Buy Side Ops or Sell Side.
I am currently interning at an AM shop. I work in ops on a desk the works very closely with our PMs and traders. I’m going into my senior year at Uni and my end goal is to end up in a front office seat in AM. The issue is that I look at the path most of our PMs took and they all have masters degrees and or CFAs. It’s not that I don’t want/believe that I am capable of taking that path (I am currently studying for my cfa lvl 1 and want to do a masters degree). It’s more the fact that I was offered another opportunity. Without disclosing too much info a boutique brokerage firm offered me the following: I would do a year or two on their Ops team (essentially same role I’m doing now), then I can get onto a desk. I still want to work in asset management long term. The question I essentially have is: would it be more worth my time to go sell side, get to a front office seat sooner and still pursue my cfa. Or should I stick it out in Ops in AM while pursuing cfa/masters. My concern with the sell side role is that would be in equities where longterm I’d want to be more on the FI side. Also I’d be afraid that I wouldn’t be able to transition back into AM after going to the sell side. Please any recommendations/insight would be appreciated.
Thank you
What type of role is it on the sell side? 2 Yrs in Ops and then to S&T? If it's S&T, that won't help you get into AM FO. In AM, traders aren't considered FO.
Also, is this written in the offer? (If not written, don't trust them)
I've made the move from Ops in AM to FO, but I was lucky and it's not a traditional path. AM FO like SS because they possess directly transferable skills and get the ground running on day one. Even the credit guys hire from LevFin, DCM, CorpBanking. If you choose to stick with AM Ops and hope for a transition, you really need to hustle. Chat, network, learn what your FO folks do in detail and master that and keep knocking on their door for opportunity.
Whatever the case is, best of luck.
Hi l, thank you for the reply. Much appreciated.
Yes it would transition from Ops into a S&T role. They do have a global macro research team. Would it be more worth my while to try and lean that way rather than the S&T role? I also am curious what you would suggest the ideal route would be for someone in my shoes. I have a year of uni left and my 2 internships have been on the operations side of finance. I’m in the process of doing my CFA lvl. If it would be better to PM you let me know.
Thank you,
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