Hi guys,I obtained my degree in Economics and Finance in a mid-level university as I finished high school in South Eastern Europe and our applications are not even considered in the top tier universities. I got a good 1:1, but I didn't manage get a consultancy position in the top firms, despite that I had interviews with EY and KPMG. Now I am struggling how to approach this situation, I graduated last year and I have two offers for masters degree - MPA (not MBA) at LSE and Economics and Business at Erasmus University Rotterdam. I am not sure how to approach this situation, the MPA is two years and it is appropriate for me as I am planing to move into politics in the late stage of my career, but it costs £42k... I think about accepting the offer to go to Rotterdam for a year and begin CIMA in the meanwhile. I would be happy if you provide an advice for this situation, CIMA is actually an accounting certificate, but it is taken by most of the graduate consultants in the big 4 (but not in MBB). On the other hand a non-UK degree is not very helpful, but I am planning to spend the year learning Dutch and a little French as well and I think that would be beneficial. Moreover, after the degree I will be able to re-apply for the grad schemes at the top firms and it is relatively cheap 1,900 euro for the whole course. Thank you.

Afraid I can't help as I'm an MC noob - but how was the LSE MPA application / selection process? I am planning on doing one a bit later in my career as I want to focus on government projects.Thanks, good luck

Not sure about how useful learning Dutch will be - unless you are planning on really building a career in the domestic market and living there a good while. The Dutch are exceptionally good English speakers and don't seem to have much of a complex about it.PS may sound like a daft question but re the French, you realise Rotterdam is in the Netherlands, not in.Belgium, right? And that could learn French.equally well (i.e. not very) at LSE?

Is the degree you have completed so far a European one in the 3+2 years fashion?

It is not very easy to get a place in the MPA programme, this is LSE, but it is a two year course and 42k is a little bit too much for me..The problem is that if I am at LSE I will definitely have to work during my studies and I won't have time for French or anything else. In the Netherlands the education is relatively cheap and I can afford to focus on my studies and learn other languages. My degree is from British university, I don't know any other country that has 1:1 as a grade except the UK! :)

42k is an absurd amount of money for anything other than a top MBA. I don't know what salaries it would allow you to land straight after it and with what likelihood, but just think of the timelines to payoff the debt/investment...Can other Master programmes based in the UK be cheaper? If you are aiming to work in the UK, you shouldn't go and study abroad. Also, absolutely no need for languages when doing consulting in the UK, unless you want to do stuff that will put you face to face with bluecollar staff across Europe. The management and white collar staff of international firms across Europe (i.e. your potential clients were you to end up working internationally with a Big4, ACN or MBB) has pretty much an obligation to be able to work in English. Slavic languages may be the only exception but good luck becoming fluent in one of those.My suggestion would be to do CIMA fulltime. It's not just a strict accounting certification, it's broader and useful. It's a great way to bridge, at least partially, the gap between economics/business uni studies and real life.No shame in working small time jobs of any kind in the meantime, assuming you'll have the time.An no, no other country as 1:1 as a mark, but I thought you might have converted whatever grade you got abroad to the English scale for our convenience

This is all wrong. The solution to not getting it right in the first place is not to go and repeat the experience and this time bet the house on an uncertain outcome.Get some work experience for a year and reapply to the MCs next round. It's really that simple. If you got interviews but didnt get a role then you need to do two things and only two things - be better and interviews and give yourself more chances with more interviews. Adding an expensive Masters will just look like reality dodging.Graduation is so pressurised these days I feel some sympathy for grads now. Not a lot but a shred of it. But researching companies and finding a job is easier now. Next time, more practice at interviews will mean you do better. More applications will mean you have more opportunities. If you cant make it then, no amount of expensive degrees will change that.

We don't have "1:1" degrees in the UK either unless it's a new development, just Firsts. "1"s if you must.

Marsday, what would be wrong with a fulltime CIMA for one year?

Thank you for your answers guys. I don't feel like spending 42k for degree right now. I started applying for some smaller consultancies and I will start the CIMA next month, I can't do it full-time, I need some cash to survive, but I am sure that I can complete it in 2-3 years. I am also thinking to apply for some managerial accountant roles as plan B. Also is it worth it to get the CFA instead of CIMA, it is a investment banking qualification, but it is very hard to get, is it valuable in consultancy?

[quote]Marsday, what would be wrong with a fulltime CIMA for one year?[/quote]Nothing. But I wasnt referring to CIMA, I was referring to the Masters Degrees and associated fees.

[quote] is it worth it to get the CFA instead of CIMA, it is a investment banking qualification, but it is very hard to get, is it valuable in consultancy?[/quote]You cant compare CFA and CIMA. CFA is specifically for certain classes of investment banking, and is among the most challenging qualifications available. The time investment is intensive, fail rates high, and you will need working experience in banking alongside it for it to make any real sense. Also it runs in levels, so you would be looking at CFA Level 1 - possibly useful if you really wanted to convince IBs you were serious about a banking career, but for consulting the use would be very limited.

CFA is a portfolio mgmt qualification and will only be useful for valuations / PM consulting...If you're going to do CFA then you should go and work for a hedge fund or asset manager and earn (at least) 4x as much as a consultant.If you're definitely doing one or the other then take the CFA and stuff consulting altogether would be my advice!

Hi ,I think Networking is very important as career point of view , Maintaining communication with every hr of the company will leads you to job opening to that company.Internship should be done from recognized company, which will help you to grab job in that same company after completing of graduation.There are many HR consulting firms available you must visit one of them for proper guidance, You can Try of HR companies,

Can you please share how did you calculate that the expected salary is more than 4 times higher? I am very curious about this.However, I have always aimed at the highest target and I feel somehow diminishing myself doing.... an accountancy qualification. If I could pursue the same career development I would definitely go for the CFA. Ultimately I would like to move to politics lately in my career and I believe that the business awareness that I will gain in management consultancy is much more valuable than a career in investment banking.

Degree from mid-level university (your description), unsuccessful in your applications to EY and KPMG and you fear that you will "diminish yourself" by doing an.accountancy qualification?I think you may need to adjust your expectations.PS you will gain at least a good an awareness of business in the right areas of IB as you will in MC.

There's nothing scientific about it, but I have several friends in hedge funds and top IMs. I've spoken with them about it out of curiosity and if you include their bonuses they get paid at least 4x more than I do at roughly 'comparable' grades.A basic rule of thumb is that if you can point directly to revenue earned (i.e. if you're in a sales position in consulting or trade a book at a HF / IM) then it's easier to secure a bigger bonus - you can say "I did X amount of business for the firm, give me a percentage of it).That does not really exist at lower levels in consulting (at least in the bigger firms where the more senior staff seem to do all of the selling). In fact, if you look at top level HF / IM / banking staff compared to top level consulting staff you'll find that they too get paid multiples of what we can aspire to earn in this industry.Life really isn't all about money though, don't make that your main driver.