finance wrote:
Hello,
I am an Indian female, age 31, an IT engineer with work experience of 7 years in the UK. I woul like to have a change of career into finance. I have no experience whatso ever in finance or related fields. I hear that there is a Diploma in Accounting and Finance available in LSE for people like me who want to switch to finance.
The questions I would like to ask are
1) Is this a good enough course that can help me have a good career in finance. Is it a recognized degree on its own and reputed as well to attract good financial institutions, or should I take a Masters as well to get a good job.
2) Age factor: Am I too old to switch career into finance when I do not have any finance experience, that too with a diploma.
Is there any other alternative you would like to suggest?
I have taken my Gmat and got a score of 680.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
finance,
1) I don't have specific knowledge about the career tracks of graduates of the LSE diploma program you mentioned. I recommend that you contact LSE and ask them for placement or post-diploma career stats on graduates of their program. Are they getting the job titles that you are targeting? Are they working for the kinds of firms you want to work for?
As a general rule, full-fledged master's programs are more effective than diploma programs for making career switches because (a) they enable you to develop a large network (alumni, classmates) from which job offers can arise, (b) they offer internships, which often translate into job offers after the degree, (c) they offer the services of a full-fledged career placement office, and (d) recruiting companies routinely go to MBA programs to hire new people; they don't routinely go to diploma programs to find new-hires.
2) At 31, I don't think you are too old if you are determined to make the switch and you demonstrate that you have the skills and stamina to make the career change.
3) The alternative is an MBA degree or perhaps a master's program in finance. You have a good enough GMAT to get into some solid programs.
Good luck,