Q. Question? Hi, i graduated 2 years ago in accounting and finance and am just finishing off my MSc in finance & financial systems this month. I have approx 3years experience in implementing systems/ coordinating project but in a higher education. I want to try and break into those big management consultancy firms like Accenture, IBM, Deloitte Consulting, etc but most company's grad schemes ask for a 2.1 + 300 ucas points at least (i didnt do very well for my A-levels). I am doing a SAP course so i can be certified in a few weeks time, not sure how much this will add to consultancy but it has a 2months internship, so i need the experience.

Im so determined to make it but sort of feel stuck esp with the grad schemes & MBA are quite expensive. How else can i break in apart from the usual....have a strong CV, networking, do contracted jobs first (if i ever get it)......sensible advice only pls !! I really didnt spend the last 3mins of my time typing this for fun. Thank you in advance to those who took time to read this and reply to it.

A. Best Answer: OK, well great - you have a goal! But you are hung up on the entry criteria of going through the front door.

The big Co's can place such criteria in their application forms because they are big Co's. Add in that we have large queues of unemployed people with great experience, and the result is that 70% of employers have put their selection criteria up this year to avoid being drowned in CV/resumes.

If I were to ask you what the three/five biggest business achievements you have brought to users of your services/job in the last three years, what would they be? How many measures could you apply to them in time saved, competitive advantage, money saved or income gained? I bet those are not presently in your CV either!

You need to talk the talk of those employers first, and show proven business results: the front door hires newbies, you have a track record. Then network your way in to a team that probably is focused on deployment of your existing skills in project managing in a defined solution. Once you are in, then prove yourself and up you go.

Happy to give you more detailed feedback, there is a link on my profile where you can submit your CV for a free review. Good Luck!

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Q. Question? Can anyone please give me the details about the scope of MBA in Entrepreneurship as I plan to take admission for this course this year and also which are the best universities in the U.K that provide this course?
Many thanks

A. Best Answer: Information is below.

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Q. Question? I have a few questions:

1) Could I be an investment banker for a while and then once I have experience in finance could I then become a hedge fund manager?

2) If I want to become these two jobs, what GCSEs and A Levels do I need?

3) What is the best course to study at university and should I then go on to do an MBA in a related subject?

4) What university is good for finance and accounting, is Cambridge?

5) What salary would I be looking at as I came out of uni into an investment firm and what could my salary grow to?

6) What salary would I be looking at realistically for a hedge fund manager?


Thanks!

A. Best Answer: I have a few answers:

1) Could I be an investment banker for a while and then once I have experience in finance could I then become a hedge fund manager?
Investment Bankers do not typically become fund managers except in special situations Mergers & Acquisitions arbitrage funds. Most hedge fund managers come from specialisms across the trading floors (i.e. they are Traders not bankers); their fund's strategies tend to reflect what products they sold/structured. e.g. a lot of structurers/leveraged finance people will start funds specialising in CDOs/ABS/CDSs/securitized products etc. From here on I will assume you want to be a trader.

2) If I want to become these two jobs, what GCSEs and A Levels do I need?
I think you mean "I want to do these two jobs" (although at times I almost did 'become' investment banking, not merely just be a banker... lol)
GCSEs: Maths (preferably as good as you can get), English (most universities require this), then a good spread across whatever you can take at your school; IT/Computing, and Sciences won't hurt but no body really cares.
A-levels: Try to take 'hard' subjects, but really nobody cares. The point is to get the top grades and go to a good university. Maths would be helpful if you want to be a trader, but this would be reflected in what you choose to study at university.

3) What is the best course to study at university and should I then go on to do an MBA in a related subject?
Technically: Economics at Cambridge, but it doesn't matter as long as you get into Cambridge/Oxford/LSE/Imperial and get at least at 2.1. It's better to study what you like and what you're likely to get a good grade in. Banks are all about 'bringing in a different perspective' now when it comes to hiring.
Traders/hedge fund managers do not typically go the MBA route except in the US.
MBA is more for after you have a few years' of experience (i.e. when you have graduated and worked for about 4-7 years most people do MBAs in the US, but the MBA with strongest City (of London) representation (i.e. MDs in Banks and CFOs of other major large-cap companies) is from the London Business School ("LBS") who usually require around 10 years' experience.

