by Lucky Singh, MiF Recruitment Manager
I recently hosted a webinar titled ‘Diverse minds, diverse opportunities’ which focused on the opportunities available at London Business School for prospective students pursuing a career across diversified sectors.
I was joined by three of our fantastic students:
Joseph Scarfone (MFA 2020) is Canadian, he graduated from Ivey Business School with a degree in Business Administration and Global Studies and did a six-month exchange at Bocconi University. He interned at the UN in economic policy and returned as a contractor in development financing. His goal now is to find ways to fund UN sponsored projects that lack the necessary funding.
Jess Harcourt (MBA 2021) is American and graduated with a Finance degree from Penn State University. Her most recent role has been at the Clinton Health Access Initiative in Eswatini and then Rwanda where she advised the Ministry of Health to strengthen national health systems. Now she wants to work within the public and private sectors to help low-income countries progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals.
Myles Coleman (MiF Full-time 2020) is British, graduated from Brown University with a BA in Philosophy and Economics, and then joined a general management programme at Cathay Pacific Airways in Hong Kong. He worked in airline operations and airline planning, and became interested in the aircraft leasing industry. That led him to join an aircraft leasing company in Singapore where he developed financial solutions for airlines in Asia. He now wants to make a career transition and use his hard asset financing skills to work in the clean energy sector.
During the webinar, I explained that the ‘diversified’ sectors we are referring to include Government & Public Administration, Healthcare, Industrial, Energy and Luxury to name a few. These are sectors outside of Consulting and the traditional finance sectors such as Private Equity. We have sector leads within our fantastic Career Centre who cover these sectors and support students through 1:1 coaching and feedback, workshops, market knowledge and insights as well as interview and application advice. They are constantly engaging with employers and alumni to establish connections and relationships that will help our students secure internships and employment post-graduation.
I put the following questions to our students:
What was the main reason for studying your programme at LBS?
Joseph stated that for him it was the prospect of developing a truly international network; his first term study group consisted of students from Switzerland, Taiwan, South Korea, Italy and Hong Kong. What also attracted him to LBS was how integrated the student body is; all our students are master’s students and pursuing a career within business and finance, so their goals and interests are very much aligned. Students from across programmes are encouraged to network regularly through socials, electives, clubs, conferences and career events on campus.
For Myles LBS’s London location was the biggest deciding factor when he was considering business schools. He was attracted by London’s status as a finance, business, tech and culture hub as well as the prospect of being close to a range of companies and LBS alumni.
Jess revealed that what attracted her the most to LBS was the global nature of the cohort and alumni all of whom have knowledge and expertise in different areas of business and finance.
What has surprised you the most about LBS?
Myles was surprised by the 80 plus student clubs at LBS ranging from Energy Club, Social Impact Club, Africa Club and Real Estate Club; these clubs do a fantastic job connecting students with industry professionals, professional speakers, recruiters and alumni, and host conferences as well as career fairs. He has also been impressed by the level of support offered by the Career Centre, from 1:1 coaching sessions and workshops.
For Jess it has been the level of collaboration across the school! Everyone is happy to connect, and students across programmes are keen to give up their time and share their professional expertise and technical skills with other students.
Joseph stated that for him it has been the various opportunities available to do something new and completely out of his comfort zone! In the away day during MFA Orientation Week he had to complete many outdoor challenges including climbing ropes and conquering his fear of heights!
What advice would you give prospective students considering applying to LBS in order to work in a diversified sector?
Jess explained that the hiring process for diversified sectors is less structured than traditional sectors like consulting, so it is crucial to network with as many people as you can including other students, alumni and recruiters, and build as many relationships as possible.
Joseph spoke about how it is important to try new things as there are various roles and opportunities that exist within the diversified sectors that you may not have come across before. He also stated that it is essential to know what your career goals are and why these are important to you. Many students are looking for roles within traditional sectors, which can be distracting, so the key is to stay focused on your own journey and stay true to your own goals.
You can watch the entire webinar here.