Growing employment rate for LBS MiF graduates
Ninety per cent of the 2015 post-experience Masters in Finance (MiF) graduates from London Business School accepted job offers within three months of graduation, an increase on last year’s figure and the highest MiF employment rate since the 2008 financial crisis.
The School’s MiF Employment Report, published today, shows a two per cent increase on last year’s figure for its MiF graduates who have secured full-time employment within three months of graduation. The employment rate is at its strongest since 2007.
“It is fantastic to see continued growth in the employment rate of our Masters in Finance graduates in what remains a challenging finance environment globally. Their success is testament to both the quality of our students and the ever-evolving programme that equips them with the skills to succeed in an increasingly competitive marketplace”, says Lara Berkowitz, Executive Director, Career Centre, London Business School.
Of the 90% who accepted job offers within three months of graduating, more than four fifths (81%) of those went into finance. This included more than a quarter (26%) joining the investment banking sector. 13% of MiF graduates took up corporate sector roles within areas such as technology, media and telecommunications (5%), energy (2%) and FMCG (2%), while 6% went into consulting.
“Although investment banking is still a popular career choice among many MiF graduates, many students chose to join the buy-side in a variety of roles including equity research and portfolio management”, says Christian Dummett, Head of Finance Programme Careers, London Business School. “With FinTech proving to be a major source of employment growth, a number of graduates chose corporate and consulting careers that are benefitting from this trend. We also continue to work with government and central bank sponsored students who often return to their employers in more senior, wider ranging roles.”
MiF 2015 graduates from the School are now working in 76 companies across 26 countries around the world. London continues to remain the most attractive city for graduates, with 41% staying after graduation. The employment figures show Asia (29%) and Latin America (12%) as the second and third most popular destinations, while 8% of graduates took up roles in wider Europe, 5% in Canada or the US, 4% in Africa or the Middle East and 1% in Australasia.
Of the companies that hired MiF students from London Business School, 18 of those hired two or more students. The top three recruiters are HSBC, Citi and Credit Suisse.
2015 also saw a 3% increase in base salaries to an average of £67,165, while the sign-on bonus average rose almost 17% to £25,162.
In addition to permanent choices, over 42% of MiF students also chose to pursue summer internships compatible with the option to extend the MiF programme for a fourth term post-summer. Internship choices included companies such as Blackstone, EBRD and J.P. Morgan.
Lara Berkowitz says: “It has been another remarkable year for our MiF students and we are proud of what they have achieved. We are particularly excited by the growth of our finance programme portfolio, with the upcoming launch of the Masters in Financial Analysis (MFA) in September 2016. As opposed to our Masters in Finance students who have on average 5.6 years of work experience, our MFAs will typically have less than one year of work experience.”
More information, including details of the sectors and locations the School’s MiF graduates have secured roles in, is available.
