London投行申请成功者们的经验及工资信息 [转]

London投行申请成功者们的经验及工资信息 [转]

SN, West LB Fixed Income Sales Analyst, London:

They are very dedicated. Harrison makes you do many things that you probably wouldn't have even thought about - I personally joined him and within six days I went through making a list of 25 achievements, 4 interviews (mock), one cold calling session, a charm coaching session and a case study session. After six days of being with them, I was offered a job! I had been trying unsuccessfully for so long...Anyway, I really felt positive after I joined Harrison Careers, they always made me feel wanted and able - I mean the amount of rejections that I had been through, I was really frustrated and might have given up after a while. HCS draws up an ABC Plan with you to start off, and literally gives you instructions on what to do and when to do it, they do everything with detail and make sure that you're ready for anything that you might be faced with. We had millions of mails flying between us. I didn't actually go through with everything that he had planned for me because I got offered a job well before that, but if you do then it's definitely worth the money you spend - that's my opinion. I mean the guy more or less guarantees a job offer, the only thing is that you have to prove that you are good enough - he doesn't take on every Tom, Dick and Harry onto his services. If he can see that you're capable then he'll take you on. He's got a track record - 100% success to date. If you're at university then this felt like a whole new module!!! In fact sometimes I worried that I wouldn't be able to cope - that's how good I thought he was.

TK, Operations Division, Goldman Sachs:

I have recently been offered a job as an Operations Analyst at Goldman Sachs. I will be working in Equity Derivatives. I have turned down offers with HSBC, and WestLB. I have also carried out an internship with HSBC and had an offer from ABN Amro which I have rejected. I also got to the final stage with Royal Bank of Scotland Operations, and then withdrew because I got my other offer from Goldman. None of this would have been possible if it wasn't for Peter and his team.

I will be totally honest with you on the service Peter and his team provide. The £3000 or whatever the fee is that I spent is the best money I have ever spent in my life, and probably will be in the future. It is expensive but I think that's an incentive to work hard at it and not mess up. Goldman Sachs have offered me £36k and West LB offered me £35k - not bad for a starting graduate huh?

I think the thing you need to understand is that Peter and his team are fantastic, but ultimately you have to do the work. That means three hours on each application form, contacting professionals, going to presentations, studying for the IAQ and keeping up with the finance world. It's extremely demanding - but the rewards are amazing. I started this not believing I would ever get a job with an investment bank, however today I sit on an offer from the biggest and best investment bank in the world. It is a lot of work, and can be a lot of pressure especially when you have coursework due in or exams fast approaching.

Peter's strategy does work; he dedicates a lot of time in ensuring you get the best coaching and guides you through every step of every recruitment process. At one point I was sending him 3 emails a day plus telephone calls and he still would reply and help me promptly and efficiently. Peter knows the business so well, he really understands not only from the company's point of view but also from the candidates.

I think the service is great! The team at Harrison Careers are also fantastic, really helpful! If I had to go back and spend the money again I wouldn't even think twice.

My advice is if you have the commitment, dedication, and the willingness to work hard at it then Harrison Careers is for you. However if you want them to do the work for you then this isn't the right option for you.

I hope that helps, and if you do have any other questions please do not hesitate to email me.

AR, UBS Equity Research Analyst, London:

I actually got Peters help for two different career paths: investment banking and corporate law: after seeking Peter's help, I landed internships at 5 law firms including Clifford chance (UK no.1 firm) and 1 investment bank ( Bank of America) . I did one of the law firm internships before starting at Bank of America.

Could I have achieved the same results without Harrison's assistance? Absolutely not: I could not have done this without Peter's help: I knew nothing about corporate law whatsoever and had never interviewed with a law firm before Peters help: my first interview ever with a law firm was with the number one firm and I got the offer. With investment banks: yes I had interviewed with them before but had never got an offer. Post Peter's help: I am now at Bank of America securities.

As I mentioned earlier - I knew nothing about law - had no law related work experience before, was not studying law and I still got 5 offers. Again with banking I had never worked in an investment bank before. Financial experience helps but is not necessary. Peter will let you know everything you need to know and provide you with all the relevant materials. Peter will tell you what to do and how to do it - you have to put the work in yourself.

