Elimu’s Post

"Once-in-a-lifetime opportunity", except that it is not. What seems like a dream may unravel when reality sets in. #GenZ tends to glorify their job/career. But there is no glory at all. Every job comes with pain and joy. I have had mentees who secured coveted jobs in seemingly prestigious European and American banks, only to feel disillusioned a couple of years later. Having what you want and wanting what you have are two very different things. It also begs the following questions. Amidst all those job cuts, why are they tripping over themselves to join banking industry? Are they not concerned about future retrenchment? Are there no other industries worthy of their time? If you are an #undergraduate, I like to hear your views.

The problem with a university education (undergrad) is that it teaches you how to be unhappy. It tells you what you should aspire to become, how much you should expect to earn, who you need to network with to get your foot in the door and where you should be applying. It promises you financial freedom. Stack those internships like pancakes, get that degree, get hired for a good job based on that jacked resume. Climb your way to the top. But until then, you stay discontent because you haven’t reached a place you are supposed to be. And since climbing your way to the top involves some form of ruthlessness, let’s bring that into the class room as well. Let’s make class participation competitive , presentations cut throat: your grades bell-curved just like how your future work bonus will be similarly moderated. Hopefully you feed that bloodlust long enough so that you can bring it into the boardroom as well. I remember feeling inadequate having done only ONE internship. At a local production house, cleaning out cupboards, attending casting calls, holding a boom mic for filming, eating leftover fried chicken from a KFC shoot. A business student with no relevant internship(s) or near-perfect GPA. Sadly it made me terribly unkind as well. The way we bidded for modules, schemed our way into forming stronger presentation teams and being absolutely unforgiving when it came to Q&A for presentations against opposing presenters. As though decimating the competition meant better grades for us. How … childish. When I look back, I was simply groomed to view the world in a myopic manner. A university operates as a business. It is required to breed a cohort of laser-focus, ruthless graduates that can compete and successfully capture a limited pool of jobs. Jobs that pay high starting salaries. So when post-surveys period comes along, the average starting salary declared becomes causative to what a good university education is. In Sunny Singapore, some industries pay a lot more for the same work and so naturally we were herded to those high income sectors ( banking and consulting in my time ). To reinforce that belief, the school invited successful alumni, perfect specimens that exemplified how career success looked like. Mentorship panels are still the same, everyone has to be some CEO/Partner/GM/Founder. I look at my Alma Mata now and it’s sad. Undergrads are homogenous. Their resumes reek of exactly this- multiple internships, committees they never really wanted to be apart of, interest-groups they joined just to look interesting. Instead of providing them the capacity to ask questions, to think for themselves, we have given them a mould of life success to conform in. To those who are not stacking internships. Good. Just live. Explore life. Read wider. Write more. Speak clearer. Think deeper. Explore you. Hold on dearly to that passion that comes with youth. You are so much better than this and life really is … so much bigger.

How far will you go for your dream career? For Singapore's aspiring bankers, it's doing as many as six internships and going a step further by deferring their graduation. While there’s long been intense competition between students as they jostle for opportunities to build their work portfolio, mass layoffs in Asia due to a slump in deal-making in the region have only further fueled the competition. And Goldman Sachs and J.P. Morgan have seen a surge in applications for their internships programs. More in my story with Ainsley Thomson:

Good luck & hopefully congratulations to all those graduating today!! This should be a good time of year to answer an FAQ (or 2) that we see a lot of at this time of year: "How do I get started in Financial Services?" and "Can an Agency help me get into FS?" - Internships (Summer placements), Graduate Schemes & Apprenticeship Schemes. These are generally run by employers directly, they don't usually need Agency support. - Consultancy businesses; the FDM / Delta Capita's of the world do hire a high volume of "early careers candidates" and generally combine short term placements in their client base with classroom learning. Also generally they hire directly. - Nearshore hubs; Industry leaders like JPM (Bournemouth), Morgan Stanley / BNP/ Barclays (Glasgow), Deutsche Bank (Birmingham), LGIM (Hove & Cardiff), Schroders (Horsham) and others have "talent hubs" outside of London, these can be excellent places to start your professional career. Where Agencies can generally support more easily tends to be with that "next step", and top tier junior candidates often come with experience of the above. Enjoy results day!!! #financialservicescareers

Here's your roadmap 🛣️ to secure a £100k job in investment banking once you graduate: 📍Achieve A-level grades of BCC or above. 📍Write a banking-focused CV/CL. 📍Study at a Tier 3 university or above. 📍Decent level of Maths at school/ uni. 📍Practice assessment center tests. 📍Participate in multiple mock interviews. 📍Read up on commercial awareness. 📍Know your technicals. 📍Obtain a front-end summer internship. 📍Rinse and repeat for a graduate job. The most important part? Get an internship at a boutique investment bank instead of just trying too hard to break into bulge bracket banks (BBs). BBs receive hundreds of thousands of applications each year from university students. Many of my 8-week course students who started at lesser-known banks are now earning £100k at prestigious boutiques or BBs. Received a message only today from one of my ex-students who took the 8-week course in 2022. He secured a graduate role with Rothschild.🎯 He had no internships ín banking before he took our course He went on to secure multiple smaller internships before securing his graduate role with Rothschild. Play it smart! Experience always trumps academics. 💪

