Kirill Kondrashin is a graduate of ICEF Bachelor's Programme of the class of 2004. He earned his master’s from Warwick Business School and is currently in charge of Russia & CIS Debt Capital Markets at J.P. Morgan (London). In this interview, Kirill shares what makes the fellowship of ICEF alumni a powerful community, how double-degree diplomas make their holders perfect candidates for jobs abroad, and what should be considered first when setting yourself up for a successful job interview.
How a double degree diploma makes its holder a preferred choice
Firstly, holders of internationally recognized diplomas have a greater chance of moving abroad and getting a job there, which I find to be a highly rewarding option in terms of experience and salary. They also have the option of studying for a master’s or PhD. I chose to do my master’s at Warwick Business School. Later, when you go on to work in the industry, your master’s degree and career experience are what the employers will be looking at first. For international companies, a diploma is an endorsement of its holder’s skills, adherence to global educational standards, language proficiency, and familiarity with the communication patterns adopted in the Russian and the British cultures.
The second most important thing for someone at the start of their international career is surely the language proficiency. Do your best to demonstrate your business English skills during the job interview. Once hired, fluent speakers experience less difficulty adjusting to their workplace environment and roles. I graduated from ICEF quite a long time ago and I can say, as an executive and interviewer, that candidates with advanced language skills make a far greater impression on me than those whose language of instruction was Russian and who may not for this reason be that fluent with terminology.
What essential skills can students expect from ICEF
At ICEF, undergraduate students are fully submerged into the international learning environment since their first year of studies. This environment operates its own specific teaching schemes and grading systems, designed to enhance writing skills, logical thinking, autonomy and sense of responsibility, among other things, that the whole idea of education at ICEF revolves around. ICEF gives everything it takes to get oneself integrated easily into a learning environment abroad, should one choose to relocate.
My child is currently studying at a school in London. I appreciate how strongly focused the local education is on instilling in learners thinking skills. While the Russian tradition of secondary education has its primary focus on problem-solving and getting the process right, the UK schools focus on cultivating the understanding of what the process results in and why it is needed. This enhances learner’s brain functions, leading also to a better ability to argue and analyze decisions. A learning paradigm as constructive as this leads also to a faster professional or academic advance.
Someone with the academic background from ICEF will know how to make the most of the best master’s studies
In the UK, master's programmes have a duration of just one year, whereas adaptation can take some international students whole six months. It is therefore important that they come prepared.
Why job experience at London banks is an asset
An internship in London does not have to be undertaken by everyone, without exception. But, once you are an international student, why not gain some work experience? One can always come back home, it’s relocation that’s the hardest. It is worth working in an international environment to gain insight into how things work in the largest financial or consulting companies. As a global financial hub, London is the perfect place for international immersion and observing the best business practices in action. It is London where the majority of investment banks, even those that hire in Moscow, seek internship opportunities for their employees. These opportunities come with greater experience, knowledge depth, professionalism, and hands-on skills than would have been gained locally, which I find to be very important at the start of a career.
I am currently in charge of debt capital markets at JP Morgan in Russia and CIS. I manage all the investment banking products for a number of major clients in Russia. How did my bachelor’s and master’s degrees qualify me for this job? The thing is that when you apply for an IB managerial position in the UK or elsewhere in Europe, an MBA degree isn’t a must, unlike in the United States where it’s a normal practice for someone with two years of experience in investment banking to do an MBA in order to upgrade to a management or leadership role.
How first-time job-seekers can handle the competition and win jobs
There is immense competition for jobs in IB. Competing for a position can be as many as one hundred applicants. The first thing we look at is diploma: it should be not lower than Upper Second Class, if it’s British degree classification. Previous internships, especially in IB, are always an asset meaning that the candidate knows what he or she is up for and is therefore less likely to make mistakes, which is seen by employers as beneficial.
It’s always appreciated if the candidate does his homework before the job interview. Be aware of the activities of the department you would like to get hired to. Lean about its future tasks and latest transactions by googling them, which, in the case of J.P. Morgan, can provide quite an exhaustive review. When I hear candidates say, “My dream job would be to build corporate financial models,” I can’t really believe them unless they provide concrete details.
How ICEF graduates’ power works
It doesn’t take long for someone with a background from ICEF to get settled at a new job abroad. Coupled with excellent proficiency in English, shared values and competency awareness, this background is what forms the basis for the fellowship of graduates of ICEF both in Russia and abroad.
Many of the ICEF graduates who’ve made it to senior management tend to hire candidates or interns of a like mind and knowledge background
Nearly all members of my department team are ICEF alumni. There is a fairly large community of graduates of ICEF and HSE here in London. Frequently, the students who leave for this place in the same year, even if they come from different faculties, continue to stay in touch. Their community is well-established at J.P. Morgan, and they are often a preferred choice by the department leaders as coming from the background that makes them a perfect match to the required skillset and ensures being on the same page.
How the pandemic has changed employment in IB
Banks have been affected by the pandemic only mildly. Work has become even more intense. The previous year was record-breaking for J.P. Morgan in terms of transactions as businesses needed more funding. At the same time, the new hire orientation process has proved a real challenge for our managers. While our senior staff seemed to have very little difficulty, if ever, moving online, for those who had just entered the workplace the whole thing was a real test. Integrating oneself into corporate culture, teamwork and communication is much harder when online – the issue we are discussing actively across departments, since the regulatory framework for online performance have not been finalized yet. Onboarding the newly hired employees remains one of the key personnel issues with us.
