less painful for me and watch what I do."

The reason why I say avoid BBs is because they have a formal and structured application and internship process. Shadowing doesn't fit into that equation. A small boutique might be more inclined to alleviate their workload by taking someone on during the year. You're not eligible for either an internship or a grad job considering you're not on masters course this year. Once you get on that masters course, cold call these BBs and the situation will play itself out differently.
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Ahhh right! I see. Okay that's it then, no more Cold calling. I'll just look for finance roles in normal firms. You know with my degree alone I've been interviewed thrice for a finance role and I declined one offer and the other two did not pan out- This was way back in early June.

Thanks for breaking it down to me,I appreciate your help; I now understand what i must do. One of my Interviews was at Bloomberg, I heard they are still recruiting, I'll try them again.

Finally, I have two questions for you.. You said the Masters degree does not have to be finance related; I've spoken to LSE, they were actually willing to take me on this October but I was told that I would have to fund myself as the Scholarship deadline was way back in May. I decided not to apply but wait for next season instead; in the meantime - Do grades matter at Msc level? If i took an Msc in Investment Management - I would have to work very hard for top grades, but If i took a masters in Politics or something it would be a much easier workload.

And my second observation is this; I have been rejected by a boutique based on my CV and competency answers, they did not ask me anything about Alevels yet they rejected me. My opinion is that they saw that I lacked any banking experience. Do you think my "well crafted" competency answers let me down?
 
Hi everyone,

My name is Charlotte and I have a*bb at a-level, 8a*s and 2 as at GCSE although they were a long time ago! I'm 24 and am about to start a maths and computer science joint honours bsci at Manchester. I have no finance work experience at all, although I have had real jobs (secretarial, promotions). I know I have the gift of the gab in person and my maths is strong so I believe I could pass online tests, but is my average ness in other areas going to make breaking into investment banking futile? I also got into warwick but chose manchester because it was a big city, feel pretty silly now!
 
CharlotteW said:
Hi everyone,

My name is Charlotte and I have a*bb at a-level, 8a*s and 2 as at GCSE although they were a long time ago! I'm 24 and am about to start a maths and computer science joint honours bsci at Manchester. I have no finance work experience at all, although I have had real jobs (secretarial, promotions). I know I have the gift of the gab in person and my maths is strong so I believe I could pass online tests, but is my average ness in other areas going to make breaking into investment banking futile? I also got into warwick but chose manchester because it was a big city, feel pretty silly now!
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Manchester is a good uni and there's plenty of alumni at banks; start networking (see CTRL ES's post above). Also read the Mr. Exclusive's spring week guide and CTRL ES's post about summer internships. Having no finance internships at this level is completely fine (you are starting out as a first year), however, you'll need to have sth else: interesting stuff about yourself (being a secretary or working in promotions are not).

You are just entering uni so you'll have all the time to work on your profile. But really, read the two posts I linked above, they'll give you a great perspective.
 
What's up. I think I'm a bit of a rare case so wanted a few opinions before I start sending off any SW applications.

I am an incoming first year at a target university. ABB. Decent GCSEs. Decent CV fillers, from placements at Law firms to volunteering. My question is, with my sub-par A-levels would you recommend applying for MO roles, opposed to FO? I'm that kid who did well at interview and who probably got in through being given the benefit of the doubt.

Any advice would be much appreciated!
 
Selym95 said:
What's up. I think I'm a bit of a rare case so wanted a few opinions before I start sending off any SW applications.

I am an incoming first year at a target university. ABB. Decent GCSEs. Decent CV fillers, from placements at Law firms to volunteering. My question is, with my sub-par A-levels would you recommend applying for MO roles, opposed to FO? I'm that kid who did well at interview and who probably got in through being given the benefit of the doubt.

Any advice would be much appreciated!
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How are you at a target with ABB? :O
 
Selym95 said:
What's up. I think I'm a bit of a rare case so wanted a few opinions before I start sending off any SW applications.

I am an incoming first year at a target university. ABB. Decent GCSEs. Decent CV fillers, from placements at Law firms to volunteering. My question is, with my sub-par A-levels would you recommend applying for MO roles, opposed to FO? I'm that kid who did well at interview and who probably got in through being given the benefit of the doubt.