3 Reasons why you should do the brand-new AmplifyME Finance Accelerator Simulation in partnership with Morgan Stanley 🚀 1) Get real practical experience 📈 It’s application season, this simulation will give you real experience that you can take directly into your interviews. 2) Find your perfect role 🎯 The Finance Accelerator simulation uses advanced performance metrics to quantify your skills and match you with your perfect role. 3) Get hired 🤝 Top performers will be fast-tracked directly to further training and internship opportunities with Morgan Stanley. The session will be held in-person at Harvardraum (S0.02.) - Frankfurt School. Register below 👇 (Friday 1st of March | 19:30 - 21:30 CET) 🚨Important: Only people from Frankfurt School and FS INVEST members are allowed to participate. If you are not a member of FS INVEST and still want to participate, please send a PM to FS Invest or Simon Herrmann 🚨 https://lnkd.in/eT7Rqkg6

#RBSHired What sets RBS students apart is their tenacity. For finance #classof2025 student Jeremiah Lunis, landing an internship with Prudential Financial in their rotational program as a F.I.P. intern meant "I'll be exposed to one aspect of corporate finance this summer, and upon returning after graduation (contingent on an offer), I would be put in a 3-4 year rotational program to see which area of corporate finance fits me best!" Jeremiah credits "Elizabeth Fieseler and the RBS OCM team has been instrumental in me landing this internship. They have always been there and willing to help, especially when reviewing documents such as my résumé. Also, the connections I've made through NABA are invaluable and helped me network with current Prudential employees." "The Rutgers X Prudential Symposium allowed me to reconnect with many current potential employees and get my name out there to the recruiters." We asked Jeremiah if he had any advice to share with current or prospective RBS Newark students, and he said, "Take advantage of every opportunity available. I'm not talking solely about office visits and showcases; I mean conferences and networking opportunities. I spent my first two years going to networking opportunities and showcases just to get the feel of it so that when I was in a space where I needed to have an intellectual conversation, I could. Between our OCM. and the organizations on campus, there are plenty of opportunities to meet potential employers or just make genuine connections. Through NABA Rutgers Newark Chapter, I had the opportunity to go to a conference in Washington, DC, for free, and through that experience, I met a Prudential employee who would change the course of my life. It all starts with the willingness to put yourself out there and try something new." We can't wait to hear more about what your senior year has in store for you, Jeremiah. If you are an RBS student or recent alum who landed a job or internship and would want to be featured, send us an inbox message. Learn more about the Office of Career Management's upcoming career ⤵ fairs. #Rutgers #RutgersBusiness #RBSStrong https://lnkd.in/etcYKecj

We've seen enough scenarios; we've heard enough stories. Excellence in the classroom doesn't necessarily equate success in life. So how do we bridge this gap? The Academic Board of MSSN UNILAG is holding a lecture session tagged "Exploring Opportunities Beyond the Classroom." Two of our members landed international internships in 2023. Tolulope Adams interned at Goldman Sachs; and Aminat Giwa interned at Bank of America. These two superstars are sharing lessons, experiences, and knowledge on how they landed and succeeded in the roles. Tag a student you know, let them join us! Link in comments.

🌟 Exciting News: Achieving Milestones in Virtual Internship with Bank of America!🏦 Dear LinkedIn Community, I am thrilled to share a significant achievement in my professional journey— completion of virtual internship from the Bank of America, a leading name in the finance industry for successfully completing the Virtual Internship on Investment Banking Job Simulation!This certificate signifies not only the successful completion of the program but also the acquisition of valuable skills and insights into the dynamic world of investment banking. 💡 What the Program Entailed: 📈 In-Depth Investment Banking Insights: Explored the intricacies of investment banking, gaining a deep understanding of financial markets, deal structuring, and strategic decision-making. 🔗 Networking Opportunities: Connected with industry experts, mentors, and peers, fostering meaningful relationships within the finance community. 🎓 Key Takeaways: 🚀 Strategic Thinking: Developed a strategic mindset essential for navigating the complexities of investment banking transactions. 📊 Analytical Prowess: Strengthened analytical capabilities by dissecting financial data and making informed decisions. 🌐 Global Perspective: Gained insights into the global financial landscape, understanding the interconnected nature of international markets. I am immensely grateful for the support of Bank of America and Forage whose commitment to excellence has empowered me to grow both personally and professionally. This virtual internship has been a transformative experience, and I am excited to apply the skills acquired to contribute meaningfully to the finance sector. #InvestmentBanking #VirtualInternship #BankofAmerica #CareerMilestone #FinanceJourney #LinkedinCertification

One of the ways to land an internship is to market yourself on LinkedIn but many students overlook this for a more traditional way of getting one and then wonder why they don't succeed: "Meet the students stacking internships and battling each other to get a foot in Goldman Sachs' and JPMorgan's doors" It's who you know, not what you know. If that's what you want then it's all about getting in front of the right person and using your connections. Personally working for one of these banks would be my idea of hell but everyone's different!🙄🤣🤦♂️😏 What do you think the best way to get an internship is? If you are a Job Seeker or looking for an NED role or Portfolio Career, we can help you with our specific low cost Job Seeker Personal Branding Service for LinkedIn which now includes a FREE CV, details here https://lnkd.in/dqWRi6EZ https://lnkd.in/gkYbJ-9n