Case Study: From Btec to Morgan Stanley S&T Placement Year

hassan2990
Sep 8
1 min read

Updated: Oct 7

At a Glance

100% CV‑pass (Narrative Engineering); 3 evenings of self‑study (free content); <5% acceptance odds beaten; Frameworks: Narrative‑Engineering, Stakeholder‑Mapping, Macro‑Pitch
Placement stipend five‑figure; graduate fast‑track potential

Before

No A‑levels, modest GCSEs; BTEC → foundation year → Warwick transfer from Birmingham City University; zero finance network.

After

2025 Morgan Stanley Sales & Trading Placement year; LinkedIn announcement 100+ likes.

Problem

Vivek’s path lacked traditional signals. Low‑GCSE profiles are often binned in seconds; with no alumni mentors and a ~5% placement rate, he risked “non‑target” dismissal. Yet FRS craves grit and macro awareness—traits his journey embodied. He needed to reframe the narrative, master one killer market pitch and map internal sponsors—on £0 spend.

Solution

Narrative‑Engineered CV → recruiter praise for “upward‑mobility grit.”
90‑sec macro‑pitch on real‑yield curves (free Skool video) → phone screen → AC.
Stakeholder map: 7 desk contacts → 3 chats → desk‑head endorsement.
HireVue drills (free tips) → latency −70%, confidence 9/10.

Result

Armed solely with free content, Vivek cleared screening, phone and AC rounds to win a 2025 Industrial Placement at Morgan Stanley FRS S&T. His LinkedIn post drew 100+ likes and recruiter DMs. The placement positions him for graduate fast‑track and seven‑figure earnings by mid‑30s.

ROI Table

Metric	Result
Investment	£0 (free content)
Placement stipend	High four‑figure (£)
Projected salary (grad)	£75,000+
Lifetime uplift	7–8 figures potential