On 22^nd March ’16, North South University Finance Club hosted a seminar on career opportunities in the financial sector, titled “Find Your Bearing”. Executives from various fields of the Financial Sector came to speak at the seminar regarding their occupations and how to integrate oneself and excel at that particular field. Four sessions were conducted with the speakers being:

1. Rehan Muhammad, 
   Head of Business, LankaBangla Securities Ltd.
2. Khan M. Saqiful Alam,
   Lecturer, NSU School of Business and Economics (NSU SBE)
3. Redwanul A. Hoque,
   Associate, Standard Chartered Bank
4. Sarker MD. Rezoan Hoque,
   Manager, Financial Control, 
   Robi Axiata Limited

The event commenced with opening statements from Chief Guest Prof. Atiqul Islam, Vice Chancellor of North South University and Session Chair, Dr. M. Mujibul Haque, Professon & Chair, Dept. of Accounting & Finance, North South University.

Session 1, conducted by Rehan Muhammad, was concerned with investment professions. Mr. Rehan spoke of his individual accomplishments in the investment field which he got involved in right after graduating from North South University. He spoke of his quick rise through the ranks of LankaBangla Securities from an intern to Assistant General Manager and Head of Business. Mr. Rehan advised the audience that along with academics, extracurricular activities also play a vital role throughout the corporate world. Self-confidence in public speaking and presentation skills is highly required when applying for a job. Along with this, he recommended the students to do CFA if they want to pursue their career in the financial sector. He also mentioned that staying up to date with the world economy is equally important

Session 2, conducted by Khan M. Saqiful Alam, was concerned with higher studies in finance. He discussed higher study opportunities for students and the best ways to prepare themselves for applying to higher study programs. He offered insight on how to overcome the dilemma of choosing between an MSc program and an MBA program, highlighting the differences between the two. Next, Mr. Saqiful Alam discussed the application process for different programs in both US and Canadian universities. A more quantitative background is required for universities in these countries, hence students should take more quantitative courses such as Applied Mathematics and Derivatives. He then moved on to explain the score requirements each program demands, indicating what GRE or GMAT scores would be helpful for a student and for what program. He also talked about professional certification such as CFA for financial analysts, ACCA for wishful auditors, CIMA that teaches strategic implications of financial decisions and FRM which deals with risk management. In conclusion, Mr. Saqiful Alam emphasized on networking by spending time outside and socializing which will help students to connect with professionals and boost their career.

Session 3, conducted by Redwanul A. Hoque, focused on commercial banking and its prospects. With 6 years of experience in banking sector under his belt and 3 years of working for “Goldman Sachs”, he was equipped with a bounty of knowledge for the audience. He talked about the importance of doing internships and starting them early. He also shared the experience of his 3 month summer internship at Goldman Sachs with the audience.  He emphasized that an internship is more than printing papers and one can stand out through quality of work. He gave tips for passing interviews with:

• A good resume
• A good CGPA.
• Good communication and/or speaking skills
• Acumen on maintaining relationships
• Alumni networks
• The ability to stand out

Mr. Redwan, associated with corporate banking, went on to talk about what it is, what sort of products it offers, and who their customers are. Also involved with financial market sales, he gave the audience a brief idea about how they work and how it is divided into three parts: trading, sales, and balance sheet management.

He concluded by providing a structure on how to get a job. Those included:

• Doing internships
• Knowing one’s path and knowing what work one wants to do
• Knowing something about your work by the end of day one
• Making the most out of an opportunity
• Avoiding settling, and looking for something better
• Building networks

Session 4, conducted by Sarker MD. Rezoan Hoque, centered around the ins and outs of corporate finance. Mr. Sarker talked about the roles of a financial manager in the corporate world. He mentioned that a financial manager must be equipped with basic knowledge of accounting and finance, and have good communication, leadership and negotiation skills, in order to succeed in MNCs. He then proceeded to educate the audience on the various finance related departments that different MNCs have depending on what sector they operate in. A few departments are the capital expenditure and operational expenditure department, revenue assurance department, and fund management department. After describing the elements of each of the departments, he concluded by advising the students on what sort of job they should pursue in what department. He said:

• If interested in fund management, one should opt for corporate finance.
• If interested in analytical work, one should opt for capital and operation expenditure department.

• If interested in revenue leakage, one should opt for the revenue assurance department.
• For the investment banking and fund management in corporate section, CFA is required.
• For the accounting department: CA/CIMA/ACCA is required.

Each session ended with a Q&A session where members from the audience asked the respected speakers an assortment of questions. Questions ranged from topic-specific questions to general questions.

The event ended at 4.30pm with closing statements from Prof. Dr. Emdadul Haq, Director of Student Affairs, North South University.