Any advice would be much appreciated!
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I don't think your A-Level grades are a) bad enough or b) significant enough a portion of your application to decide between MO & FO.

You're at a target university; your A-Levels are now officially a secondary concern. Get networking, get attending events, get boosting your CV, and there's no reason you can't apply to FO roles. You need to demonstrate that despite your A-Level grades, you're capable enough for FO. That can be done.
 
hitchensism said:
I don't think your A-Level grades are a) bad enough or b) significant enough a portion of your application to decide between MO & FO.

You're at a target university; your A-Levels are now officially a secondary concern. Get networking, get attending events, get boosting your CV, and there's no reason you can't apply to FO roles. You need to demonstrate that despite your A-Level grades, you're capable enough for FO. That can be done.
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This
 
lofaszjoska said:
Manchester is a good uni and there's plenty of alumni at banks; start networking (see CTRL ES's post above). Also read the Mr. Exclusive's spring week guide and CTRL ES's post about summer internships. Having no finance internships at this level is completely fine (you are starting out as a first year), however, you'll need to have sth else: interesting stuff about yourself (being a secretary or working in promotions are not).

You are just entering uni so you'll have all the time to work on your profile. But really, read the two posts I linked above, they'll give you a great perspective.
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Thank you very much for your reply, the thing is I have no interest in back office, I want to be a front office investment banker is this basically impossible from manchester? Also will being 5/6 years older than everyone else count against me?
 
Edit: Again, quite a few make it from Manchester to FO. Regarding your age and so whether it'd be "basically impossible" for you, I think you'd be on equal footing with the other freshers so I think the answer is an obvious no. Though let's see if @CTRL ES could reflect on this.

Also this TSR mentality of the half a million views "is this uni/course good enough for banking" thread should be left too. If you are going to a not too shitty school (obviously the better the repu the more chances you have though) and doing a legit course, the only main thing responsible for not making it is you, and not your school/course.
 
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lofaszjoska said:
Edit: Again, quite a few make it from Manchester to FO. Regarding your age and so whether it'd be "basically impossible" for you, I think you'd be on equal footing with the other freshers so I think the answer is an obvious no. Though let's see if @CTRL ES could reflect on this.

Also this TSR mentality of the half a million views "is this uni/course good enough for banking" thread should be left too: if you are going to a not too shitty school (so it does have some repu) and doing a legit course, the only main thing responsible for not making it is you, and not your school/course.
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Hi, this September i am about to study economics and finance at Southampton university. Looking at linkedin this gets extremely few people into ibd and i was wondering if it is worth me considering a transfer in the second year to manchester/york where i see a lot more people in FO positions. I already have HSBC high street and JP Morgan Bournemouth work experiences that i have done in 6th form and will also apply for spring weeks come October when i have joined a few societies at uni, but it would be nice to have your opinion. :)
 
These work exp you got will position you better only for the two firms HSBC/JPM, and you should also see that neither of them was for FO. They are not a big boost to your applications, and Southampton as you said wouldn't exactly give you the best chances either.

What else do you have on your CV? If not much, honestly you should either transfer to Manchester (or do even better than that), or make sure you build your profile/research the industry in your first year like crazy so you'll actually stand a chance next year for summers.
 
lofaszjoska said:
These work exp you got will position you better only for the two firms HSBC/JPM, and you should also see that neither of them was for FO. They are not a big boost to your applications, and Southampton as you said wouldn't exactly give you the best chances either.

What else do you have on your CV? If not much, honestly you should either transfer to Manchester (or do even better than that), or make sure you build your profile/research the industry in your first year like crazy so you'll actually stand a chance next year for summers.
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Another idea i had was to try and do over the course at Southampton and shoot for an msc at LSE/Cass/target and try and break in through there
 
CharlotteW said:
Hi everyone,

My name is Charlotte and I have a*bb at a-level, 8a*s and 2 as at GCSE although they were a long time ago! I'm 24 and am about to start a maths and computer science joint honours bsci at Manchester. I have no finance work experience at all, although I have had real jobs (secretarial, promotions). I know I have the gift of the gab in person and my maths is strong so I believe I could pass online tests, but is my average ness in other areas going to make breaking into investment banking futile? I also got into warwick but chose manchester because it was a big city, feel pretty silly now!
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Okay, not sure if this is correct, someone else might be better placed to answer.

