My plan for breaking into finance sector

[alwaysnforever]

thanks for the advice, some are useful, others not so much.

I will still take the gmat and prepare to apply to a masters programme, while starting to cast my networking net in the interim.

Originally Posted by alwaysnforever

thanks for the advice, some are useful, others not so much.

I will still take the gmat and prepare to apply to a masters programme, while starting to cast my networking net in the interim.

Sometimes I dun understand why people even bother to ask for advice here…

Ask already so many people advise against wasting time & pay money for a useless local Masters and yet TS still insist on his own way.

[alwaysnforever]

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Sometimes I dun understand why people even bother to ask for advice here…

Ask already so many people advise against wasting time & pay money for a useless local Masters and yet TS still insist on his own way.

I am not hell bent on a local masters, I didn't say take a local masters in my last post... I am taking the gmat first before deciding on the type of masters I will take.

[Anonymous]

If you want to do the course in applied finance from smu, you should at least get in touch with the alumni to find out what kind of jobs they landed upon graduation. I still think at the minimum MBA, if not overseas, insead. It is ex but worth the $.

You don't want to make a half hearted attempt to leave service and end up doing some sucky work. Because of the baggage you carry being from the public sector, employers are less inclined to consider you and that's what the overseas MBA brand name is for, to help you overcome this obstacle in some cases.

He is just here to seek confirmation irregardless of what people will say. Years ago many experienced people say the same thing like Anonymous and QXP, but at that time my fantasy of being a big time banker closing multi billion dollar deals was just too strong

Those of us in the industry all know a 30 yr old public servant with a locally purchased finance Masters from SMU no chance for FO, but then if he want to be stubborn in the end waste money and derail his career is his own problem…

taking the masters locally is fine if you want to go into a bank and are not choosy when it comes to roles, but if you want to go into research or portfolio management associate programmes, be prepared to go up against mba students returning from top schools.

[alwaysnforever]

Originally Posted by Anonymous

If you want to do the course in applied finance from smu, you should at least get in touch with the alumni to find out what kind of jobs they landed upon graduation. I still think at the minimum MBA, if not overseas, insead. It is ex but worth the $.

You don't want to make a half hearted attempt to leave service and end up doing some sucky work. Because of the baggage you carry being from the public sector, employers are less inclined to consider you and that's what the overseas MBA brand name is for, to help you overcome this obstacle in some cases.

The insead campus in Singapore is one of the places I am considering.

Originally Posted by Anonymous

If you want to do the course in applied finance from smu, you should at least get in touch with the alumni to find out what kind of jobs they landed upon graduation. I still think at the minimum MBA, if not overseas, insead. It is ex but worth the $.

You don't want to make a half hearted attempt to leave service and end up doing some sucky work. Because of the baggage you carry being from the public sector, employers are less inclined to consider you and that's what the overseas MBA brand name is for, to help you overcome this obstacle in some cases.

I am honestly very doubtful that Insead will accept his application even if he can afford to pay the exhorbitant school fees. From the looks of things he’s likely to only have a few years of experience in a junior executive role in the public sector, I have seen more experienced and credible applicants turned down by them.

I sense you are from the FI industry yourself, so you will probably have reached the same conclusion as me that his perception of portfolio management is quite out of sync with reality. That to me is more critical then choosing schools and masters program.

TS, don't say Associate role, if you can get in as fresh grad analyst role can be considered very very lucky already for someone your age and background.

I just want to ask TS. Do you have any backup plans in case you cannot get the role you want?

Are you willing to take up a back office ops role?

Any other backup plans? Return to civil service?

All these are questions you need to ask yourself, especially for Insead, the education is not cheap.

[alwaysnforever]

I have spoken to an analyst acquaintance who also recommended me to take cfa instead of the mba/msc if I am interested in solely equity research...