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I Want to Get on a Bigger Stage

With finance jobs scarce, a JP Morgan associate explains why he’s quitting to go back to school, and why he needs a mentor

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After over two years at JP Morgan, Yu Tian is giving up a promising career as an equity fund associate to join Imperial College's MBA programme in October.

The 25-year-old surprized colleagues and friends by calling his life in JP Morgan's UK Equity Pricing Team, based in Edinburgh, to an end. He is set to invest £80,000 of his own savings on tuition and living in London.

“I just feel that I won't get any higher if I stay at JP,” he says. “With an MBA I might have a shot at getting into international banking and eventually achieve my personal goal: establishing my own equity reporting firm.”

Yu graduated with a bachelor in Finance and Investment from Scotland’s University of Stirling in 2006. He secured a sought-after job as a junior business analyst at the Royal Bank of Scotland in Edinburgh. Though his post-college career has been going exceptionally well to-date, the Beijing-born equity expert says he has been considering an MBA for some time.

“I see it as a process of expanding my knowledge, perspectives on life and getting closer to achieving my life goals. I always knew I would go back to school some day.”

Yu was offered a place at Imperial following a two-round interview in London earlier this year. He recalls how meeting professors from the School helped to make up his mind:“My long-term career plan is to set up my own financial services company,” he says. In interviews with professors he was impressed by their focus on encouraging entrepreneurship and managing your own businesses.

Though Yu's 18 months with JP Morgan gave him a taste of working in an international environment, he felt the job was repetitive and was perhaps limiting his potential.

He also felt the efforts of Chinese employees, in company with other minorities who were working “extremely hard”, were under-appreciated.

“As a Chinese guy who is trying to survive in the Western world, I need someone to work with as my mentor, in order for me to get on a bigger stage in the business world,” he says. “Unfortunately, this particular aspect hasn't worked out for me in my current job.”

Colleagues speak highly of Yu's personal attributes and abilities. His team manager Andrew Wilson describes him as highly motivated, industrious and conscientious: “As one of the most experienced members of the team he was managing four analysts almost single-handed... (his) experience and knowledge was instrumental to the smooth running of the team whilst I bedded in.”

Yu admits that many regard his decision as the “gamble of his life”, given the cost involved. “Of course it will be risky,” he says. “But I’m confident that it will turn out to be a wise investment. Also, with the pound being devalued right now, I probably won’t have a better opportunity to relive student life again.”

The global financial crisis may not be over next year, when Yu starts another round of job-hunting. JP Morgan Chase, the world’s third-largest bank, is cutting jobs around the world. Most recently the bank rescinded 40 to 50 positions granted to US college graduates. Between 20 and 30 employees have been made redundant from its Edinburgh office since December, according to one insider. Of these, ten have found other jobs and between five and eight moved on to further studies.

Yu doesn’t appear concerned: “Another reason I choose London for my MBA is that I have a good contact-base there,” he says. “Many people I’ve met professionally are now working in big-name financial companies, such as Barclays Capital, Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs and Mitsubishi. I’ll definitely be in touch with them this time next year for job prospects and advice.”

“If I need another justification, my girlfriend is working in London and she can always be useful company, if I regret it all one day.”

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Comments

21 July 2009

Hey - what work experience do you have? Generally it's easier to get into an MBA program, and a more worthwhile use of time, if you've got a few years work behind you - so you can understand the practical application of the stuff you're studying. Maybe use your IT qualification to work in a tech company, but apply for commercial roles (e.g. sales/ marketing/ finance) and once you've done this for a few years head for an MBA to broaden your knowledge across other sectors....

Jen

20 July 2009

Very informative post...

btw I am in my final year of graduation in the Information Technology stream....I dont fancy taking up a job in the technology related areas instead i am interested in the management track where it is more business and people oriented... I always wanted to go for an MBA...The hitch is ..How should I go about it...Should i work for a few years before i take up an MBA..?? If Yes..In what sectors should i prefer to work taking in account my above mentioned interests..?? B-Schools in which countries would be better considering both the Educational and financial aspects..??...

An reliable reply is greatly appreciated...Thanks...

Cheers...!! :)

Sahithi Reddy

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what our the job opportunities like upon Shanghai itself upon graduation? i can imagine due to gowth China continues to experience there are many opportunities
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