4) What university is good for finance and accounting, is Cambridge?
Cambridge don't do Finance or Accounting as a pure subject at the undergraduate level, I believe. They do Economics. That said, a lot of bankers come from this course (as well as other disciplines from Oxbridge, LSE, and Imperial). LSE runs good accounting and finance courses at an undergraduate level as well as in economics. Most bankers tended to have done their MSc in Finance, Management or Economics though rather than coming in from an undergraduate.
People go into banking from all disciplines. One of my MDs studied Classics at Oxford. Other analysts on my floor studied Mathematics, Politics, Physics, Engineering, Philosophy, etc. but nearly all went to Oxbridge or LSE/Imperial. Very few were actual economists or accounting/finance majors.

5) What salary would I be looking at as I came out of uni into an investment firm and what could my salary grow to?
Depends on the year and bank;
2007 used to be around £30-355k basic + around £50-80k on bonus (depending on bank and your ranking) for a first year.
2010 the basic salary is now around £40-455k and I'm guessing bonus is about the £20-30k mark (has gone down a lot even if revenues are up for some...)
Associates were on about £150,000... in 2007
VPs at could earn around £300,000.... in 2007
These figures have shrunk now depending on bank.

6) What salary would I be looking at realistically for a hedge fund manager?
Depends how good you are. You take a fee for the funds you manage and the returns you obtain. I think it's 2% management plus 10% of returns (if positive). Most hedge funds require you invest your own capital into the funds so your 'salary' will also be realised in capital gains.

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Q. Question? Hi

Hope you will be able to help and guide me.

I am interested in MBA or Masters degree in International Business/ Retail.

I have done BA(Pass with Industrial Relations and Personnel Management as main subject).

After graduation I did 1 year certificate course from NIFT (subject Fashion Accessory and Handicrafts Development).

With the help of course I got job as a Merchandiser in Home Furnishings Department.(Currently working in Buying Liaison office and handling UK clients).

I have now 4+ years of work experience. As retail business is going to grow in India therefore, I have now thought of going ahead with ahead with higher studies so that I can get a very good job after I complete a good course from abroad. I am really confused as to which country I should go to.

US is ruled out for me as I have 15 years of education (NIFT course will not be considered) and they need 16 years of education for Masters.

UK is good for studies but chances for getting a job are extremely low.

Many counselors and students have suggested me to opt either from New Zealand or from Singapore .

In New Zealand chances are that I will get PG Diploma and not Masters. So I do not know if I get back to India after getting 2 years of work experience will I be able to get good job in India . Will companies here treat PGDIP equivalent to Masters?

In Singapore , I am considering University of Bradford for MBA but there is a risk involved if I will be able to get job in time as stay back option is only of 1 month after completion of course.

So please help in following:

Which country to go for

If New Zealand then what are the good colleges in terms of placement



Thanks

Pooja

A. Best Answer: Climate change is going to cause massive crop failures. I suggest you lower your expectations, pick a place to live and stay there, and build a greenhouse before it is too late.

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Q. Question? I've spent a ludicrous amount of money doing my MBA, but I feel two of the courses were useless to me and my project supervisor was never reachable for advise while I wrote my dissertation. None of the lecturers mark above 75%, so there was no way anyone could get a distinction. Surely there's some official body who can reinburse some of the fees I paid?

A. Best Answer: You need to ask for the complaints procedure documentation from the institute that ran the course.

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Q. Question? i would like to know how exact write an critical reflection for the MBA marketing management course.

length would probably be around 500 words.
but what exactly need to highlight

A. Best Answer: It means you must reflect, or remember the problems, and comment on them. Its about a situation a person finds themselves in, and later they write about it.

