There's a rather strange idea out there that success in The City requires just the right background and the right first degree and that after that everything is just plain sailing. It's doesn't in fact work quite like that: a much more common career path is to indeed enter at that level but then in one's late 20s to take the time out to do a Masters. Say, for example, the Masters in Finance as offered by the London Business School or LBS. You can download the latest Masters in Finance employment report if you should so wish. Or have a look at student and alumni profiles. 
There are three important things to consider about this sort of further professional education. The first is that the perceived quality of the institution you get the degree from is hugely important. Being bright, being educated, is important but where you were educated really does make a difference. That the LBS Master in Finance programme is ranked number 1 by the Financial Times rather puts that matter to rest. Secondly, part of what is required of the university itself is that they have a careers development office. It's just great to get the education and the letters after ones name but that's really not quite enough in gaining access to the great jobs. The insitution must be reaching out to potential employers. Given that the LBS has just such a department and does exactly such reaching out that is solved too. The third is which companies they work with. And there again they have their bases covered: LBS works with top recruiters such as Credit Suisse, Deloitte, Deutsche Bank, Goldman Sachs, Standard Chartered and UBS Then there are the more minor issues: for example, is it necessary to take a year out to gain the degree? No, it isn't: it can be done in one year full time or it can be done over two years part time at weekends (they usefully do not try to schedule evening classes as who in The City has time for that?). It should also be noted that this is not an entry level qualification: this is for mid career development, Indeed, five years experience in the field is necessary as an entry qualification.
For more information, download one of the brochures.
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12 responses so far ↓
1 Surreptitious Evil // Jun 13, 2012 at 10:35 am
Oh, go on. Why the French at the end?
2 Fred // Jun 13, 2012 at 12:56 pm
WTF ? Is this Timmy ?
3 JamesV // Jun 13, 2012 at 1:02 pm
You could of course mix the advert with the article immediately preceding it and re-title it “how to get head in the city”.
4 Pechorin // Jun 13, 2012 at 2:26 pm
The disclaimer should be at the top!
By para 3 it was clear this wasn’t Timmy, who wouldn’t write a phrase like “if you should so wish”.
But inserting a sponsored article without a disclaimer at the top like “Advertising Feature” is just not on.
5 Josh // Jun 13, 2012 at 3:16 pm
Shame adblock won’t work on that sort of thing.
6 Surreptitious Evil // Jun 13, 2012 at 5:17 pm
If nothing else helped, surely the tag “Blatant Advertising” gave it away?
We get, what, a pair or a brace of these a week? I’m not sure that any yet have failed to leap out screaming “I’m an advert not a post!”
I note the French phrase I originally complained about has now buggered off to investigate the Trierweiler / Hollande / Royal saga.
7 Flat Eric // Jun 13, 2012 at 10:33 pm
LBS looks great from the front, but it really is just a front. A facade, essentially. The Regents Park architect (Nash?) ran out of money.
This isn’t supposed to be a metaphor for the quality of teaching there. Actually, I hear it’s rather good, if pricey. But don’t go there expecting palatial buildings.
8 Frances Coppola // Jun 13, 2012 at 11:16 pm
I did one of those mid-career masters programmes, part time over 2 years (mine’s an MBA). LBS didn’t offer them at the time so I went to what is now Cass Business School (then City University Business School). I can’t say it made any significant difference to my career. I don’t work in finance any more and now only use what I learned when I write stuff about finance & economics. Qualifications are useful, but being in the right career for your personality and your life goals is much more important.
9 Dizzy Ringo // Jun 14, 2012 at 12:05 am
The trouble with UK MBAs that they are so blinkered. The useful thing about US MBAs is that you can take courses in other parts of the University which are valid for your MBA. And if they are not valid you can audit them. We had people from the school of engineering taking business courses as part of their degree – must be a good thing.
10 john malpas // Jun 14, 2012 at 12:13 am
the old school tie lives.
11 PaulB // Jun 14, 2012 at 12:48 am
I don’t know anything specifically about the LBS course, but based on my experience in front-office recruitment for one of the banks mentioned above I’d say that a lot of the MF courses are very good value for the business schools.
12 Fred // Jun 14, 2012 at 4:21 am
I taught part of this course in 2009. Just saying.
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