Why did you choose to study the MSc Banking and Finance programme at Brunel?
I found the programme at Brunel offered the best range of modules that would allow me to get a really solid foundation in Finance. It turned out that the breadth of modules offered a real variety between understanding the fundamentals of banking, alongside few econometric principles and understanding how regulation is impacting the field as well. The main reason has to be that when selecting universities, I had to opportunity to come in and meet with one of the lecturers who provided me with the confidence to know that I was in great hands for the future and would have the chance to develop and the skills and knowledge that would allow me to have the career change I wanted.
Tell us about your internship and how you got it?
With internships I found that there really isn't a magic secret, it really is a just numbers game. You really have to put yourself out there and apply to as many roles as possible. Everyone gets heaps of rejections, but the most important thing is to be relentless and continue applying. When you get to the assessment centre and interviews, that's your chance to show your passion, enthusiasm and demonstrate the knowledge you've picked up from the MSc too.
What did/does an average day at work involve for you?
As cliché as it sounds, I didn't have an average day at work. The internship for 10 weeks was an amazing opportunity to network, meet and shadow different teams and understand different roles within the bank. Generally speaking though, I did lot of project work for my team over the space of the internship including data analysis and producing reports, finding ways of automating processes which required me coding and creating macros of an entire workflow process to produce decks that are distributed to our global offices. I also got to work with some of the traders and understand how the credit markets operate and how the bank positions itself in them to make money.
What’s been the highlight of your role?
I was fortunate enough to sit on the trading floor, which was an incredible experience. I would get into work fairly early, and the traders are already in and busy working because the markets are already open in Asia. It was fun, often loud - with announcements and trade calls being made on the tannoy, trades being made throughout the day, and a real sense that of being right in the middle of all the action.
How has what you have learnt in your MSc helped you in your internship?
It is really different when you get into the middle of a bank, and you're sitting in on meetings with really senior individuals, but you start to piece together little bits from different modules and understand how they all come together in the big picture. A lot of the Banking and Global Finance modules were extremely useful in understanding how banks operate, and then trying to navigate your role within that. A lot of the technical knowledge picked up in security analysis was also helpful when speaking to and understanding how the traders work too.
What are your plans for the future?
I was lucky enough to be offered a full time position to return to JP Morgan, so my programme will run for 2 years covering several rotations. Hopefully, I will find an area of the bank I particularly like to stay in after that period but for now I'm fairly happy keeping my options open.