Educational Background in Investment and Financial Risk Management
Over the past decade, Information Technology (IT) has become an essential factor in the financial sector. This element promotes the emergence of innovations, which are essential in financial markets to help analysts to manage risks better. Investment tools such as Collateralized Debt Obligations (CDOs) help professionals to carry out analysis and make decisions quickly. In essence, the concept of investment involves calculated risks that depend on mathematical equations to help companies to make the right investment decision. However, these structured products often appear to be complicated, and if they are misused, they can lead to significant losses. I realize the importance and the need to master mathematical strategies and techniques in finance, so I chose to describe my educational background in this essay.
My educational background is in Investment and Financial Risk Management from the Cass Business School in Landon. During my undergraduate studies, I took courses in Financial Econometrics, Security Analysis, Portfolio Theory and Investment Valuation, Technical Analysis, Corporate Finance, Asset-Liability Management, and Financial Engineering and Equity Investment Management. Studying these courses has allowed me to apply financial calculations to various case-studies in organizations. More so, learning how to identify the cash flow and the break-even points of business have been at the core of my ability to comprehend financial reporting in creating a successful business. Furthermore, I am pursuing the Fundamentals of Python to enhance my computing and coding skills.
I began my career as a market analyst at Gedik Invest in Istanbul. While at the organization, I was able to apply my theoretical knowledge to prepare financial statements, gather data, and conduct reports. My second opportunity to work with a company was with Saxo Bank in Canary Wharf, Landon. During the time at the bank, I was not only responsible for communicating and assisting clients with requests, but also preparing research reports on trading CFD’s related to gold and helping in pipeline management for sales representatives. However, current trends suggest that financial analysis is becoming more technical with the ever-increasing reliance on instruments for effective hedging, which are backed by the theories of mathematical finance. Therefore, in the future, I see myself as a Finance professional who has the knowledge and skills to design structured financial products by incorporating tools to meet the needs of the financial industry. To achieve this, I would like to gain exposure to theoretical knowledge and latest practices adopted in Financial Mathematics.
In recent years, there has been tremendous progress in the field of financial mathematics. More focus has been towards risk management, new structured products, and augmentation of machines in the investment process. The Computational Finance Masters at University College London (UCL) stands out for me because the degree offers a practical approach to financial decisions and opportunities. Moreover, the course modules are dedicated to mathematical tools used in finance such as financial data and statistics, market modeling and analysis, numerical methods, and algorithms. Together with my educational background in Investment and Financial Risk Management, the course will equip me with quantitative methods and practical knowledge that are essential for my career development. In essence, it will help me to develop an advanced knowledge of computational methods in finance. I believe that my past working experience would be an added advantage, regarding classroom discussions by bringing practical examples in the banking industry.
