Chiemeka Okeke

About you

What work experience/internships did you have before beginning with Imperial Business School?

Prior to beginning with Imperial Business School, I worked with the Deal Advisory team at KPMG in Nigeria advising companies on investment decisions across Africa with specific focus on Nigeria. I also interned with other finance houses in Lagos, Nigeria gaining invaluable experience working on transactions and honing my skills in finance.

Why did you decide to study MSc Finance & Accounting at Imperial Business School?

I chose the MSc Finance and Accounting programme at the Business School for three main reasons. Firstly, because of the exceptional academic rigour offered by the Business School’s faculty. Secondly, because the programme offers a practical approach to finance, providing an opportunity to advance my financial and professional skills. Finally, studying in London gives me a unique platform to gain international exposure, expand my network and be a part of one of the most respected universities in the world.

Programme

What aspects of the programme do you most enjoy the most?

I enjoy being able to exchange ideas on coursework and learning with the pool of brilliant students that I study with. I also enjoy the enthusiasm from lecturers who are always eager to explain every detail of the subject matter and bring practical examples when explaining theories. The lecturers also put in extra hours where they answer questions and clear up any confusion students may have with the module content.

Which has been your favourite module so far and why?

My favourite module has to be Private Equity and Venture Capital. This is largely because it is very hands-on and covers a part of finance that is very resilient and important to Africa’s development, having seen significant growth over the years. Beyond this, we have weekly guest speaker series where professionals share valuable insights about the financial sector, bringing real life perspective to the key learnings of the class.

What has been the most rewarding part of the programme?

The most rewarding part of the programme is the fact that I have developed skillsets that will be relevant to my career in the long term. I have found it especially useful taking on case studies and building financial models to help inform decisions related to these case studies. Overall, the programme is helping my career and professional growth as it holds me accountable for my learning objectives and requires me to measure my growth from each task.

"Overall, the programme is helping my career and professional growth as it holds me accountable for my learning objectives and requires me to measure my growth from each task."

What has been the most challenging part of the programme?

The most challenging part of the programme is having to balance all tasks and their respective deadlines together with extracurriculars and job-hunting. Also, I had to self-isolate longer than normal after arriving in London which wasn’t the best of experiences.

Opportunities

What has been the greatest opportunity you have had at Imperial?

The greatest opportunity I have had at Imperial is the chance to be a co-host on the Imperial College Africa Business Club podcast where I get to interview professionals on their thoughts on the private equity, fintech and venture capitalist spaces in Africa. It has helped me to grow my network, actively develop my speaking skills and helped me learn about investments generally.

How have you benefited from the Business School’s connection to the Imperial College London community?

The connection of the Business School to the other faculties of Imperial College London has been beneficial as it has provided me with mentors outside of the School. Beyond this, interacting with PhD students and even undergraduates I have met from the College has given me an opportunity to expand my network outside of finance and investing.

Career

What are your future career goals and how have they been realised since being at Imperial?

I look forward to building a career in the investment and capital markets space where I can continue building my skillset and potentially take on more responsibilities. This has been realised since joining Imperial through networking with alumni, attending seminars, career club events and other affiliations.

How did the services from Careers help you secure employment/in your professional development?

Careers has been really helpful with providing guidance around bringing my CV and cover letters up to standard by giving feedback on content and structure. They have also helped with providing compulsory training, networking and career events where we have had professionals speak to us about opportunities at their firms. I also had interview preparation sessions with seasoned trainers and made use of the AI-powered video assessment preparatory tools. This has helped me better understand the dos and don’ts of pre-recorded interviews that have now become rampant following the pandemic.

London Location

Do you think studying in a central location such as London is beneficial for networking and career opportunities?

London is one of the most diverse and welcoming cities in the world. Studying in London gives you a never-ending list of networking opportunities and career events as London boasts some of the globe’s largest investment banks, asset management and venture capital firms. The fact that it is the headquarters for most technology and financial companies is immense and very few places in the world can match this. There are also are plentiful opportunities for students to reach out to or network with these companies to secure internships or full-time offers.

Tips

Looking back to when you were applying for the programme, did you attend any online webinars or on-campus information sessions?

I had the privilege to interact with students already in the Business School and attended a couple of online webinars which helped me clearly understand the entry requirements and how to go about meeting them. I do recommend that prospective students attend these events as they were quite useful in answering some of the practical questions I had at that time and building my expectations for the programme.

What advice would you give someone who is thinking about applying for the programme?

Do your research and get as much information as you can about the programme. The website, scheduled events, chats with alumni and communication with the programme managers are all very helpful to inform your decision. Reassess your motivation to pursue the programme you are applying to and clearly communicate how it will help you achieve your career goals post-graduation.