Instructions:
(1) The ability to demonstrate well researched short and long term career goals, and an understanding of the financial sector. Work
     experience is not a requirement, but relevant work experience or internships will add weight to your application.
(2) One of the most important parts of our application form is the ‘Career Questions’ section, so please ensure that you give these
     questions proper consideration and answer them in the required format.
(3) Your answers should demonstrate well researched career goals, a clear understanding of the financial sector and the skills that
     employers are looking for, such as teamwork, problem-solving, leadership and communication.

Essay 1: Please describe your short term (3 year) career goals (Please do not exceed 200 words).
•      For this question think about where you want to be three years after completing the MSc course and how this links into one of the
        following questions – your long term goals. If you are interested in joining a graduate scheme, think about how long it will be, and the
        type of role you will be doing on completion of it. Think about the type of promotion you might achieve after a graduate scheme – will
        you be looking after your own projects, clients or research? You might want to look at www.prospects.ac.uk and “jobs and work” for
        moreinformation. Another resource to consider is www.milkround.com which has lots of information about a broad range of graduate
        schemes.

After completing the Msc course, I will seek a job with a most prestigious investment bank such as JP Morgan or Morgan Stanley based in either in the Chinese mainland or elsewhere in the Greater China Region As a fresh graduate from university, I will start my career as an entry-level analyst, applying and testing the knowledge acquired throughout both the undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes. A more crucial factor that can contribute to my rapid professional improvement is by working under the mentoring of senior investment bankers on a day-to-day basis and

Meanwhile, having majored in accounting during my undergraduate programme, I will try to pass all the CPA examinations and obtain my CFA certification. This CPA qualification will give me unique advantages over ordinary finance students because it will remarkable strengthen my accounting and auditing skills, foundational skills for a top-flight financial career. My keen analytical and decision-making skills, as well as professional objectivity, integrity and dedication will be highly valued.

Working as an analyst means I’ll have the opportunity to work on a variety of equity transactions including M & A (merger & acquisition) transactions (both sell-side and buy-side). As I keep enhancing practical skills and accumulating practical experiences, I expect to undertake my own projects and perform my research independently. I also hope to advise clients regarding methods, processes, and plans in their financial, insurance and pension decision making. Moreover, I will keep honing my communication skills and presentation skills through participating in equity capital raising process, which requires intensive interaction with the company’s management team, bankers from other firms, lawyers and accountants. By the end of those three years, I hope to become proficient in transactions within a particular division, laying a solid foundation to climb the professional ladder all the way to executive director.

Essay 2: Please outline the challenges you think you will face in achieving these short term career goals and how you will overcome them?
         (Please do not exceed 200 words)
•      For this question we would like you to think about the current trends in the market and how they may affect your career path. Think
        about what things you could do to increase your employment potential. For example, this might be a better understanding of how
       Financial Institutions work or an appreciation of the different, interlocking areas of business.
•      Consider how the core courses, the electives you can choose, or the individual research report and how these can be applied to the career
        you are looking for. You should think about not only the knowledge you will be acquiring, but the interpersonal and technical skills
        that you will develop on your MSc course.

I can identify three potential challenges. The first is the sufficient grasp of core knowledge required by investment banking, which is the very basis for increasing my employment potential. To meet this challenge, I will make special efforts to learn two paramount modules in your MSc Finance—Corporate Finance (along with the elective Advanced Corporate Finance) and Hedge Fund. Learning them will provide me with the cornerstone of investment banking while diversifying from mainstream share and bond investment.

The second challenge is that, as a starter, I’ll lack an extensive, substantial network of connections, with the industry itself or clients. To address the former, I’ll attend informational interviews and industry conferences, and liaise closely with alumni. For the second, I will not only offer high-quality services to get the deals done but also communicate effectively with clients.

The final challenge is that in the post-crisis era, the global financial market is replete with uncertainties and risks. I will apply my knowledge and skills flexibly to changing situations and be sensitive enough to adjust and modify. Apart from gaining insights into market trends and macroeconomic environment and deal mechanics, I will hone my skills in financial modeling for effective risk control.

