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Finance graduate builds on foundation laid during Banking and Finance degree

Finance graduate builds on foundation laid during Banking and Finance degree

Published: 13 Mar 2023

Ilinca Man

Having completed my degree in Economics and Management at Brunel University I chose to continue my studies at the same university because of their quality of teaching. I have developed great relation with students and existing professors, which were always happy to help and always welcomed a question.

Ilinca, Postgraduate

Banking and Finance MSc

From UK

Why did you choose to study the MSc programme at Brunel?

Having completed my degree in Economics and Management at Brunel University I chose to continue my studies at the same university because of their quality of teaching. I have developed great relations with students and existing professors, which were always happy to help and always welcomed a question. I chose to study MSc Banking and Finance because I was impressed by the syllabus coverage of the finance industry, which turned up to be an insightful introduction to the industry.

Did you have an internship as part of your MSc?

As part of my MSc I completed a 3-month internship which resulted in a full-time position being offered upon completion. I found it to be challenging and exciting at the same time. It really put things in perspective in terms of how does the material studied at university relate to the fulfilment of a role in the industry.

What did/does an average day at work involve for you?

Meeting with various investment firms and learning about how different investment techniques are applied to achieve a similar goal. It provided a great insight into the global economic state of the world given the many political challenges.

Gathering and analysing data using various software packages such as MoningStar and Bloomberg which will then be presented to existing clients.

What’s been the highlight of your current role?

The internship has allowed me to network with various individuals and have a conversation regarding the future career paths that exist and the best way to achieve them. I found this extremely helpful to hear different individuals’ story and their journey to where they are. It was a wonderful chance to build my LinkedIn connection network.

How has what you learnt in your MSc helped you in your career?

Particularly the MSc Banking and Finance has provided the foundation for a career in the banking or investment industry. It covers the main regulatory requirements which we all need to be aware of as well as the introduction to different asset classes and how to evaluate them. It has helped achieving exemptions for other professional qualifications which future employers will ask you to complete.

What are your plans for the future?

I would like to continue building my career in the investment industry by completing the professional qualifications and potential return to accomplish a PhD, but these are long-term goals.