Hi, usually post in the soccer related sections but im in year 12 at school now and Uni choice is becoming very important. I go to one of the better 6th form schools in the UK and i'm expecting to get AAA for my A2. Im hoping to go to LSE to study BSc economics with a minor as the entry requirement fall to AAA, as opposed to A*AA for pure economics. Anyway once i get onto an economics course i plan to stick it out to get my degree but then when i leave uni, there are soo many different jobs to look at. I personally want to get into the investment banking sector so what would i have to do to get myself in that sector? Also, after my degree, or as part of my degree, i would love to live in the US, so how would i go about getting a job in the US if i were to go. Please leave any useful comments or experiences you have. They will be appreciated.
Sell your soul to the devil in some form of Faustian pact? Nah, seriously, the only advice I'd give is not to think too long term in these things. You're better off doing something at uni you're REALLY interested in and then see where that takes you than deciding to do something that might lead to a job that looks interesting but you might hate doing for a living. Things in prospect ain't the same when you actually get here in my experience. Having said that I've never done investment banking so maybe it's exactly the same as everyone envisages it but, tbh, if it is, that would be a HUGE negative IMO
The best way to get into Wall Street finance (i.e., investment banking) is attend a top university, get top grades, network well, and interview well. Wht you study, eh less important. Investment bankers are a lot likelier to be philosophy majors from Yale than econ majors from Podunk College. That said, you need a good story as to why you will like the job and why you are seeking it out, and an economics major helps with that story. And of course LSE has Street cred. Actually, I think the best bet is to be a double major (although maybe you don't do those things in England). My boss was a double major in Econ and English, that's a very good combination for many finance jobs.
I'm going to tell you straight up-IMO, if you're not getting a scholarship, it's not worth it to spend thousands of pounds to learn economics. You can learn all of that on your own, at the library or online. If you want some books to read, just ask me here. I think you should do something more practical, gain skills that are always in demand (like welding, plumbing, machining, ...etc.) Having said that, I suggest you go ahead and call some of the firms in city of London and ask them for advice. Tell them you're a high school student. Better yet, go on LinkedIn and message some of the MDs, VPs working there. Also read the book [ame="http://www.amazon.com/Working-Street-What-Need-About/dp/1403963770"]Amazon.com: Working the Street: What You Need to Know About Life on Wall Street (9781403963772): Erik Banks: Books[/ame] you may also want to start studying for the CFA