| Topic Name: |
NYU for IB |
| Message Name: |
Look, Im not saying |
| Date Posted: |
05/18/2000 |
| In Reply To: |
Analyst programs never require finance/accounting background, however that is often the case for support roles such as p&l reconciliations, settlements, etc..
A person who chooses to go to an undergrad business school, forgoes a chance to receive a well rounded "classic" education, consisting of math, natural sciences, social sciences, literature, logic, rhetoric, art, philosophy. While none of this courses directly apply to immediate job responsibilities in most fields you'd be surprised how helpful they are in perceiving, analyzing and evaluating things later on in life.
Someone who goes to an undergrad business school receives mostly vocational training and very narrow skills which could be learned on the job anyway..
You deride french literature? Well, there are a lot of good french novels which if you dig a bit deepr than the superficial story will teach you a lot about life, people and the human condition.
Investment banking like many other jobs is after all about people and relationships. Numbers and modeling is the easy part - anyone could do it. But if you want to be somebody in this world you have to think strategically, be diplomatic and objective.
For that, nothing prepares you better than
an a well-rounded education. When you grow up from your analyst condition, you'll all of a sudden discover that a little bit of Macchiavelli, Shakespare, Mopassan and Sartre will help you survive much better than the detailed knowledge of Black-Scholes or or present value.
The only real i-bankers are your MDs and Principals who shape industries and put companies together and take them apart. As an analyst you are nothing but support personnel. Many people here make fun of back-office. In fact, as junior i-bankers you are the backoffice for the big boys.
You implement the "executive decisions" and nothing more.
So take pride in your Finance diploma but be humble about it. |
| Message: |
Look, Im not saying that there are not finer things in life to ponder. Honestly, history was and is my favorite subject, did I major in it? No Why? because I realized from the beginning that when it came down to the finance resume against the history resume, I think its fair to assume the finance resume would garner more serious attention. I didnt go to an ivy school, and unfortunately no Ibanks recruited there, but I work in research now, after working a year in commercial real estate (the closest thing I could get without the IVY paper).
Job qualifications from 99% of the interviews:
BS business or econ a must
Relevent financial analysis experience
Hard working
bla bla bla
Every once in a while, you would see: Undergraduate degree, any major. But you cant tell me they would take a french lit major over a business or econ major. Thats too unusual to suggest as advice that someone major in whatever they please and dont worry about when it comes to actually getting a job.
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