How to Start in London as an American
Hi there! I'm a rising senior at a target (about to start my SA) and was wondering what my prospects are for finding full-time analyst positions in London. Specifically AM is preferable, but corporate strategy/consulting is also something I'd very happily look into.
Everyone seems to think I'm nuts for not wanting to work in New York but it just comes down to the city not being for me. I've interned there and lived close by my whole life but I must be immune to the magic. Since the City with a capital C is the other top financial center, I just thought I'd give the dream a shot.
I'm hoping to leverage "international experience" though I know that can't mean too much coming from an undergrad - I've worked in finance in Singapore, studied a year in Paris, and will be interning this summer in Tokyo (BLK). My GPA is solid but not spectacular; I'm fluent in French and Korean. But I have no clue how much the recruiters are going to care when they stack me up against native applicants who won't require a Visa. What I'm hoping to do is perhaps use contacts to hop from BLK Tokyo to BLK London if I get the chance.
So if you have some wisdom to share, that'd be great - is this a realistic goal? Have any of you made the jump yourselves? Also any tips before full-time recruiting would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Gotta cop some brown shoes.
One big + about England that monkeys keep extolling is the permission to openly drink at work when clients are not at the office.
Haha thanks guys...advice anyone ?
Ever since they passed the law that fish and chips couldn't be served in newspaper, London has been in steady decline :)
Good luck to you, my only piece of advice would be... its depressing as hell to live in that weather... and don't fuck with London drivers.
It's tougher as an american needing a Visa but its doable. My former roommate who stayed in london after I moved back to the states has had 2 different jobs that sponsored his work Visa.
And I am a big of fan of drinking at work since I had that opportunity when i was consultant there. I have my own company now and my employee brought a 6 pack to our marketing strategy workshop yesterday, i was so proud of him.
Have you considered doing a 1 year masters after graduation? I would imagine it would help establish footing to work in London. The placement for stats LSE, Oxford, Cambridge, and LBS sound like they could make all the difference in jumping the pond to work in the City. Props for wanting to do something different, all your international work experiences sound awesome, good luck in Tokyo!
As an american making money abroad don't you get smacked with pretty brutal double taxation? Anyone have experience with this?
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