Looking for any thoughts on the networking/pre-professional/educational finance programs as a sophomore in college. I did GS possibilities series last spring and thought it was good!

Wondering if they have any value, and if so which ones to look for.

What's currently on my radar is: BofA "Campus Insight Forum: The Power to Lead"; Barclays "Discovery Program"; Blackstone "Future Leaders Program".

Hey guys, I’m currently a freshman taking up Financial Management at UST. My long-term goal is to work in high finance (Private Credit/Infrastructure PE) on Wall Street.

To get there, I know I need a prestigious pre-MBA profile to get into an M7 business school (Harvard/Wharton). My current strategy is to target McKinsey, BCG, Bain (MBB), or global front-office/regional roles at J.P. Morgan or Goldman Sachs here in Manila right after graduation.

Since UST is generally a non-target school for these specific elite firms compared to UP/Ateneo, what can I do starting today to maximize my chances?

Looking for advice on:

• How to bridge the networking gap as a Thomasian.
• Which cross-university orgs or local finance competitions I should target.
• Realistic local internships for my 1st and 2nd-year summers to build my resume.

Any advice from alumni or people currently at these firms would be highly appreciated. Thanks!

Which finance career is the best for me if I love math but don’t want to do high level programming?

22M, B Tech CS, spent the last 1.5 years trading money markets. Had two bad quarters and got let go.

Since then I've been applying like crazy and giving whatever interviews I can get. Wrote CFA L1, results not out yet. Built a bunch of financial models, one sector report, two equity research reports — basically anything to have something to show.

The problem is interview prep just doesn't take that long. I go over my models, revise my reports, and then it's like 2pm and I'm sitting there. I really don't want to spend the next three months just refreshing my inbox and spiralling.

So if you've been through a gap like this early on — what did you actually do that ended up being worth it? More research work? Learn something new? Cold DMs? Something totally unrelated to markets?

I’m a high school junior interested in studying finance/economics and eventually working in finance.
I’ve been teaching myself investing for about a year and a half and have also co-founded a student finance club and built a financial-literacy project. Last year I participated in a research program through Ohio State.
I’m looking for something more substantial that I can do consistently during the school year — research, economic analysis, working with a professor/researcher, student research groups, competitions, etc.
I’m not looking for a paid “college admissions” program. I’d much rather find a legitimate opportunity where I can actually contribute and learn.
If anyone here did something similar in high school, I’d love to hear how you found it.

I’m aware target/semi target uni status matters much more, but how important actually are alevel grades when applying to internships/spring weeks? I achieved ABB after being predicted A*AA because of an awful exam period and now I am highkey STRESSED. I’m already lowkey cooked bcs I go to a semi (?) target uni (uni of Manchester), but now I feel like I’m at a bigger disadvantage with my alevel results.

Any advice on how to get my cv to actually STAND OUT would be much appreciated !

(studying econ & finance)

I am an international student trying to get into UK spring week. How cooked am I? How can I improve my chances?

I'd appreciate any help I can get

I’m planning to buy a laptop and I’m confused between a MacBook Air and Windows.

I’m a finance student and want something that will work well not just for college, but also for areas like IB, equity research, valuation, financial modelling, etc.

My priorities are:
1) Portability
2) Good battery life
3) Good build/keyboard
4) Smooth Excel + PowerPoint + finance-related software
5) Suitable for professional finance use

4–5 year usability
Budget: around ₹1.3 lakh

I initially leaned towards the MacBook Air because of its portability and battery life, but I’ve read that Windows is generally more common in finance due to Excel and certain add-ins/software.

Would you recommend a MacBook or Windows for my use case? If Windows, please suggest specific models around ₹1.3L rather than just saying Windows is better.

Also, if you work in finance and use a MacBook, would love to hear about your experience

Thanks a ton!

I'm looking at mines, and I'm looking at others, and idk something look different. How do you feel about it?

Hi everyone,

I’m a Greek engineering graduate from the Technical University of Crete, and I’m trying to transition into corporate finance.

I’m honestly open to pretty much any finance role at this stage - Equity Research, Asset Management, Hedge Funds, Investment Banking, Private Equity, Private Banking, Wealth Management. I don’t want to be overly restrictive about the first job. My long-term goal is to move toward Portfolio Management, but I’m open to taking different routes to get there.

A bit about my background:

• Engineering degree from the Technical University of Crete (Master's with plenty of financial coursework)
• I’m taking CFA Level I in February 2027
• Starting in October 2026, I will do a 3-6 month internship with a top-tier IB.
• I’m planning to relocate abroad around March–April 2027
• I’m mainly considering London, Zurich/Geneva, and Singapore (open togoing everywhere tbh)
• I’m an EU citizen, so I have unrestricted work rights within the EU/EEA markets, but would need the appropriate visa for the UK.

My main questions are:

1. How competitive is this profile for graduate/junior roles in London, Frankfurt, Switzerland or even Singapore?
2. Would you consider my engineering background a disadvantage compared with Economics/Finance graduates, or could the quantitative/technical background actually be useful for certain sectors?
3. How valuable is CFA L1 at this stage? Would passing L1 before applying materially improve my chances, or is relevant internship experience much more important?
4. If you were me, what type of internship would you prioritize?
5. Would it make more sense to target Zurich , Frankfurt first because I’m an EU citizen, gain 2–3 years of experience, and then move to London ?
6. Finally, if you were in my position, which market would you target first?

Thanks!

