Peter Scolley, president of MBS' Banking and Finance Club, says regaining the public's trust is the most important objective for the finance sector - and says there are less investment banking jobs.
Peter Scolley, president of Manchester Business School's Banking and Finance Club, began an MBA program to gain the experience that would allow him to move into senior roles.He explains that the number of MBA jobs in finance has declined over the last 10 years, specifically in investment banking. Peter suggests that instilling trust in the public should be the finance sector's main priority.
Why did you decide to begin an MBA degree?
I wanted to start an MBA to get a broader range of experience, and use the experience to move into senior roles. I chose to study at Manchester Business School because of the school’s excellent reputation, the internationally diverse intake, the practical nature of the course and the focus on group work.
What are your club's main aims this year?
There are three main objectives for the society this year:
To provide members with networking opportunities – we do this through two networking events in London each year, and other events at Manchester Business School.
To raise members' awareness of different employers and career paths – we do this through having alumni and current employers come in and speaking to the society.
To increase members' knowledge of financial services and the financial markets – we do this through a weekly group financial press discussion event, and an annual stock trading competition.
Where are the most exciting jobs in finance right now?
I think that it really depends on what is exciting to each individual, and within the society there is a large variety of roles that members are looking for. In financial services we have members looking for careers in investment banking, private banking, fund management, venture capital, private equity and insurance.
In non-financial services organisations there are also interesting finance roles, such as corporate finance and financial strategy. It is really about each person finding a role that fits what they want to do and fits their skills, and making sure they are working for a company that they find interesting.
Are the same numbers of MBAs still hoping to land jobs in investment banking as 10 years ago, or do you think interest in this sector has declined?
I spoke to our careers team about this. They mentioned there has been a small decline, in part because there are fewer jobs in investment banking now compared to ten years ago.
Do you think the average man in the street will ever understand the function and the value of anyone involved in the financial market?
I think that these are important, but these are not the main issues that the financial services sector should be concerned about.
At the current time the sector needs to work on regaining the public’s trust. This will take time to do but it is possible. Greater public understanding of the sector and higher levels of financial literacy will help achieve this.
Student Reviews
Alliance Manchester Business School
The course structure
The course is well structured and organised effectively. Every subject in the field of international business is covered in the course module. The lectures are of excellent quality and are simple to comprehend.
· The lecturers are also very knowledgeable about their subjects, quite thorough, and very helpful when it comes to answering questions and giving additional information on their subject.
· Students can easily access the assignment, lectures, and seminar content thanks to the blackboard technology. Students also benefit greatly from the reading materials that are posted on the blackboard.
Practical Business Experience
3 live consulting projects, Non-for-Profit consulting, Commercial Business Consulting and International Business Consulting projects within the programme, provide us with a great opportunity to exposure to the real business world.
Quality education and student support system
What I love about The University of Manchester is the fact that, alongside with the excellent education it provides, it also takes care of the well being of the students and supports them throughout the year.
Endless networking opportunities!
I would 100% recommend this university! Throughout my 4 years there I received endless guidance and support from the amazing staff; both professors and student support teams. A particular highlight was the insightful guest lectures, networking employability events and career meetings, these significantly helped in preparing me for my future career.
Fantastic University!
AMBS provides excellent teaching and outstanding facilities, both of which combine to make a great learning experience.
The teaching staff make sure we have plenty of resources to aid our learning, and always make sure we are making the most of our studies.
The business building itself is the most impressive on campus, and provides plenty of places in which we can work.
Great facilities and support
It is a great university that provides extra support for its students. The teachers are very helpful and willing to support you and the environment is just great. It offers good facilities, study spaces and workshops that can help in your experience as a student.
New building, innovative teaching methods
The staff is very well prepared and pays a lot of attention to the student. The building is new and full of updated facilities. Teachers propose intriguing learning methods and there are plenty of international students to learn from.
It's an amazing University!
I think that AMBS is among the most well rounded universities in the UK. The cultural diversity among the students as well as the faculty is what catches my attention the most. The campus is very new and beautiful and has all kinds of facilities.
Quality and QS World Ranking
AMBS has the diverse set of batch where the students get the opportunity to mingle with the students coming from different parts of the world. The group of faculty is also very diverse having different skill set. I'd always recommend it for studying masters in business analytics.
