It is scaring to learn the layoffs happening in major firms right now. The question is: is it a good time to enter finance field? The thing is: I decided to change my career completely and have recently got accepted into MSF program at Vanderbilt. The 9-month program fee is expensive but I am hopeful to get a job in finance with a pay of >$50k /year upon graduation in May 2009. As the Wallstreet is facing the biggest tide of layoff for decades. I am afraid that there is a high risk that I will be saddled with debt and at the same time jobless when I graduate. is it a good time to enter finance field? Should I be far-sighted and go for the program? Anybody know about Vanderbilt or are alumni? thanks.
If you exit in May 2009, you’re probably well timed for an upturn, assuming that this isn’t a depression-era or 1990s Japan-like scenario, in which case we’re pretty much all toast in pretty much any field.
bchadwick…I enjoy reading your short post just as much as your long post.
bchadwick is right on the money.
thanks, bchadwick. That’s encouraging. Anyone heard of vanderbilt MSF program? Is that a decent program or would it just be a waste of money or time? how is its reputation in recruiters or on wallstreet? thanks.
rong19: I plan to attend Vanderbilt’s MSF program as well (Class of 09). Did you go to Discover Weeekend? The career placement seems solid. Plenty of BBs interview. Recent grads have placed in buy side & sell side research, as well as corp fin and IB. I got the card of one dude who now works in sell side right there in Nashville. Supposedly, they’re a target school for Goldman IB. I imagine that they place well in the south, because Vanderbilt’s the top school down there.
I have a friend who got an MSF from this program and he dropped some pretty impressive names that were recruiting, but that was in May '07 at the tail end of the good times. He is now an analyst with in IB at a small shop in Birmingham, AL.
Joemontana: I have pretty much made my mind to attend too. So, we might be classmates next year.
I didn’t go to their discovery weekend. Did you? How was it? edmund-lord: thanks for the info.
I heard that if you were once a fund accountant no respected Wall Street firm will consider you. You were never one of those, were you rong19?
sickel2: I am still a student. No w/e so far. Is that worse than being fund accountant?
sickel2 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I heard that if you were once a fund accountant no > respected Wall Street firm will consider you. You > were never one of those, were you rong19? Where did you here that? IS that a fact? It sure sounds like a solitary opinion.