Hi guys, I've just completed
NS and am about to enroll into university next year. Thing is, I have offers from
SMU Business as well as
NUS Engineering and I'm in quite a dilemma. I am looking to working for an investment banking firm as I like the environment and the fast-paced nature of the job (this is based on what I read and hear from friends who are in the industry)
My
mom (currently a senior sales manager at a computer systems company) strongly advises me to go through the "engineering" route. That is, graduate an engineer and apply for jobs in the i-banking sector. She reasons that engineers are preferred by such banks for their "analytical" skills as a result of their training, in comparison to Business students who are not as adequately(?) trained. This advise is also echoed by most of the working adults I consult (both in i-banking and related industries). I am also warned against taking up a "non-specialised/professional degree".
I am inclined towards taking a Business degree (or even an Economics one) because it is more relevant than what I want to do in the future, but I am still very unsure after taking heed of all these advice.
So uh, this is going out to all investment bankers as well as my future employers, how do engineering graduates fare against business school graduates in terms of employability? Does taking a business degree give a significant headstart in the industry, or do employers really prefer engine grads for their supposedly better analytical skills?