There is not a formal client selection process as such but of course that is exactly what he is doing all the time. He needs to constantly assess you in order to get you there. He marks you out of 10 (I started off pretty low down the scale but can confidently say that I moved up quickly).

This is how it works: Once you sign on you will constantly be going through mock interviews with Peter and he gives you instant feedback. He teaches you everything about interviewing- how to answer every single question - he also interviews you on the phone just before an interview- any last minute questions or any queries you can call him on his mobile anytime- he also has a lot of information and contacts that he gives you - so for example if you have a equity research interview he will give you so much information that you could not have possibly got hold of- that gives you an advantage over other candidates. He teaches you how to use that information and convey it across in an interview perfectly.

For me I only worked with Peter but what he does do is put you into touch with other people who have got job offers in the area you are interested in and you speak with them and have mock interviews with them and they give you a score out of 10 too.

You do get technical training (you have to do it yourself: he provides you with materials) yes you have all the contacts and yes he provides you with BRILLIANT material to give you an edge over other candidates. Applications are not written for you, that you do yourself (although the materials he gives you are pretty helpful).

I am glad to say that Peter is a friend and mentor for life. He is there with you until you get a confirmed job ( however many months that may take) but the thing is , he is a great guy and (and due to the high level of personal and professional) service you get to know him well and I am sure he will always be there to help you afterwards

Do I think it is value for money? Of course it is: your first year analyst salary is £35000 - believe me it is one of the best investments I made in my life.

Peter is there for you anytime you need him and it is a personal service, that is informal yet professional, which is what makes it great.

If you have tried getting into an investment bank before and have been unsuccessful then this is definitely the best solution, if you have not tried to get into an investment bank before then believe me this is going to greatly enhance your chances of getting there. You should go for it....

HW, HSBC Investment Banking Division, London

I'm really grateful for Peter's help. I saw myself improving dramatically with Peter's notes covering every detail though the process, his wonderful team, specially tailored advice and the increasing motivations from each coaching feedback and Peter's emails/phone calls. They are incredibly organised and dedicated. I remember how Alison got coaching sessions organised within one day's notice and spoke to Peter for my final assessment when he was on holiday. It is absolutely worth more than what I paid for.

GB, Barclays Capital Emerging Market Fixed Income Trading, London

Before joining HCS I was a bit sceptic whether it would help me to get hired. It is because I would have to borrow the money to pay for the service. So the stake was big for me.

I made a decision to go for it and it was absolutely worth it, without exaggeration. It exceeded my expectations all the way through.

From the very start I was disadvantaged for the career of my choice: - studied at a non-target school from where, on average, you would not expect to get hired by a reputable employer, came from foreign country which necessitates employer to apply for work permit, although, I had credits as well. The biggest of them was my determination to reach my career goals.

With HCS, I have just made it. I really doubt if I ever would be recruited by top investment firm without Peter's service.

When joining HCS, you will be told to work harder than you would. And they really mean hard work. It requires total commitment.

Once you will learn the stuff Peter will give you and practice mock interviews during general coaching sessions, you will have a significant(statistically!) advantage than your peers who do not use his service. You will be fascinated to see how most candidates, including those from Oxbridge, have no idea about what qualities recruiters are looking for and what they want to hear/see from candidates they want to recruit. With HCS, you will be there in total control.

GO, CSFB Fixed Income Structured Products

Looking back a few years now I begin to realize that I would never have achieved what I have if it was not for Harrison Careers. Being an international student and with no relevant work experience, I would probably have still been one of many students who at the end of their final year begin to realize that working for an investment bank would not be such a bad idea after all.

From day one I got a large amount of information which enabled me to be ahead of everyone else when it came to interviewing. I was given the opportunity to attend a variety of different sessions, gone through extensive interview coaching with truly outstanding industry experts!

