At the time of writing, I am at home watching my lecture through Zoom whilst working on an urgent client request. This example represents both my day-to-day business during COVID-19 and my studies here at Frankfurt School where theory and practice are combined within one.
Moving from The Netherlands to “Mainhattan“ to start my Master of Finance here might not have been a massive change in terms of culture and language, but it has been one in terms of opportunities. My decision for Frankfurt School was one built on (i) its academics, (ii) its reputation within the financial sector and (iii) its 3-day model. As I have lecture three days a week, I still have more than half of the week over where I find time to follow German courses, take part in the M&A initiative of FS Invest and work about 20 hours per week as a Private Equity Analyst at Gain.pro. I also have plenty of time to socialise with my new friends and yes, even then I find myself studying in the comfortable Frankfurt School library.
I am fortunate to work at Gain.pro (the “.” Is silent), a Private Equity FinTech platform. This platform blends human analysis and artificial intelligence to provide interesting investment opportunities for our clients. Here I gain (no pun intended) valuable skills useful for a career in M&A or Private Equity. I receive full flexibility in terms of my hours and working location. I primarily work during working days in our Frankfurt office, but I also occasionally work on the weekends. However, I also have the option to work in our Amsterdam or London office and even from home.
What I like most about my job here is the diversity of companies and niche industries I get to work on. Germany is known for its “hidden champions”, ranging from global leaders in metal wiring to gummy bears to franking machines. For each of those companies, I have to provide a well-built assessment used by our clients in their deal origination process. These assessments help me to pack on a broad base of business knowledge on top of the academic knowledge coming from my studies.
As I mentioned earlier, Frankfurt School has a lot to offer to students. Especially because Frankfurt School’s 3-day model provides an excellent opportunity to take on challenges on and off-campus and encourages combining theoretical teachings with practical application. I also recommend everyone to take advantage of the numerous networking events offered by Frankfurt School as well as our extremely helpful career services team.
In short, if you get the opportunity to become a working student, take the chance with both hands. The experience helps you understand what exactly interests you and what you would like to pursue in your future career. In case you have any questions about Frankfurt School or Gain.pro, do not hesitate to reach out. Thanks to Frankfurt School and the Master of Finance, I am confident about all the opportunities that lay ahead of me.