Like the title reads does anyone want to grab a beer post 9:30 or 10 i know it's a Monday but never met anyone from here and my other friends are busy so trying to see how it goes. If you are interested do lmk i don't mind any place tbh.
Hi everyone,
I’m from India, and I’m currently trying to break into Sales & Trading roles, preferably in the UK or EU. The US is mostly ruled out for me because of visa costs and sponsorship challenges, so I’m trying to understand how realistic the UK/EU path is for someone from my background.
I graduated in June 2025 with a degree in Information Science Engineering, so I come from a technical background rather than a finance one. During college, though, most of my experience was actually very people-facing. I was heavily involved in student leadership, served in the student governing body, and was also the committee head for one of our biggest college festivals with around 20k attendees.
A big part of that role involved raising sponsorships, cold calling companies, pitching ideas, managing teams, handling pressure, and basically making sure things got done. Looking back, I think that’s where I realized I genuinely enjoy fast-paced, high-pressure environments and roles that combine markets, people skills, and decision-making.
Professionally, I first interned as a Data Science Intern at a startup, but the role also had a market-facing/business side to it. I’m now about to start another internship at a wealth management firm as a Sales Intern because I wanted more direct exposure to clients, sales, and financial markets.
What really attracts me to S&T is the pace of the environment, the constant learning, the mix of analytical thinking and communication, and the fact that performance is measurable. I also like the idea of being in a role where you have to think quickly, build conviction, and interact with people constantly rather than sitting in purely back-end work.
The biggest challenge for me right now is honestly access. I don’t personally know anyone in the industry, and networking from India into the UK/EU finance space has been difficult because of geography and lack of connections.
So I wanted to ask:
How realistic is it for someone with my background to break into S&T in the UK/EU?
What would you focus on if you were in my position?
Are there specific firms, graduate programs, off-cycle internships, or pathways I should be looking at?
And if anyone here has made a similar transition from a non-traditional background, I’d genuinely love to hear your story.
Any advice would mean a lot. Thanks.
I've also added my resume so please tell me if I'm cooked