One has to realize though is that you have to be committed and really want it, no one would do anything for you, all the information along with the training provided and it is entirely up to you how you utilize it. I had a truly amazing experience and would not change a thing. Although it was a big commitment at the time- it is definitely money well spent. I worked with real professionals in their fields who provided an outstanding service and I would not hesitate to recommend them to anyone else

AP, Barclays Capital Credit Derivative Sales

Subscribing to HCS service has been without doubt one of the best decisions I have made in the past 10 years. I had previously interviewed with several other investment banks but was constantly told that I was just not "wide enough" or "deep enough" in my knowledge. I did not understand as I thought I had prepared well but now I have gone through HCS I know I was not prepared at all. HCS will train you to answer impressively 95% of the questions you will get asked in interviews and the remaining 5% you will be able to answer on the spot because you will have had so much training. HCS will teach you how to stand out above the crowd, as the competition is fierce. For me, I was confident I had all the elements but HCS were able to help me bring them out in a way that sounded impressive and relevant.

The cost? It's not cheap but, trust me, find the money. My sign-on bonus that I got as soon as I signed the contract with a major investment bank covered the HCS fees. A word of warning, if you do subscribe, have no illusions that you are going to have to work hard. Peter (who is fantastic) and his team will be there every step of the way with you but you are going to have to put in the effort and time as well. If working for a top investment bank/consultancy firm is really, really what you want, then without doubt, you need to subscribe to this service to maximise your chances.

To finish off, here are some figures, I got invited to 13 investment banks for 1st round interview and of the 7 I attended I got invited to all 7 final rounds. I got an offer early on from the bank and desk I wanted to work for and I then had the task of cancelling interviews with 12 investment banks. I never would have got this far without HCS and without doubt if I had continued I am more than confident I could have obtained several other offers with the help of HCS.

PJ, Lehman Brothers, Equity Capital Markets Analyst, London:

First let me say that I can absolutely recommend Peter and his staff. I tried applying through standard channels and achieved a few interviews but failed to convert any of them.
After signing on with Peter, following his advice, making use of practice interviews and leveraging the expertise of the interviewers, I converted the 5 of the 7 subsequent interviews into offers. He is a great boss and you will learn a lot from him. If anything ever goes wrong, tell him first and he will protect you. The service was outstanding. Patient, bespoke, and direct.

SS, JP Morgan Finance Division, London:

I will be to the point and honest. In short, Peter is a great guy and someone I cannot thank enough. I have numerous interviews at Unilever, Accenture, PA Consulting, Barclays, etc, etc...I did mess them all up as I was faltering at the interview stages. The problem for me was not getting the interview, but passing them. Hence I enlisted the services of Peter.

Well, what he did was prepare me for my interview here. He would ask me questions, listen to my reply and then critique it which is precisely what I needed as it showed me where I am going wrong and more importantly, ways to improve. If nothing else, his help gave me a lot of confidence which I think shows when you attend interviews. I think this helped as well. He is a fountain of knowledge and gives great advice...the key to his success is he does not tell you what you want to hear, he gives you solid advice. Then it is up to you how you wish to follow. Don't believe for a second he will do all the work for you...you will have to practice, do the research, what he will do is show you the best practical way of achieving your goal.

In terms of the fee, he asked me if I thought it was a lot, I said honestly, NO... if you compare the fee you pay to your earning potential once you are in a blue chip such as JP Morgan, then it is nothing in my opinion. I was prepared to pay a lot more. I was happy it was not that much.

ZD, Goldman Sachs Equity Capital Markets, Hong Kong:

First of all, you won't be guaranteed a job, but I assure you if you work hard and follow Peter's very single advice, you will have many offers from all the top banks, accounting and consulting firms. Secondly, he will help you with soliciting professionals at the banks and help you to prepare professional emails and train you how to cold call professionals - this will get you the initial stage - interviews. Then he will have people have worked in the banks/accounting/consulting firm to coach you how to pass the interviews and get a full time offer. There are also other services. i.e. group exercises, case study, one to one interviews - all of this can help you to maximise your chances of getting hired.

