Anyone who has ever worked a corporate job will tell you where you studied means very little.
Education doesn't guarantee ability.
Education doesn't guarantee ability.
If anything, the person who hustled a part time job & self studied shows resilience. It's incredibly difficult to be committed & disciplined.
Whether it's a MBA, PhD, BBW - being academically gifted is important & can't be dismissed.
That said, reading a textbook on how to trade a stock, how to run a business & how to manage people is VERY different to actually doing it.
Hands on experience is the best teacher.
That said, reading a textbook on how to trade a stock, how to run a business & how to manage people is VERY different to actually doing it.
Hands on experience is the best teacher.
Wherever you end up - build a network. Nobody can do it alone. No matter how smart, driven & hungry you are.
Networks from Ivy League institution are far more valuable than the actual coursework. That's what you pay for.
If you wait until you graduate to network, it's too late.
Networks from Ivy League institution are far more valuable than the actual coursework. That's what you pay for.
If you wait until you graduate to network, it's too late.
Last thing, which will make a lot of people sad. Investment banking is filled with people who never took up a single undergrad finance course.
Engineers, scientists, soldiers (true story), entrepreneurs.
Sure, you have to get up the curve quickly but how you think is important.
Engineers, scientists, soldiers (true story), entrepreneurs.
Sure, you have to get up the curve quickly but how you think is important.
It also helps that every bit of textbook finance theory you cover in university is a tiny fracion of what you actually use in the actual world.
If you can hustle an internship. Do it! It's worth infinitely more than picking up another finance course. Can't stress this enough!
If you can hustle an internship. Do it! It's worth infinitely more than picking up another finance course. Can't stress this enough!
Think of university as giving you a basic set of tools to build a house. After you acquire the bricks, cement & roof.. you can keep going until you acquire Tivoli taps & a chandelier
At some point you're going to start building. You don't need the chandelier to build a structure
At some point you're going to start building. You don't need the chandelier to build a structure
The most depressing part is that your house may not even need a fucking chandelier.
Ask people with multiple advanced degrees who moved into corporate jobs, how much of what they studied is actually relevant.
(...of course it's different if you're a professional academic)
Ask people with multiple advanced degrees who moved into corporate jobs, how much of what they studied is actually relevant.
(...of course it's different if you're a professional academic)
If you're thinking of doing an MBA with limited work experience - it's worth revisiting it.
The real value to extract is once you have already been doing something.
It's perfectly okay to be a bit older in grad school & yields more value than just "chasing a qualification".
The real value to extract is once you have already been doing something.
It's perfectly okay to be a bit older in grad school & yields more value than just "chasing a qualification".
Last thing -
Please don't be that middle aged guy at the braai trapped in the last who prides his entire existence on the school he attended 50yrs ago. "Okes, did I tell you I played U13 rugby at Saints, hey?"
Never peak too early... where your best moments are behind you.
Please don't be that middle aged guy at the braai trapped in the last who prides his entire existence on the school he attended 50yrs ago. "Okes, did I tell you I played U13 rugby at Saints, hey?"
Never peak too early... where your best moments are behind you.
I've seen this on the investment banking desks. Associates (with limited work experience) hired straight out of MBA programs are ALWAYS struggling against people who joined as analysts & who were promoted to associates.
It's a testament to how I portant racking up experience is.
It's a testament to how I portant racking up experience is.
Last tragic insight for the day:
Who you know holds more weight than what you know.
It's unfair, it's biased & it's fucked up but its how the world works.
You can work your ass off to score a high GPA, do everything right.. the CEOs nephew is getting onto the grad programme.
Who you know holds more weight than what you know.
It's unfair, it's biased & it's fucked up but its how the world works.
You can work your ass off to score a high GPA, do everything right.. the CEOs nephew is getting onto the grad programme.
The world is filled with college dropouts who end up hiring really smart people.
That's not to say education isn't important, but it isn't the guaranteed ingredient to being successful.
That's not to say education isn't important, but it isn't the guaranteed ingredient to being successful.
Success is a lottery
Factors that hold massive weightings (investment banking specifically)
- If you have done an internship (or two)
- You have solid Excel skills
- If you worked a part time job or started up a small business
- You follow the markets religiously
- You demonstrate hunger
- If you have done an internship (or two)
- You have solid Excel skills
- If you worked a part time job or started up a small business
- You follow the markets religiously
- You demonstrate hunger
REFERENCES 🗣️🗣️🗣️
You have no idea how many people don't get new jobs because their ex-employer has bad things to say about them!!
If people don't portray you in a positive light, it's significantly harder to land a new role.
Conversely, a strong reference can open doors.
You have no idea how many people don't get new jobs because their ex-employer has bad things to say about them!!
If people don't portray you in a positive light, it's significantly harder to land a new role.
Conversely, a strong reference can open doors.
One thing which is definitely worth focussing on before you graduate are personality tests.
Find out your leadership style, what motivates you, where your weaknesses are, what type of environments you thrive in.
Very few people have self awareness - & this gives you an edge.
Find out your leadership style, what motivates you, where your weaknesses are, what type of environments you thrive in.
Very few people have self awareness - & this gives you an edge.
Life in 2020 also means that the job you're studying for right now might not even exist yet.
Focus less on the theory & build skills that are versatile, resilient & will be in demand long after your degree is done.
Focus less on the theory & build skills that are versatile, resilient & will be in demand long after your degree is done.
The job market is hyper competitive. You have 5000+ applicants for 15 roles on some banking programmes.
Figure out what makes you stand out. There's more Golden Key members than available positions. What do you do differently? Why should someone pay you for what you bring?
Figure out what makes you stand out. There's more Golden Key members than available positions. What do you do differently? Why should someone pay you for what you bring?
We focus alot on youth unemployment as a function of there not being enough jobs.
There's also an element of graduates not being employable. Finishing a degree & not cultivating much outside of academics.
As a grad you can't control the first part, but can change the second.
There's also an element of graduates not being employable. Finishing a degree & not cultivating much outside of academics.
As a grad you can't control the first part, but can change the second.