Essay 3: Please describe your long-term career goals or, if these are not clear, please outline the industry sectors that are of particular interest to you and why. (Please do not exceed 200 words)
•      Building on the previous questions you should think about your future and where you see yourself, for example, in five years time.
        Think about the sector you want to be working in, the type of position or business you want to have and which geographic location
        you want to be in. Use these two questions to identify your career goals. If you have no clear goals think about the resources you have
        used, such as websites, meetings with the career service at your university, presentations you have attended (employer presentations,
        university presentations) or talks with your friends or family that have helped you to form your ideas for your future career.
•      For example, from your previous degree you might have begun to be interested in the world of finance, and then talks with you family
       might have convinced you to study abroad. You might have also attended recruitment presentations which together with your research
       using www.efinancialcareers.co.uk or www.prospects.ac.uk helped to you decide on the type of course to study and the type of role you
       are interested in.

After working three to four years at an investment bank, I’ll have accumulated abundant professional experiences and demonstrated increasing competence in executing my responsibilities. Then, the time would come for me to effect a mid-career change by assuming managerial responsibilities during the next phase of my career development. To prepare for this change, I’ll need to acquire systematic training in business administration. Therefore, I will first attend a prestigious business school to pursue a first-tier MBA education, to update my finance knowledge, receive systematic training in management, develop new alumni network, all of which will enable me to cope with mounting challenges as a business leader.

My proposed MBA education will give me added momentum for career development. In another five to ten years, I hope to rise to director and executive director, capable of leading a high-quality group in productive work and making critical contributions to organizational growth. As a business leader, I hope to keep developing innovative products and services that can continuously create value for clients. With demonstrated industry successes, I am interested in giving seminars, hosting workshops or serving as guest professor at universities sharing my expertise and experiences with an emerging generation of finance talents.

Essay 4: What skills do you think are important in the career that interests you, how would you demonstrate that you have been developing these skills so far? (Please do not exceed 300 words)
•      For this question think about the skills your future employer might wish you to have, for example communication, team work,
        analytical or interpersonal skills and how you can demonstrate that you have them.
•      For advice on the types of skills that employers commonly look for go to www.prospects.ac.uk and for the Graduate Recruiters
        perspective see www.agr.org.uk
•      Think about how your key achievements link to your future career – did you learn something about yourself or your skills or career
        interests that has since informed your career thinking?

In my future career, the most fundamental skill would be the competence to apply discipline-specific knowledge and skills such as accounting, mathematical and analytical skills, develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills, and understand the strategic role of finance in business organizations. A second important skill would be leadership and teamwork involving the ability to communicate effectively, clearly, and strategically, after considering the relevant audience, situation, and purpose. I hope to work productively with others to accomplish established goals. Finally, for financial professional, research and life-long learning ability is indispensable. I would use relevant research databases and academic/professional literature to gain new knowledge and analyze business situations.

Over the years, I have demonstrated many such qualities and skills in such settings as coursework, case studies, course projects, volunteer services and internships. Majoring in Accounting and Finance, I have achieved excellent grades, expecting a first-class degree. In 4 advanced mathematical courses, my grades range from 93/100 to 98/100, and my GMAT quantitative score is 50/51 (92%). I have developed analytical skills through many case studies in several modules as shown in my CV. I am proficient in computer applications, with intensive use of statistical software Minitab.

Most of the modules I have taken require presentations, case studies, and group projects. Often as team leader, I have set goals, allocated tasks appropriately, set deadlines for different phases of a task and had timely communication of ideas within the team. Those experiences have enhanced my leadership, interpersonal communication, team-building and team-working. Moreover, I have interacted effectively and productively with students of different cultural backgrounds and intellectual perspectives to build strong intra-group cohesion, an essential skill set for investment banking industry. As shown in my CV, I have two internships and many volunteer services, which have further expanded many of those above-mentioned qualities and skills.