But to be honest, you should probably just apply for Spring Weeks in your first year like everyone else (with everything you've done previously that demonstrates transferable skills), your experience will put you at an advantage. Just emphasis on your CL why uni (at 24), why banking (now) etc.

Would recommend contacting HR about this though ^.
 
CharlotteW said:
Thank you very much for your reply, the thing is I have no interest in back office, I want to be a front office investment banker is this basically impossible from manchester? Also will being 5/6 years older than everyone else count against me?
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Manchester is fine. Just remember to work harder in the networking front. Use LinkedIn, email and call. Make sure people know about you, in a good light when you apply. If that works out well and you get an interview, smack it out of the park.

As for your age, it's not a problem. A lot of the European students tend to be 3/4 years older than British students.
 
CTRL ES said:
Manchester is fine. Just remember to work harder in the networking front. Use LinkedIn, email and call. Make sure people know about you, in a good light when you apply. If that works out well and you get an interview, smack it out of the park.

As for your age, it's not a problem. A lot of the European students tend to be 3/4 years older than British students.
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Hey CTRL, do you work in FO atm? If so, what is the general consensus on an msc after a non target ( Southampton, Economics and Finance) at LSE/Imperial/Cass?
 
TheRatRunner said:
Hey CTRL, do you work in FO atm? If so, what is the general consensus on an msc after a non target ( Southampton, Economics and Finance) at LSE/Imperial/Cass?
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It's common. You need to network to secure an offer first. I'm guessing you're in your third year? If so, start applications now.
 
CTRL ES said:
It's common. You need to network to secure an offer first. I'm guessing you're in your third year? If so, start applications now.
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I've had another crazy idea, would i drastically improve my chances if i apply to chemistry at UCL and Warwick (vs economics and finance at Southampton)? I am fairly confident i would get in since both of their departments aren't that popular and i already have the A levels they require. Since i have already confirmed Southampton i would have to complete a year there first but I'm fine with that if the gamble is in my favor.
 
Yes, brand name and the difference in chances wouldn't even compare. What's the reason behind wanting to study chemistry now if you wanted to do econ & fin in the first place?
 
lofaszjoska said:
Yes, brand name and the difference in chances wouldn't even compare. What's the reason behind wanting to study chemistry now if you wanted to do econ & fin in the first place?
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I enjoyed both at school but i applied for A+F for LSE and warwick and a few other places. Anyway i didn't make the grades so i got to southampton via clearing. I really want to get into ib so i'm now evaluating the best way to get there and right now i think its a toss up between doing chem at a target or trying to get a first and shooting for a msc. I think chem would be the least risky of the 2 options and would still give give a decent shot.
 
Hi,
I´m really not confident in my chances for coming spring weeks when compared to other profiles with more relevant experience and so on. So please consider my situation:
Im a non-uk student who went to a UK private college for a 1 year intensive business-course with great results and where I had the time to initiate a chess club thingy for example (my interest and hobby)..Im starting this fall at Durham with around 2 year non relevant xp but it included a small amount of leadership, evening shifts etc. Ill learn a 4th language (Russian or German) until 3rd year of Uni and i will try to have some activity in the finance society aswell. So I would appreciate to know my chances for spring weeks especially, but I know this was a very vague description.

Cheers
 
If you don't get someone to bat for you or if you aren't an ethnic minority/female you don't stand much chance. Initiating a chess club and learning a 4th language until 3rd year of uni + having some activity in the finance society is VERY little.
 
Hey, I'm a UK student at a semi-target, studying Accounting and Finance. I am currently the president (and founder) of a society and have participated in several volunteering roles (including organising an annual fund raiser at a local nursing home). Further to this, I have completed spring programmes at three of the big four accounting firms.

In addition, I was the captain of the school cricket team, winning several competitions over four years.

Academics wise, I achieved AAA at A-level and also achieved an average of 80% in my first year. Do I have a shot at front office? Or would I have a better chance applying for Middle Office (especially Risk management).

Thanks
 
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