Sunday, May 30, 2010

Swiss Finance has provided me a better understanding of the finance industry.

It is a really great intensive program. The program brings people from all over the world who want to learn about finance. They come with different perspectives but with a common interest. You can’t beat it for networking. My ‘little black book’ is filled with people who are bright, ambitious and ready to take over the world of finance. These are exactly the people I want to and need to know.

Notes from the participant's academic and career journal at Swiss Finance:

My understanding of the finance industry is getting sharper every day. The terms I only knew the dictionary definition of yesterday, today I’m using in conversation and two days ago I hadn’t even heard of. That is how fast I’m learning here.

Ife

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

I have many interests, and college in I was able to explore and develop a range of skills.

Though I majored in Economics, I was able to study philosophy, psychology, and fine arts. While this undergraduate experience helped to shape me into a well-rounded person, my aspiration was to secure a job in the financial services arena, and for this, I felt that a specialized training program like Swiss Finance was a smart choice. I decided to attend Swiss Finance because it covered so many aspects of financial services, and judging by the amount of hours of instruction, it seemed to cover everything thoroughly.

How did Swiss Finance enhance your career skills?

I feel that the Swiss Finance experience polished the skills I already had, taught me new skills, and showed me the best way to present myself as a desirable job candidate. By the time I had completed the program, I had so many tangible skills and abilities immediately relevant to financial services. As a first time job seeker, I was able to speak confidently about my ability to do the work a practicing analyst does. Do you have any advice for people considering attending Swiss Finance? For people who may be intimidated by the pace of the program, and the amount of materials the modules cover, I would strongly advise them to attend. Just as in college or university, even if you do not master everything you encounter, you still walk away with much more knowledge than you started with. You will learn much more by challenging yourself and reaching to give something your all. Being around executives and other people with similar aspirations will likely make you realize how capable you are and how much you do understand. Surrounding yourself with experts like the Swiss Finance instructors places you in an environment designed entirely for learning.

Chioma

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

I really enjoyed attending Swiss Finance

and I just wanted to say thank you for teaching us about investment banking and asset management. The lessons I have learned from you regarding office composure as well as interview skills have been invaluable to me, and I will take them with me to the recruiting sessions this Fall and to my job in the future.

Notes from the participant's academic and career journal at Swiss Finance:
Today I learned more details about the capital structure of a company and the effects of leverage on costs of capital and required returns as well as firm value.

Gary

Monday, May 24, 2010

Having been out of college for two years

and not having had direct practical experience in the arena of finance, I was seeking training at the Swiss Finance Academy to help me develop and fine tune practical finance skills that would complement my undergraduate education. It also has an extremely international student body, which fit well with my desire for diversity.

How has Swiss Finance impacted your career?

The program at Swiss Finance was exactly the intensive program I was looking for in order to further my progress in my career. It has the perfect mixture of teamwork and individual development that I sought in a training program.

Aradhana

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

I seek to learn as much as possible and always challenge myself.

The Swiss Finance program appeared to be a productive way to dramatically improve my investment banking skills, and objective aligned with my professional aspirations.

How did the program equip you with skills for your career?

It was my wish to get into one of the most prestigious banks on Wall Street after college. There, I would be able to learn the most and the best about finance from the job so that I could thereafter decide where to go to further my education. Ultimately, I would like to return to Asia. Then, I could really bring the cutting-edge western banking concepts and expertise to Asia, and the Greater China region in particular, to help build one of the most prosperous financial markets in the world. The program helped me move toward these goals in several ways. Foremost, it introduced me to applied financial functions and procedures commonly used by analysts and associates. Not only did this give me an early look at what my future might be like, it also gave me a head start which allowed me to begin my job with greater ease. Secondly, the career preparation segments were a helpful introduction to Wall Street. By studying the instructors’ advice I prepared myself to showcase my abilities the best way. Finally, I feel that the training I received was more tailored to investment banking than an MBA program. I feel glad that I took advantage of the learning opportunity early in my career, rather than waiting for a more general perspective in business school.

Chen Zhou

Monday, May 17, 2010

I'm impresed with how well they calculated the work load, because it pushes us to get organized and make things happen.

I like the way the course is organized, step by step and little by little, the parallel between accounting world and I-banking world. Very smooth. I like the material covered, it's just awesome.

Notes from the participant's academic and career journal at Swiss Finance:

After lunch we played soccer, one of my favorite sports … and a great break from DCF modeling!

Billy

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

My career aim is to become an investment banker, and hence I was extremely excited to attend the prestigious Swiss Finance course.

I was confident that a rigorous course like this, combined with my university study would provide me with all the tools that one requires to be a successful investment banker.

How did Swiss Finance prepare you for your career?

