Revealed: Top 5 Cities for Graduates Seeking Finance Career

New York is the number one global destination for graduates who successfully complete the flagship graduate programme at one of the world’s largest independent financial advisory organisations.

On passing the intensive scheme, deVere Group routinely asks graduates in which location within the Group’s global network of more than 70 offices they would like to start their international financial services career.  This year, 34 per cent have responded with New York.

The second most popular is Dubai (23 per cent); Hong Kong is third (17 per cent); Sydney is fourth (13 per cent) and Abu Dhabi is fifth (7 per cent).

The remaining 6 per cent is made up of other destinations including Shanghai, Cape Town, Geneva, Paris, Barcelona and London.

deVere Group CEO and founder Nigel Green comments: “The order of the top five destinations changes with each group of grads we take on, but New York, Dubai, Hong Kong, Sydney and Abu Dhabi are typically in the top ten somewhere.

“This is because, quite understandably, these global hubs of finance and commerce represent centres of enormous possibilities for young, ambitious individuals about to embark on careers as international wealth-advisory professionals.

“There are some common traits amongst these cities, including that English is commonly spoken, they are politically and economically stable, there is a high level of internationally-minded high net worth individuals, and by relocating to these places one can usually expect comparatively high financial rewards.

“Whilst there are some shared themes, these destinations are also quite different from each other in terms of the lifestyle they offer and in terms of clients’ expectations, economic environments and regulatory conditions.

“With each of the top five destinations offering unique opportunities and challenges, each one attracts grads who have often quite markedly different strengths and weaknesses, skill sets and aspirations.”

He goes on to say: “The results of this survey suggest that the scope of our graduate programme is sufficiently broad yet detailed enough to highlight the various global opportunities.

“But more importantly, it suggests that the international financial services industry itself is able to appeal to a wide range of talented young people who seek a highly rewarding career.”

Talking about his organisation’s graduate programme, Mr Green states: “The 18 month deVere Group Graduate Programme’s training begins at our Malta administration and support office, and graduates are then given the choice to attend an international deVere Academy, before full-time relocation when they start work.

“Our recruits receive invaluable one-to-one support from our network of established advisers, trainers, and managers, as well as mentoring from senior deVere staff, to help them achieve their dream career.

“Whilst in training, graduates will be working with international high net worth clients, alongside some of our most successful consultants, to benefit from real, ‘hands-on’ experience.”

He adds: “deVere grads don’t just witness our high-energy, client-focused, values-driven culture – they’re an integral part of it.  They’re encouraged to share their own personalities, perspectives and experiences as we believe that this, together with our training and mentoring, will ultimately allow them to become better financial advisers and have more fulfilling careers.”

New York is the number one global destination for graduates who successfully complete the flagship graduate programme at one of the world’s largest independent financial advisory organisations.

On passing the intensive scheme, deVere Group routinely asks graduates in which location within the Group’s global network of more than 70 offices they would like to start their international financial services career.  This year, 34 per cent have responded with New York.

The second most popular is Dubai (23 per cent); Hong Kong is third (17 per cent); Sydney is fourth (13 per cent) and Abu Dhabi is fifth (7 per cent).

The remaining 6 per cent is made up of other destinations including Shanghai, Cape Town, Geneva, Paris, Barcelona and London.

deVere Group CEO and founder Nigel Green comments: “The order of the top five destinations changes with each group of grads we take on, but New York, Dubai, Hong Kong, Sydney and Abu Dhabi are typically in the top ten somewhere.

“This is because, quite understandably, these global hubs of finance and commerce represent centres of enormous possibilities for young, ambitious individuals about to embark on careers as international wealth-advisory professionals.

“There are some common traits amongst these cities, including that English is commonly spoken, they are politically and economically stable, there is a high level of internationally-minded high net worth individuals, and by relocating to these places one can usually expect comparatively high financial rewards.

“Whilst there are some shared themes, these destinations are also quite different from each other in terms of the lifestyle they offer and in terms of clients’ expectations, economic environments and regulatory conditions.

“With each of the top five destinations offering unique opportunities and challenges, each one attracts grads who have often quite markedly different strengths and weaknesses, skill sets and aspirations.”

He goes on to say: “The results of this survey suggest that the scope of our graduate programme is sufficiently broad yet detailed enough to highlight the various global opportunities.

“But more importantly, it suggests that the international financial services industry itself is able to appeal to a wide range of talented young people who seek a highly rewarding career.”

Talking about his organisation’s graduate programme, Mr Green states: “The 18 month deVere Group Graduate Programme’s training begins at our Malta administration and support office, and graduates are then given the choice to attend an international deVere Academy, before full-time relocation when they start work.

“Our recruits receive invaluable one-to-one support from our network of established advisers, trainers, and managers, as well as mentoring from senior deVere staff, to help them achieve their dream career.

“Whilst in training, graduates will be working with international high net worth clients, alongside some of our most successful consultants, to benefit from real, ‘hands-on’ experience.”

He adds: “deVere grads don’t just witness our high-energy, client-focused, values-driven culture – they’re an integral part of it.  They’re encouraged to share their own personalities, perspectives and experiences as we believe that this, together with our training and mentoring, will ultimately allow them to become better financial advisers and have more fulfilling careers.”