I have been with Peter 6 months, and I have seen the most incredible improvement about myself - now I am interviewing with DB, CSFB, GS, MS, and JP Morgan. It is also something you learn that can benefit throughout your professional life (not just a dream job offer!!). You will be amazed how much you are ahead of your peers. Trust me it is worth it!!

SR, HSBC Equities Trading, London:

Please pass on my heart felt gratitude to all those good fellows who volunteered to tutor me for this interview, it was all worth it. And again, my heart felt gratitude especially to you for putting up with my tantrums and for suggesting I follow up this lead in the first place. It goes without saying that I cannot be grateful enough.

MS, HSBC Investment Banking Division, London

I really want to say how much I appreciate your kind help and thoughtful advice. I can't imagine how hard life would have been without your help over the past year. What I learned from you will influence my whole life! Thank you so much!

PS, UBS Investment Banking Division, London

Over the summer I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to experience working in IBD at UBS. Harrison Careers Service was really instrumental in helping me to achieve this goal through various interview coaching and a range of other practice sessions they run. Of course the idea is to always get a job offer from an internship and HCS was always there throughout the summer to answer any critical questions I had.

My experience of working at UBS was extremely fulfilling and one which I look back on very fondly indeed. There is such a steep learning curve in IBD that even by week six I was undertaking all the tasks that a full time first year analyst would carry out. The level of responsibility that all the interns were expected to take on was extremely surprising, however it really spurred us on to achieve a lot. UBS really did push us to our limits and I for one was somewhat surprised at how much more I could achieve than I had first anticipated.

IBD is a really great place to work as it has a true meritocratic culture and hence if we made the most of our summer the rewards we got in return were great. I loved the exposure I got to some of the top levels of finance decision making and the chance to meet some truly great business minds. I am really excited to be going back to UBS next year, and encourage as many people as possible to apply to IBD.

OS, Citigroup Investment Banking Division

My overall experience with Harrison Careers Service is that it is a tough but fantastic and fulfilling way to land a role with any top professional services company out there. With the help of Harrison Career Service you feel empowered to go out there and really shine so that you impress your potential employer.

Having said this I think my first surprise with Harrison Career Services was the amount of work and preparation needed to get up to speed with what is needed to succeed. Make no mistake about this, if you are serious about using Harrison Careers Service then you better be ready to work hard - very hard. Also you must follow all the materials and advice given to you. You can not afford to cut corners. You need to take the time and spend the hours needed. In the end this is the best way for you to get the results you want. You must be totally committed.

I think the service also provides a great opportunity to meet people once in your position but have now landed their own roles with top firms. I found these people were a great source of information to let me know what the interview process might be like. In many cases their interview experience was still fresh in their mind. And the advice of such people was priceless for me. It is only through Harrison Careers Services that you will be able to meet such people whose sole purpose is to help you succeed. You can perhaps meet similar people at company presentations, but this is already a stressful situation because at the back of your mind you want to impress them. So Harrison Careers Services is the best alternative out there.

Generally I think Harrison Career Service is a unique and fantastic service for anyone serious about landing a role with a top professional services institution. It will literally cut months, if not years, off your time trying to land a lucrative role by yourself. And even if you could do it on your own, the service just gives you a great chance to know some very smart and enlightened people, people who could end up being your future colleagues or just good friends. This alone makes it worth it!


VT, Weil Gotshal

Just to let you know that I've been offered a training contract with Weil Gotshal this morning, which is great news. I haven't made any concrete decisions as to whether I will take it or not, but it's great to have one in the bag with Clifford Chance and Slaughter and May coming up.

Needless to say, I'm sure I wouldn't have been offered the job without the coaching of Harrison Careers.

