INSEAD/career change to finance
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02 Jul 2010, 06:09
Alex – I need your counsel regarding INSEAD and the ability of the school to help me obtain finance jobs in Southeast and East Asia (Singapore, HK, Malaysia, maybe China). I am a career changer (doing construction PM now) and I plan to do finance, specifically investment management. Banking might be a way to get into IM, but right now it is tough for career changers. I got in to INSEAD’s Jan 11 intake (there will be a 2 mth summer internship), so internship interviews will happen immediately when I step foot on campus. And with INSEAD, you have to apply (in mid Fall 2010) for these banking internships before you start school, so it’s going to be tough but I can at least get my resume ready and prep about the industry via materials from say Vault, and hope for the best. As a non finance person, is there anything else that I can do now to get up to speed for those interviews? Maybe some self reading on CFA level 1?
Given the tough climate, I don’t think I’ll make it but I’ll do my best. And if I don’t get an internship what are my chances of obtaining a full time offer? I have family and friends who are in the industry (in Singapore) and they said that they can help forward my resume but I really don’t know if that carries any weight at all.
And if I fail to get a banking offer, what are the other ways that I can do IM? In Singapore, there are a lot of local banks and brokerages and I am thinking that maybe I can do equity research. I mean the pay will be a lot lower at these local firms but at least I can get my foot in the door.
Besides INSEAD, I got in to Georgetown MSB. Will Georgetown be a better bet in terms of getting into IM? I don’t have any US work authorization issues, but my network is a lot smaller in the US.
Also, I am thinking of maybe reapplying to top 16 US schools, but given my age (in my early 30s), should I consider doing that?
Please advise. I know that there are no silver bullets, but I would appreciate your honest feedback.