MSc Finance and Private Equity

Students of the Department of Finance will undertake the Finance Accelerator, alongside the academic programme, to support and prepare them to enter the job market. Starting in the pre-sessional course in September, students are given a wide range of careers support, from CV workshops and application advice to sector overviews and opportunities to meet and network with recent alumni who are working in London.

We run a number of events to best prepare students for the competitive financial services sector job market:

• introduction to careers in Finance
• City Speaker Series
• CV and cover letter workshops
• case studies for consulting masterclass
• 1-to-1 CV review appointments
• networking skills session
• alumni panels and networking reception.

Throughout the year, in addition to the great service offered by LSE Careers, the Department of Finance provides tailored, individual careers support to its students via a number of highly experienced sector consultants and Associate Programme Directors, each with significant experience of working in financial services.

We also spend a training day at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, and host Financial Modelling workshops.

Students take part in a day of communication and personal impact workshops with the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA). This training aims to increase levels of self-awareness and help students to make a positive impression in a professional context.

Working on core skills to become effective and influential communicators, students will learn to use the body and voice to positive effect, and to develop a free and open physical presence. Students will also explore techniques for delivering a successful video interview, by becoming familiar with the particular risks and pitfalls associated with distance interviews.

Drawing on more than a century’s experience of what is required to make actors excellent communicators, you will leave RADA with the tools and techniques to help you start your professional communication on the right foot.

During September, the department invites practitioners from a range of different areas of finance to talk to our students about their roles and the skills required to succeed. These sessions offer an informal opportunity for students to learn about specific sectors within finance and to assess their fit for specific careers and roles. In previous years, the City Speaker Series has included representatives from Goldman Sachs, Moelis & Co, Rothschild - Five Arrows, Deutsche Bank and many more.

Alumni network

The department’s multiple well-established master’s programmes mean we have a large and wide-ranging alumni network. Students get direct access to this through the alumni networking events that take place during the pre-sessional, Autumn Term and Winter Term.

With alumni in top jobs and senior positions in London and overseas, this great international network has brought employment opportunities directly to our current students as former graduates and their employers look to hire the very best.

In the past we've had success connecting both current students and alumni with members of our alumni community, with the aim of forming professional networks.

Interaction with part-time students

One of the advantages of running both the MSc Finance (full-time) and MSc Finance (part-time) programmes is that there are opportunities for students to interact with each other. This is particularly useful for full-time students building their network of professional contacts.

Twice a year the department organises an MSc Finance Networking Evening where students from both programmes and alumni are able to socialise and meet.

LSE Careers is a far-reaching resource available to LSE students and alumni, and is one of the best in the UK. Once registered at LSE you'll be able to access the variety of resources and services it provides. These include:

• recruitment fairs
• company presentations
• interview and application skills sessions
• personal careers meetings
• CV checking
• advice sessions.

LSE is very fortunate in attracting the top recruiters in many sectors which enables the careers service to run an LSE-exclusive vacancy board full of internships, voluntary, part-time and graduate positions.

See LSE Careers for further details.