From Visa-Less Foreigner in the UK to the FICC Trading Desk at a Top Bulge Bracket Bank: How to Make the Leap

It’s already tough enough to break into finance coming from any background, but what about when you’re a foreigner, you don’t have a work visa, and your school is unknown?

Oh, and you’re set on going to a bulge bracket bank.

As Aleksey Vayner might say, “Impossible is Nothing” – a bad idea for his infamous video resume, but a good idea for our interviewee here, who was smart enough to apply the sentiment, but not the execution, to his recruiting efforts.

Here’s how he made the leap from visa-less foreigner and non-target student to sales & trading at a bulge bracket bank, and how you can do the same – plus:

• The top challenges you’ll face as a foreigner breaking into finance inLondon – and how to overcome them.
• Whether or not there’s a glass ceiling in finance if you’re not from the country.
• What to expect in Fixed Income, Currency, and Commodities (FICC) recruiting and how to prepare for interview questions.
• A day in the life of a FICC junior trader.

Let’s dive right in:

Breaking Into Investment Funds in Eastern Europe: How to Get Screwed on Your Bonus and Then Leave for Ethical Reasons

Ah, Eastern Europe.

Just hearing about the region might suddenly give you visions of super-cheap, capitalism-friendly countries where finance is still a booming industry and the place to be.

But the actual story – from recruiting to bonuses to deals to exit opportunities – is very different from what you’ve read about in the news.

You’ve already heard from a reader who studied and worked in Poland and then moved to London – so this time around we’ll speak with someone who did the opposite and decided to stay in his home country.

Here’s what you’ll learn:

• Just how easy – or difficult? – it is to get hired in Eastern Europe.
• What the finance industry is like in Eastern Europe and how deals and technical work differ.
• Why you might get screwed on your bonus, especially if you work at a less-than-ethical fund.
• How smaller firms there think about compensation, work hours, and client service “differently.”

How to Break Into Corporate Development as an Engineer with No Finance Experience

No one wants to be an engineer anymore.

Engineering graduates are no longer going into engineering, and even current engineers want out.

The cream of the crop moves into finance and consulting, seeking excitement, glory, and more bottles than a meager engineer’s salary could afford.

The interviewee you’re about to hear from was an engineering graduate who came to that proverbial fork in the road and decided that the engineering path had one too many potholes.

So he moved into corporate development in the oil & gas industry instead – which took a lot of hustle and a few extra steps – and is now considering another career change, after getting an offer on an oil trading desk.

Here’s what you’re about to learn from him:

• How to leverage an unrelated degree into a career in corporate development.
• How to make the jump from Big 4 advisory to corporate development.
• What to expect in the recruiting process as an Asian multinational.
• What the working culture at a Korean firm is like – and how many bottles of soju they’ll make you drink every night.
• The pros and cons of working in corporate development, and whether or not it’s right for you.

Let’s get started: