Big 4 CPA wanting to break into Asset Management Equity Research

Hello WSO,

I have been looking around the site and there are some great threads regarding the entire Asset Management industry that have been extremely helpful. I am about to start looking for a new career (if any of you have been an auditor at a Big 4 firm, you know why....misery). I have always had a passion for investing and the markets in general, and found myself spending more time following the markets at work then anything else on a daily basis. My question is a general one, and I am just looking for advice or past experience about how I can transition from Big 4 auditing into the AM world. I think my ideal career would be a PM in the long run, so equity research seems to be the entry point for that career path. Stock picking and research would not feel like actual work to me, as I find it extremely interesting. Can anyone lend some advice on how I can break into the field?
A little more specifics about me and what I am looking for: I would strongly prefer to go to the buy-side at a mutual fund complex. I have an undergrad in Accounting from a non-target school, with an MBA in Finance from that same non target school. I was a Division 1 baseball player and team captain (4 yr starter) at said school, who received a 4 year scholarship. I also have a CPA and 2 years experience in the Big 4 auditing Asset management clients (top 10 mutual and hedge funds). I did not want to stay longer not only because I know auditing and accounting is not for me, but because I did not want to get pigeon holed in that field. Do you think my transition is possible given the aforementioned credentials? Is there any advice you would have for me? Thanks!

 
Best Response

You played your MBA card already and didn't do it well/wasted it. If you were always passionate about investing, why didn't you make this decision earlier and tried to get into a better b-school to maximize your chances of landing AM/ER jobs? Even at a non-target MBA program you could have taken steps to position yourself better for those roles.

I am not sure what else you can do besides randomly apply to different shops, network, reach out to recruiters, maybe pursue the CFA...

Under my tutelage, you will grow from boys to men. From men into gladiators. And from gladiators into SWANSONS.
 

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