BH, Barclays Capital Equity Derivatives Trading

I first contacted Peter in 2003, but was unsure of paying the joining fee as I thought I could do it myself (One of the worst decisions I made at Uni, looking back at my applications they were terrible). After failing to land an internship in 2004, or a job in 2005, things were looking bad, bearing in mind I had made close to over 75 applications in those two years for internships, placements and Full time positions. I had the motivation, drive and skills to succeed, but I could never get past the application stage. In the summer of 2005 I finally took the plunge and decided to get the coaching. I thought of it as a leveraged buy out, I borrowed £2500 on my credit card and used my savings to pay for the fees, hoping that Peter's 100% track record would work and the process would pay dividends in the end.
At first I knew it would be hard work but I didn't know it would take so much effort! Luckily I had finished my degree therefore I could spend all my time on it. I went to all the Presentations, emailed as many professionals I could, and generally followed the advice Peter gave me. The result was 3 interviews with BarCap, UBS and DresdnerKW all for Trading. I haven't been rejected yet by the other banks and a full time offer from BarCap is a very satisfying result! But I must stress it does take A LOT OF WORK, but if you put in the work then IT IS A HUGE SUCCESS! If you're like me, and I know a lot of people at Uni who are/were and if you're struggling to get passed the application stage this service is the perfect remedy, and they do a hell of a job with the interview coaching! I especially was impressed by having my interview coaching for BarCap with people who had job offers from there previously!

SN, Management Consultant, SMT Consulting:

I think he's really good and worth the amount of money I spent. I think what Harrison Careers says about your future salary speaks for itself about the money you invest now. I mean if you're going into Investment Banking - you'll be earning like £30K+ that's just the first year, the second year is like £45k+ if I'm not wrong.

I saw it as an investment, and I was rewarded with a job offer at the end of it...so for me it was worth the money I invested. I must admit that I wasn't too happy to realise that I needed help with interviews etc, but I'm glad I did because I learnt so much more than I expected and now he's always going to be there for me throughout my career, I can get in touch and ask him for advice - he's very helpful.

TK, Deutsche Bank Corporate Finance

The notes that I received for my division were extremely informative and Peter was very helpful in vetting additional questions that I anticipated would emerge for my interviews.
Assessment training was well-conducted and it focused mainly on the group discussion segment.

Overall comment on the HCS service: professional, proficient and holistic in their approach to helping clients achieve their dream jobs!


YY, Deutsche Bank Global Markets Trading

My interview skills and confidence level when speaking has really, really improved a lot. I have been able to structure my answers better, and give very confident and well thought answers throughout my interviews, even to those questions which have been designed to throw me off my feet!

Most of the coaches have also been very, very helpful in terms of market specific knowledge and general competency questions. They're really, really genuine in terms of wanting to help people, as it really shows through their dedication through the coaching sessions.

Peter has also been a great mentor! He has always answered personally every single email that I sent (even those with dumb questions), and his advice was really invaluable in helping me nail the job!

XV, KPMG Assurance

My experiences with Harrison Careers have been excellent. I really found the technical notes for specific sectors very useful. Cold calling and emailing have also improved my ability to present myself through verbal and email correspondents. Coaching sessions have also been very beneficial. Most of the coaches were extremely helpful and patient.

WK, HSBC Investment Banking Division

First and foremost, I feel that HCS provides advice that is definitely value for money. The fees are just a small proportion of the money we will get when we land our dream job offer! The coaches are very professional and have a lot of experience, and they give fantastic advice on how we can improve our interview answers. Of course, Peter's notes are very comprehensive and it gives us a lot of competitive advantage over others!

LK, Morgan Stanley Investment Banking Division

I really enjoyed working with the people at HCS including Peter, Alison, Ria and Nina. You were all extremely friendly and made everything so easy, in terms of coordinating coaching sessions and getting the notes to me on time. I would strongly recommend this service to your future clients as I felt I benefited so much from it. To many people, the cost is a big concern and understandably so. Even for me, I had to think about it a lot before deciding to join and I got a lot of criticism from my friends because they thought I was just being stupid wasting my money. But I feel that every cent was worth it because it got me my dream job, what I've always wanted but never knew I could be capable of achieving.

The team had all the information I needed and Peter was always there to answer any questions I had. I never would have done it on my own without all the advice from Peter. Even the coaches were extremely helpful and gave me ideas and suggestions on ways I could improve my interview answers in addition to Peter's suggestions. I gained a lot from the group sessions with James as well, and the charm coaching with Adrian. There were many things I thought were common sense or questions I thought I knew how to answer the best way possible, but having all the coaching and training brought to my attention many things I thought I knew but didn't!