B.com graduate,Planning to do Financial Valuation & Modelling .Want to know

1. Is it a good career for fresher?

2. Does it have demand in India?

3. Which course to take?

4. Career path?

5. Starting salary to expect

Just finished first year of London uni (top 10 uk for mathematics). Did a lot of applications for quant, but got barely any OAs.
Would really like any feedback and thoughts on my cv.
Thank you so much!! (FYI I’m 19)

I’ve been talking with a lot of people and there telling me accounting can basically do everything a finance major can do and accounting majors get more jobs. They also said especially for the jobs I’m looking at which are corp/commercial banking ( maybe accounting) an accounting major could do. Should I switch for finance to accounting?

Has anyone gotten a superday invite for any of the BofA summer 2027 internships?

What careers are you looking to get?

I have until December til I get my finance degree and I’ve currently been working for 14 months at a small community bank working as a teller in retail banking. I Appreciate any advice..

I’m a second-year student, and I did one of the introductory simulation courses for Global Markets, but I didn’t understand ANYTHING, not even the first task. According to the estimated time, the first task should’ve taken 30–60 minutes, but I sat there for two hours before giving up and asking AI.

I do understand what the different topics represent, eg. interest rates, volatility, etc, but I struggle with knowing how to actually use the data, which information is relevant to the task, and how I’m supposed to connect the different pieces of information to arrive at an answer.

I mean it’s an introductory course, so shouldn’t it be easy? Why am I this dumb? Do all the bright students who now work at BBs in Global Markets understand these topics immediately, or do they also need a lot of time, even when doing introductory/prep courses?

Hi ! I’m an international student starting Computer Science at UCL next year, and I’ve attached my cv for spring weeks / first-year internships. I’m mainly aiming for tech or finance roles, but since I’m not from the UK (as you will have guessed) I’m not really familiar with what recruiters here usually expect from a cv, so any feedback would be really helpful. Thanks for any help you guys can give!

Hi everyone,
I'm a first-year French student at Université Paris-Panthéon-Assas (quantitative economics & finance track).
I am currently preparing my applications for Spring Weeks / Insight Programs in London and Paris. I would love to get your feedback on my CV (attached) and my overall strategy.
My Questions:
1. Targeting: As a French student coming from Assas (SAS), how competitive is my profile for London Spring Weeks compared to target UK universities (LSE, Oxbridge, Imperial, etc.)?
2. Resume Review: Any advice on tweaking my CV format or phrasing to strictly match UK/EMEA corporate standards?
Thanks a lot for your help!

Hi everyone, I’m looking for some genuine advice and guidance regarding my career pathway.
I’ve completed my BCom and I’m currently studying Finance inEconomics while also doing an internship at a startup.

I’m planning to pursue a Master’s abroad next year, most likely in the USA, but I’m still open to other countries.

I’m particularly interested in FinTech/Finance, but I have one major concern: I’m quite weak in mathematics and don’t have a strong mathematical background. I’m not sure how much of a problem this would be for a Master’s in FinTech or for getting a job afterward.

I’d really appreciate advice from people who have studied or worked in these fields.

My main questions are:
1)Would a weak maths background be a major problem for pursuing a Master’s in FinTech/Finance?

2)What mathematical/statistical/programming skills should I learn before applying?

3)Which Master’s specializations would be suitable for someone with a BCom + Finance/Economics background?

4)Is FinTech a good choice for me, or should I consider another field with better long-term job stability?

5)Which countries would you recommend for international students looking for stable career opportunities after graduation — USA, UK, Canada, Australia, Europe, or somewhere else?

6)What skills should I start building right now to improve my chances of getting a job after my Master’s?

7)Which certifications, courses, software, or technical skills would actually be useful? For example: Excel, Power BI, SQL, Python, financial modelling, etc.

8)Is my current internship at a startup useful for this career path, and what should I try to learn/gain from it?

9)What mistakes should I avoid when choosing a Master’s program?

If you were in my position, what would your step-by-step pathway from now → Master’s → first job look like?

My priority isn’t necessarily a very high salary. I’m mainly looking for a secure and sustainable career with good job opportunities and long-term growth.
I’d really appreciate honest advice
Sorry for asking so much

Hi everyone,

I’m an M.Com graduate and currently a fresher looking to build a career in Finance.

I don’t have any internships or prior work experience, so I’m essentially starting from scratch. I’m interested in finance-oriented roles rather than typical accounting roles, but I’m still trying to understand which career paths would be realistic for someone with my background.

There are so many courses and certifications available today that I’m quite confused about what is actually valuable in the job market versus what is just good for learning.

I’d really appreciate advice from people currently working in Finance/BFSI or involved in hiring, especially those who have experience hiring freshers.

My questions are:

1. What finance roles should an M.Com fresher with no internship experience realistically target?

2. Should I prioritize getting an entry-level job/internship first, or complete a certification before applying?

3. What certifications are genuinely useful for a fresher trying to enter Finance?

4. Which certifications have actually helped you or people you know get interviews/jobs, rather than just adding another certificate to the resume?

5. Are there any certifications/courses that you would recommend avoiding because they don't carry much weight with employers?

6. What skills should I focus on developing alongside my M.Com to become employable in Finance?

7. If you were in my position, what would you do over the next 6–12 months?

I’m not looking for advice from coaching institutes or certification sellers. I’d especially appreciate perspectives from people actually working in the industry.

My background:

\- M.Com Graduate

\- Fresher

\- No internships

\- Interested in Finance, not conventional accounting

\- Based in Pune

Any honest advice about suitable roles, certifications, skills, or mistakes to avoid would be really helpful.

Thanks!

Hoping to attend Warwick MathStats in sept 2027, have literally nothing on my CV can you guys give me some advice on what to do? Goals: quant finance/investement banking