Which degree is more relevant and marketable?

[humblehustler]

hi guys, been following up this site for quite some time now and i thought that you guys might be able to work this out for me.

my stats:
male, 21
nsf (1.5years to go)

i thought that it is never too early to prep and plan for what i wna do after the conscription. personally i would like to see myself working for a reputable bank five years down the road with a decent pay check.

right now the dilemma is that i do not know which degree course would be more relevant and marketable in my future employers' perspectives, potentially the people who run the banks.

chances are i would be heading to the sim uol route except that i could not make up the choice of courses on my own.

-banking and finance
-economics and finance
-finance and accountancy

another point is that i understand that banks themselves when recruiting do not do advertise on a public scale. also, am not from what others may call a ''well to do'' family and certainly do not have many proficient network that could ''pull strings'' me in into bank positions.

i hope you guys could give me some constructive advises in regards to my concern. cheers!

*always know if the juice is worth the squeeze*

Originally Posted by humblehustler

hi guys, been following up this site for quite some time now and i thought that you guys might be able to work this out for me.

my stats:
male, 21
nsf (1.5years to go)

i thought that it is never too early to prep and plan for what i wna do after the conscription. personally i would like to see myself working for a reputable bank five years down the road with a decent pay check.

right now the dilemma is that i do not know which degree course would be more relevant and marketable in my future employers' perspectives, potentially the people who run the banks.

chances are i would be heading to the sim uol route except that i could not make up the choice of courses on my own.

-banking and finance
-economics and finance
-finance and accountancy

another point is that i understand that banks themselves when recruiting do not do advertise on a public scale. also, am not from what others may call a ''well to do'' family and certainly do not have many proficient network that could ''pull strings'' me in into bank positions.

i hope you guys could give me some constructive advises in regards to my concern. cheers!

*always know if the juice is worth the squeeze*

It's good to plan early. Honestly, its makes no difference. Its really about your Honours classification if you want to work in the bank. Top Banks don't give a **** about what degree you study (ok, maybe a bit), what they do care is your pedigree. Since you've already established that SIM is your only option, then you can only make the best out of it by scoring to the best of your abilities and getting as much experience as possible.

Even the top grads today around the world who are aiming for finance are finding it difficult to enter the BB banks, headcounts are being cut around the world, and many sections of the banks are now not as profitable as they were once were.

Also, do yourself a favour by doing a little research on the different areas of the finance industry, or even the type roles that you might think you would enjoy. I'm not saying that this would affect the choice of your degree - unless if its accounting - but this would be helpful in resume building where you know what to target and the ways to get there.

Cheers.

[humblehustler]

thanks for the heads up!

in addition, to continue where i left off,

''another point is that i understand that banks themselves when recruiting do not do advertise on a public scale. also, am not from what others may call a ''well to do'' family and certainly do not have many proficient network that could ''pull strings'' me in into bank positions. ''

so is the any other potential channels that i could possibly turn to after i have graduated?

hope the advises keep coming in, cheers!

*always know if the juice is worth the squeeze*

good class of hons + internships. be prepared for your career.. go for industrial talks, career seminar, seek help from career adviser to craft ur resume. n dont wait until you are in your last year then start doing these things...

have realistic expectations and forget about the top banks. you wont get in with a SIM degree if you do not have any powerful connections.

start with lower tier banks to build experience, relationship and understanding of the industry, then try ur best to move up.

Originally Posted by humblehustler

thanks for the heads up!

in addition, to continue where i left off,

''another point is that i understand that banks themselves when recruiting do not do advertise on a public scale. also, am not from what others may call a ''well to do'' family and certainly do not have many proficient network that could ''pull strings'' me in into bank positions. ''

so is the any other potential channels that i could possibly turn to after i have graduated?

hope the advises keep coming in, cheers!

*always know if the juice is worth the squeeze*

Hi,

As I mentioned earlier, it is not that banks do not advertise on a public scale, they usually focus on places that they know they are going to recruit candidates - base on past experiences, banks would know where the stream of their candidates are going to come from. I am not sure about the local universities cuz I study in the UK, but I suppose that there will be some companies who visit recruitment events in the local universities that do not go to other private universities in Singapore.

However, whether they visit or not is inconsequential, you can still apply for internship schemes or grad schemes. Personally, I study in a school that have all these events, and I have never ever attended one of such events, and I have secured a job. So really, the most important is to know the general direction your heading. I think the biggest challenge now for you is to plot how you are going to secure a good penultimate summer internship. The way forward is to start by accumulating experience in smaller firms through cold-calling or emailing their hr to ask whether they can accommodate you for internships. That way when the time comes for application for your penultimate year, you are in good stead to show why you have shown interest in that particular field.

Honestly, I think that most of the candidates who have secured "good jobs" have went through their own effort, I don't think that the 'pulling string' occurs as frequently as you might think they exist. So really, your most realistic chance of securing a good job is through your own effort, there really isn't any other channels. Ultimately, you have to convince the interviewer and the assessor that you are good enough, even if someone gets you there, you don't have the necessary background to show enough interest, you would be booted regardless.

Originally Posted by humblehustler

hi guys, been following up this site for quite some time now and i thought that you guys might be able to work this out for me.

my stats:
male, 21
nsf (1.5years to go)

i thought that it is never too early to prep and plan for what i wna do after the conscription. personally i would like to see myself working for a reputable bank five years down the road with a decent pay check.

right now the dilemma is that i do not know which degree course would be more relevant and marketable in my future employers' perspectives, potentially the people who run the banks.

chances are i would be heading to the sim uol route except that i could not make up the choice of courses on my own.

-banking and finance
-economics and finance
-finance and accountancy

another point is that i understand that banks themselves when recruiting do not do advertise on a public scale. also, am not from what others may call a ''well to do'' family and certainly do not have many proficient network that could ''pull strings'' me in into bank positions.

i hope you guys could give me some constructive advises in regards to my concern. cheers!

*always know if the juice is worth the squeeze*

I know someone who got into a foreign bank client facing role with an economics degree. In addition to a degree you need good EQ, be able to speak well and think quickly. Starting pay $6K and reach VP rank in 6 years.

[humblehustler]

thanks people for all the practical advises stated.

points were really straight up and comfortably grasp.

have a quality public holiday and cheers!

*always know if the juice is worth the squeeze*

Dont understand singaporeans fascination with banking jobs.
Honestly, I'll just do a general business management degree and keep my options open.

[humblehustler]

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Dont understand singaporeans fascination with banking jobs.
Honestly, I'll just do a general business management degree and keep my options open.

maybe you and i, or rather, you and us, the ''singaporeans'', see things on different degrees.

but well appreciate your comment though!

cheers!

*always know if the juice is worth the squeeze*

go for:

- finance and accountancy: accounting and tax, always in demand
- banking and finance: backoffice jobs, always there

you can also use the services of a recruiter to help you find. most banks do work with their preferred recruitment agency for certain kind of positions.