XY, Rabobank

I am terribly sorry that I didn't send you an email earlier!! I have been busy preparing for my CFA exam in early December and coping with my work. So far, my life in Rabobank is quite good. Altogether, the London branch has 900 staff, but only 10 professionals in M&A team. I have been given more responsibilities and more client exposure. The environment of the bank is quite different from an American bank, I guess. It's quite relaxed and less aggressive, but more politics!!! But so far, I am doing quite well.

Anyway, thanks to you, I am having a much better life (and much more money) now and I am much more clear on what I want to do in the future. Thank you very, very much! You have been very helpful for me, not only on locating me a good job but also on helping me get through the most difficult time!!! Again, thank you very much! And I sincerely hope that you can get more and more clients, because YOU ARE REALLY AMAZING! I know you will be of great help to them, just like you are to me!

My work email is [e-mail]. But you can still contact me with this email address (I heard that our computer system in Rabobank are monitored!).

Last but not least, I hope you have a very merry X'mas and enjoy your holidays!

SB, West LB Leveraged Finance

I was quite apprehensive on the fees charged by Peter but it was definitely worth it. I quite liked the manual sent off by Peter, which covered typical questions, motivation and other standard typical questions. I thought I was pretty good at interviewing myself but the coaches were quite a boost, catching some of my typical mistakes straight off. I think I ask loads of questions usually, so was emailing Peter and team - thanks on help and patience! Lots of ups and downs on the way. Different banks run different styles of assessments and it can be quite useful to have some knowledge and check your strengths and weaknesses. It is especially beneficial if the coach has had previous experience of interviewing at same bank. Glad to have the role I coveted, studying for my exams and planning next holiday....!

KP, Morgan Stanley Operations

Thank you very much for your fantastic and encouraging support and guidance! Joining HCS was the best decision of my life. Thanks again!

BD, Morgan Stanley Technology

For me the most useful part of the coaching was the group training session I attended on 19/11/05. I knew from previous assessment centre feedback that this was an area I needed to improve on and I think that through simulating real sessions I was able to improve my performance on the day. I think that putting a group training session into practice made a huge difference, compared to say just reading over the handouts because it really tests whether you can apply what you've read to the problem the group is faced with. Big thumbs up! I also think that Peter's handouts were really useful - a common theme that I found it teaches you is about behaviour on the day (how to come across to the assessors), which I think gives an edge over candidate peers.

TK, Goldman Sachs Operations

Let me start of with a bit of my history... I came from a very average background - I went to a comprehensive state school - I got 4 A's 2 B's and11 C's for my GCSE's. I went on to do my A levels and obtained ABD (20 UCAS points - the minimum requirement is 22 now mine may seem close but when you apply online 22 points means 22 and you get automatically rejected if you have anything less). I went on to do Business Studies at Westminster and Graduated with a 2:1. The only work experience I had was retail based and one HR work placement.

I now work for one of the best investment banks in the industry starting on a normal grad salary of £36k six months ago - since then I have received a substantial pay increase and a nice bonus (this is of course performance related).

I never believed I would ever get the job that I am in at the moment - but Peter and Alison said to me from day one that I would and they really believed in me and my capabilities. In my opinion Peter and Alison are not going to take on students who they think are incapable as this is going to ruin there 100% success level. I have a lot to thank these guys for - every time I would walk out of an interview Peter or one of his team would be on the phone to see how it went - they genuinely care about you as a person and about your career.

With the help of Peter and his team I had 3 internship offers with UBS, HSBC, and ABN Amro, I secured graduate offers with Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, HSBC and WestLB. I then turned down a final round interview with RBS.

I have to be honest and say you have a lot of work to do - there is a lot of networking, research, and applications that you need to do. This gets extremely intense when you have coursework/exam pressures - trust me. You have to be self motivated to do everything that needs to be done.

I look back on the money I spent today and can honestly say it was the best money that I have ever spent - I can't believe I even thought twice about it and trust me if you join up with these guys you will in 6 months time be thinking the same thing.