Swiss Finance provided excellent preparation for a career as an investment banker. It instructs students on every aspect of the investment banking field. It covered trading and investing, wealth management, M&A, and forecasting and analytical skills. The program demanded a high level of commitment and dedication, just as one must apply to a career in investment banking. Full immersion in this mindset, led by current professional traders and investment bankers was wonderful training for a career. I have always known that I would enter a career in investment banking. This program accelerated the process, as I was able to learn practical tools before entering the work world. One can only learn so much in internships, and yet the curriculum enabled me to dive in to the interesting and substantive part of investing. Academically, I had been hoping that the program would help me in upcoming college courses in finance, accounting, and business. The Swiss Finance material actually went well beyond what was covered in my courses. After the program, when I encountered basic accounting principles in courses, I already knew how they could be applied in more advanced functions. As I have progressed through university courses, I continue to remember something that was said at the program, or a particular case study. What I learned at the program has become an academic touchstone of sorts. Favorite Hobbies: Competitive swimming, Theatre, Debate What qualities make you a great investment banker? Dedication and a commitment to learning all that I can help me to take every learning opportunity to continuously improve. What was the best part of the program? The whole experience was excellent. Spending the summer in Switzerland with intelligent people from around the world was certainly an enjoyable aspect the program. As a summer experience, I feel that the Swiss Finance program was comprehensive and interesting.

Abhijeet

Monday, May 10, 2010

The summer intensive program by Swiss Finance, School of Business, is one of the very few programs I selected to consider as my summer activity.

The more I read about the program, the more I became interested in it. The program quickly became my number one choice for the summer. I have a good deal of knowledge about many aspects of business, but I wanted to enhance my finance knowledge. I like problem-oriented learning and case studies, which are important aspects of the Swiss Finance teaching method. I also liked the intensive pace, and that it focuses on topics of finance, and not (only) from the academic point of view. Finally, the program seemed like an ideal setting to meet peers and potential co-workers.

How has Swiss Finance prepared you for chosen career?

During the program I got a more realistic picture of what investment banking is in practice and what it takes to work in the field. Intensive Swiss Finance program showed that I can work really long hours. After the program I have been more efficient. When I remember the hard work during the program, many things I have considered tough before do not seem as difficult anymore. The best part of the Swiss Finance experience was the experience as a whole: intensive studying through which I got many close friends. After a couple of weeks of the program I do not remember the tiredness anymore but all the good things I experienced during the program.

Aino-Mari

Thursday, May 6, 2010

I think the resume writing exercises and interview tips are really going to help me when it comes to starting my career.

That and the confidence to walk into a room prepared and certain that I am going to impress my audience.

Notes from the participant's academic and career journal at Swiss Finance:

What did we learn today? It may take me hours to write it all down! I learned about the interview process for an investment banking position, what the cost of capital is and how to calculate CAPM and WACC, how to perform an excel model valuation of an enterprise and project financial statements in excel, how to make sense of the ratios and use them to project future cash flows, how to tie the different financial statements together and how to perform a sensitivity analysis, just to mention a few. Sometimes I feel like my head won’t be able to keep it all in but then I talk to my friends here and we have become so at ease in our discussions that I know it is all coming together.

Amruta

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

From the moment I participated in my first finance and economics conversation, I was fascinated.

I became determined to learn the language of finance, and its complex grammar. Though I had completed my MBA, it was apparent to me that I needed further education to pursue my dream job. To land a job at top investment banks, one must be proficient in all areas of finance. At Swiss Finance I loved working on case studies and team presentations. Being compelled to use all the information we had just learned to complete a practical task was excellent practice for work, and a wonderful way to learn the material. I also enjoyed the opportunities to network with current and former investment bank executives.

Abhinav

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Unfortunately, it is well known that the knowledge that one acquires in a regular university is not always applicable to the working world.

In order to fully understand Wall Street, the financial City of London and the Swiss Banking industry and to reach my long-term goal in succeeding in the rough and competitive world of investment banking, I believed that I need to attend a program such as the one offered by Swiss Finance. It filled in the gaps and uncertainties that existed in my knowledge. More than any other program, Swiss Finance was able to deliver this. What attracted me the most is the program’s focus on applied skills, rather than on purely theoretical learning. Swiss Finance also gave me a perfect opportunity to network with investment bankers, who have already achieved my dream career, as well as to build relationships with some of the future business leaders.

Alexandra

Monday, May 3, 2010

My decision to attend Swiss Finance was critical.

My business is poised to greatly expand, and I plan to be actively involved in the financing process. I knew that taking Swiss Finance’s summer program would enable me to gain an indepth financial perspective of market opportunities and the essential financial know-how appropriate for growth strategy. Given that I did not have experience working in the finance industry, Swiss Finance’s curriculum, deal simulations, case studies, and team projects will be transformational in enabling me to understand the sophisticated modeling tools that evaluate the company’s financial health and to analyze my business from an investment banker’s perspective. Ultimately, I needed to understand the language and workings of finance, and I believed that Swiss Finance would empower me to do so.

Brian