Can I get a job in investment banking, private equity, or consulting after the oxford MFin?

Question

Divakshi Arora · Accepted Answer

A lot of people assume Oxford&rsquo;s name guarantees top finance jobs &mdash; it doesn&rsquo;t. Especially not in IB, PE, or consulting, where competition is stacked.
&bull; IB roles in London usually go to people with prior experience &mdash; summer analyst stints, off-cycle internships, or CFA + strong GMAT &bull; PE is even tougher &mdash; very few firms hire directly post-MFin unless you&rsquo;ve done IB before &bull; Consulting is slightly more open &mdash; MFin grads have made it to Bain, Roland Berger, and Big 4 Strategy, but pre-MFin CV still matters &bull; Networking is key &mdash; a lot of roles aren&rsquo;t even listed, and cold outreach is common practice &bull; OCR (on-campus recruiting) exists but is heavily filtered &mdash; not all roles are open to non-EU citizens
If the goal is IB or PE, prep needs to start early &mdash; case prep, technicals, and networking before even arriving on campus. The MFin gives access, but not shortcuts.

V Gupta · Answer

Yes , Oxford MFin can lead to roles in investment banking, PE, or consulting, but not automatically. Most IB/PE recruiters look for prior finance experience. MFin helps if you already have a solid base (like pre-MFin internships in IB, VC, or Big 4 TS), and a GMAT of 700+.
London offices of firms like Goldman, Lazard, Bain, and McKinsey do recruit MFin grads, but you&rsquo;re competing with MFE, MBA, and even undergrads for similar roles. The brand helps get interviews, but the hiring process is case-based, technical, and fast-paced &mdash; not designed for first-timers.
Post-MFin placement in PE is rare unless you&rsquo;re coming from IB or have regional PE internships. Consulting is more realistic if you show strong problem-solving skills and have structured work experience.
You need to build your profile before joining. The MFin gives access &mdash; but doesn&rsquo;t carry you to the offer.