Peter is the best person to advise on whether to do a Masters - I went with his advice and he got me where I am today.

Please please please make sure you do loads of research on the role you want to do, speak to Peter, people in the industry, or Google searches. It's important that you try to pick a job you will enjoy as the hours are long, the work is intense but all of this doesn't matter if your doing something you enjoy.


HS, Ernst & Young Corporate Tax

I feel that the service offered by Harrison is personalised and highly effective! I learnt a great deal in group session and interview coachings. It was so much fun in preparing for the interviews when you know what to target. And Peter, Alison and coaches have all been so supportive and dedicated, it kept me motivated all the time.

KP, Credit Suisse Operations

I would like to be absolutely honest and to the point. Peter and his team are fantastic, simply incredible! The best thing about the entire endeavour is the fact that Peter doesn't get you a job, he shows you the way, what you end up with completely depends on how much and how little hard work you put in. I followed the entire process i.e from cold calling the professionals within IBs which got me to spend some time at some of the top IBs during the summer, to the assessment round tips. I was coached by some of the best coaches who, by the way, themselves work in some of the most distinguished IBs and thoroughly understand what is expected of the candidates. And of course if you have any questions you have Peter to help you out with it. He is very friendly and a fantastic guy who would always reply to all my emails and make sure that am completely satisfied with the his answers, he was incredibly supportive throughout the period.

I had applied to limited number of firms, as I was keen on getting back to Lehman Brothers where I had spent my summers, and got through the assessment rounds of Morgan Stanley and Credit Suisse, but honestly speaking it's not just about getting a lucrative offer from a dream firm, what Peter and his team really does is prepare you to embrace new set of challenges and set yourself higher goals ahead in your life with supreme confidence. To sum it all up, I must say it was a wonderful experience!

AJ, KPMG Assurance

Regarding HCS service, I have been a client of Peter's before and I absolutely love the one to one coaching service I received. I went through some rough times at the beginning having no knowledge of the finance sector and now trying to come across as a convincing candidate wanting to switch careers. I believe that with the help of the HCS coaches and your and Peter's, I was able to achieve all the above. Personally, I find the service to be very good and up to my expectations.

TK, Top 3 Investment Bank

Let me start of with a bit of my history... I came from a very average background - I went to a comprehensive state school - I got 4 A's, 2 B's and 11 C's for my GCSE's. I went on to do my A levels and obtained ABD (20 UCAS points - the minimum requirement is 22 now mine may seem close but when you apply online 22 points means 22 and you get automatically rejected if you have anything less). I went on to do Business Studies at Westminster and graduated with a 2:1. The only work experience I had was retail based and one HR work placement.

I now work for one of the best investment banks in the industry starting on a normal grad salary of £36k eight months ago - since then I have received a substantial pay increase and a nice bonus (this is of course performance related).

I never believed I would ever get the job that I am in at the moment - but Peter and Alison said to me from day one that I would and they really believed in me and my capabilities. In my opinion Peter and Alison are not going to take on students who they think are incapable as this is going to ruin their 100% success level. I have a lot to thank these guys for - every time I would walk out of an interview Peter or one of his team would be on the phone to see how it went - they genuinely care about you as a person and about your career.

With the help of Peter and his team I had 3 internship offers with UBS, HSBC, and ABN Amro, I secured graduate offers with Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, HSBC and WestLB. I then turned down a final round interview with RBS.

I have to be honest and say you have a lot of work to do - there is a lot of networking, research, and applications that you need to do. This gets extremely intense when you have coursework/exam pressures - trust me. You have to be self motivated to do everything that needs to be done.

I look back on the money I spent today and can honestly say it was the best money that I have ever spent - I can't believe I even thought twice about it and trust me if you join up with these guys you will in 6 months time be thinking the same thing.

Please please please make sure you do loads of research on the role you want to do, speak to Peter, people in the industry, or google searches. It's important that you try to pick a job you will enjoy as the hours are long, the work is intense but all of this doesn't matter if you're doing something you enjoy.