Planning Ahead: Transition to Buy Side AM/Fund
Hi All,
The underlying question of this post is to seek advice on what steps to take in the next 1-2 years in order to make the transition to a equity fund. I currently have a preference for equity over credit, however, my firm focuses on restructuring and I could very well start liking credit more.
My Story: I graduated from a non-target but still well respected school for finance (top 50 school according to US News). After graduating, I landed a job in valuations at a top 5 accounting firm, kicked assm and, after two years, made the transition to a boutique investment bank. I have been at this bank for almost 6 months so far.
I am a technical individual and have great interpersonal skills. I plan to complete the CFA hopefully within two years (level II candidate) instead of getting my MBA (still thinking about this),
Questions:
1) Do you believe getting the CFA instead of the MBA is a good idea? My network is small and I like the idea of getting an MBA so I can expand my network.
2) How much more difficult would it be to make this transition from a boutique compared to working at a BB?
3) I plan to start networking via Linkedin and whatever resources I can use. This is something I really need to work on and believe that one should consistently be networking. What do you think?
4) Should I create a mock portfolio? I currently only invest in options, although not much with regards to dollars, because for my age at the moment I have a tolerance for risk.
5) Should I switch to a BB and then think about this transition? (I prefer not to do this because it will only prolong everything)
6) Any other questions I should be thinking of? What do you think is the best way to approach this?
Kind Regards,
-Slim