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Q. Question? If I want to do another Course in UK after end of my course, Can I do that, can I extend my student Visa, If I want to join another course and change to another college can I do that before my course completion? My Visa is till this year End, Can I extend my Visa with choosing another Course this year end ? what are requirements for student visa extension? If some answer would be appreciated.

A. Best Answer: If you are a student in good standing (attending classes and passing all your courses) and you have a perfectly good reason to switch or extend, then you should be permitted to do so provided that you can demonstrate that you can pay the fees and your living expenses for the next full year.

At one time you could use a student visa to live and work more or less indefinitely in the UK without having to worry about mundane stuff like attending classes. The systematic abuses of the system by both students and colleges has led to a crackdown and you will be under the big red laser so play by the rules or you will be deported.

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Q. Question? I did my B.Sc Computers in 2008 and 69% aggregate, i planned for masters ,but now i am thinking of joining ICFAI B-school for my 2 years MBA. IS joining this B-school helps me to get a good package or not? or doing MBA IN abroad is better option[ preferably UK]. plzz help me in finding out the correct path.......

thanking you...

A. Best Answer: Hi,

ICFAI is of course a good option. There are many institutes offering foreign degrees here as well, so UK is only good if you want to settle there in future. However, there are some other good institutes, too. One I know of is IMI [Indore Management Institute], they offer excellent management education in multiple disciplines, like MBA Pharma, MBA Retail, MBA Finance, HR, Marketing, Banking, Insurance. They offer even Doctorate in Management studies and BBA, too.

There website tells a lot about it: http://www.imi.ac.in

If you are in or around Indore, or somewhere in Central India i.e. MadhyaPradesh then you should try to explore this option as well.

Wish you luck!

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Q. Question? Can you get an internship in an investment bank as a associate equity trader while doing an MBA
Plus what kind of things do u do in an MBA
Lastly is it better to do an MBA or to do a masters in economics or finance

A. Best Answer: What is the best MBA Course . . ? A concentration in finance would be helpful, together with a strong accounting background, which means at least one advanced accounting course beyond the required financial and managerial.

Can you get an internship in an investment . . .? Of course, but no one can guarantee it. some schools offer more help than others with internships.

Plus what kind of things do u do in an MBA? The MBA is a general degree preparing students for management positions in any level of a business, up to CEO. MBA students study accounting, finance, marketing, management, statistics, economics, strategy, policy, and other courses. Many MBA programs offer concentrations in these and many other fields, but that amounts to only 2-3 courses in your chosen field in the second year of study. Many students avoid a concentration and take a variety of elective subjects to gain a broader background.

Lastly is it better to do an MBA or to do a masters in economics or finance? It depends on your career objective. Most MBA programs prefer students with 2-3 years work experience after the first degree.

The Master of Science is a specialized degree in a particular field such as finance, chemistry, accounting, engineering, etc. training students for top level staff and research positions who prefer not to get into general management. The MS typically requires an undergraduate education in the field in which you want the MS, or a closely related field. A finance major does not get an MS in chemistry, and a biology major does not get an MS in accounting. MS programs typically do not require work experience.

The Official MBA Guide provides a lot of information about the MBA degree and MBA schools and programs. It's a comprehensive free public service with more than 2,000 MBA programs listed worldwide. It allows you to search for programs by location (US, Europe, Far East, etc.), by concentration (finance, marketing, aviation management, health management, accounting, etc.), by type of program (full-time, distance learning, part-time, executive, and accelerated), and by listing your own criteria and preferences to get a list of universities that satisfy your needs. Schools report their accreditation status, tuition cost, number of students, class sizes, program length, and a lot of other data. Schools provide data on entrance requirements, program costs, program characteristics, joint degrees, and much more. You can use the Guide to contact schools of your choice, examine their data, visit their web site, and send them pre applications. You can see lists of top 40 schools ranked by starting salaries of graduates, GMAT scores, and other criteria. It's the best service available at http://officialmbaguide.org.

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