“The only thing that distinguishes you is the degree you have. And at that point people say, ‘Let’s

get the guy from LBS.”

Getting the X factor

“Just before taking the Masters in Finance (MiF) at London Business School (LBS), I was a senior analyst at RBC. While I was there, I set out to gain the experience I felt I’d need for a successful application: a good amount of responsibility managing a team and experience working with top management." 

“I visited several top business schools before deciding where to study. My number one reason for choosing LBS was the network. The US business schools are very US-centric: you build links mostly within the American investment community. Hong Kong and Singapore based universities are great for networks with Asian companies. But LBS gives you unique access to entrepreneurs, fund managers and industry contacts in the UK, US and the Middle East as well as Asia."

“My MiF class was made up of four types of people. First, those sponsored by companies to gain specialist skills, senior guys with experience that they’d share. They become long-term friends in different geographies."

“Second were finance professionals from different parts of the world looking to work in London. All these MiFs from different markets bring their knowledge and their networks. Before LBS, I would have struggled to find an international network of personal contacts in different sectors. Now, after LBS, if I want to do a transaction in Singapore I can just call one of my classmates."

“The third kind of MiF is someone who wants to advance their career. In large banks, you reach a point in your career where you’re competing with another colleague in your firm for a partner-level job. At that point the only thing that distinguishes you is the degree you have. And at that point people say, ‘Let’s get the guy from LBS.’

“Then there were people like myself, looking to change career trajectory. I wanted to make a shift out of a markets role in banking to a corporate finance role in private equity/venture capital. My knowledge base was quite strong and I wanted to stay within the financial sector, not make a massive career shift.”

Promise of quality

“As for the next steps in my career, it’s now all about winning the battles in order to ultimately win the war."

“I worked through my time at LBS, securing an internship role three weeks after joining the programme with a fund called Eisvogel, which was run by two LBS MBA alumni who had advertised on LBS portal. What’s underpriced about the MiF is the first impression you give ofbeing a finance expert. The first time people look at you, they think, 'This guy knows his finance.’ Some investors only recruit employees from LBS. To get into a top private equity firm you need that business-school edge: the extra experience, network and ability to win business."

“After leaving LBS, I became an Associate, Corporate Finance,at YATI Capital. My manager was also a MiF from LBS. We met at a networking session and I did some work for him till he invited me to come on board. Would I have met him if I wasn’t at LBS? No. He wasn’t recruiting. And now that it’s me who is doing the recruiting I only advertise at LBS. There’s the guarantee of good talent. Being in a boutique investment house, I don’t have to spend time and money on a massive HR function. If I’m going to read through 100 CVs they would better be good."

“The academic and practical curriculum on the MiF was outstanding and opened my mind to many more avenues of finance. I learned about search funds and about distressed investing (taking companies out of bankruptcy and turning them around), one of the best modules at LBS. The guy who teaches it is from Oaktree Capital, one of the best distressed-investing funds in the world. At LBS you don’t just have the professor teaching in the class, you also have industry experts coming to give you their thoughts and experience."

“After four years of working life, taking time out from your job and going back to the basics can really change you. LBS’s rich variety of clubs offered further opportunities for growth. You develop cultural awareness, seeing people’s different backgrounds and career paths. That makes you a better person. When one rises to be a financial professional, a certain level of ego generally develops with the territory. When I came to LBS I was so humbled: people in my class were so brilliant, so smart, and there was so much more to different career paths than I thought I knew.”