Larissa Lüchinger
- Nationality: Swiss
- MSc course: MSc Banking and International Finance
- Graduation year: 2022
Why did you choose to study MSc Banking and International Finance at Bayes Business School?
I worked for two years as a financial services consultant after I have finished my bachelors in Science and Innovation management and MBA digital business. Working for banks, I realised that I wanted to work in the bank. For this, I knew I wanted to go to London for my masters and I wanted to study a combination of both banking and finance.
The location and the close relationships with the City of London was a key factor in choosing to study at Bayes. The variety of modules that were offered all sounded interesting and relevant for me and the possibility to choose from a wide range of elective in the second term was also attractive.
I liked how at Bayes, teachers where ex-employees at banks, and really took their time during and after lectures to explain to us how it will be in the real world.
What were your highlights from the programme?
Having access to Bloomberg was a really great resource and when I attended interviews, companies were really impressed that I’d had experience with the software.
Worshipful company of int. bankers- great way for me to meet people working in banks already. It started with a informal drinks gathering in the City, where we met some members and got the info we could sign up. After signing up, there were a lot of socials like Christmas drinks. Additionally, there was a banquet where at least 300 people working in the industry were present. à only little
Guest lectures- loved to get the inside of someone working in the industry right now. For example, for M&A our teachers invited someone who worked on the case which we were studying. Not only interesting but also helps on the exam, as you can remember it more easily.
I really enjoyed attending the talks, seminars and networking events that were put on by the School. They helped to guide and define for me what I wanted and did not want out of a job. This beneficial in shaping the direction I wanted to take my career.
The master’s in International Finance and Banking at Bayes showed me what a bank is like, how many sides these institutions have, and how they have developed immensely in the past few years.
It also really helped to show me that I love markets and I wanted to work on the trading floor.
Can you tell us a bit about your current role at UBS?
I am working in electronic Foreign exchange (FX) sales. In FX, trading is highly automated and almost everything is done electronically. At UBS, we offer a single dealer platform (only our prices) and a multi-dealer platform. The eSales team are mainly focused on selling these platforms to the clients, helping with the onboarding and looking at the analytics.
The easiest way to explain it is that it’s modern and new way of sales. We need to uphold and build relationships (traditional sales) to see what the client wants, but at the same time, we need to understand the (IT) processes going on for trades and perform a lot of data analytics to see where we can improve pricing to make more money.
What advice would you have for students considering MSc Banking and International Finance?
Study hard, but don’t miss out on the opportunities that Bayes and London has to offer. From networking opportunities, enjoying London and the City, going for coffees to applying for jobs, you will have the chance to meet new people and will make important connections with the finance industry. These aspects of the course will help to give you a better understanding of the working world.
Whilst studying, I played hockey- which meant a lot of time spent at training, games and socials. I met a lot of people who worked for a bank or knew someone working for a bank. Especially in the social setting I got so many good insights from the people that I met. I still got my degree – so you should try not to stress too much. Also, you will work the crazy hours after your study, so it is your last year to enjoy some freedom.
