Entry Level Asset Management Positions

I have experience as an administrative assistant in finance, but am looking to further my career in Asset Management. I have a bachelors degree in Political Science. What roles should I be looking for within Asset Management? Would I be considered for a Client Service Associate position? What are some other entry level roles I could be qualified for.

33 Comments
 

If you do anything "client services" make sure you'll get licensed, otherwise there's no intention of you progressing to anything else...

Get busy living
 
Best Response

The most likely transition over from non-AM to AM is from the sell-side on over, and not to discourage you, but even then the switch isn't all that common. Asked a few VPs and MDs on both sides about this and the consensus generally was that most people in AM started out in AM, and if you cross on over from the sell-side it would generally happen right at the expiration at the analyst level into the associate level.

Other fields have an even spottier record than the sell-side, and outside of the occasional quant it's really hard to justify why you would be good at buying shit, selling shit, and managing risk intelligently from a non-finance industry. Of course, the more client-facing functions in AM draw from other fields more liberally, but the actual investing ones are dicier. The oddest resume I saw on the investing side was a VP with a Masters in Chemistry from a very reputable university.

 

much more important is finding alumni/contacts at good shops that will help you get an interview if you want to break into AM out of undergrad versus pure location. (my personal experience anyways)

 

This is not for an MBA, this is for a MSF. I know that Boston College has a MSF, but it seemed like an inferior program to Washington University in St. Louis and Claremont McKenna College. But do you guys think that being in Boston is a bigger advantage than going to a more selective and prestigious program?

 

Where do you want to live - West Coast or Midwest? Start with that question.

In my Top 100 list (link below) I count 18 firms in CA. Defining "Midwest" is a little more difficult, but I show 7 in IL with a scattering of fims across the area in MN, WI, MO, and MI. If you looking broadly at the Midwest, then the opportunity sets appears similar between CA and the Midwest.

The Northeast obviously has the most number of AM firms, though.

http://www.lifeonthebuyside.com/the-top-100/

 

Who threw monkey shit at my post? Please try to add value by commenting and keep WSO the robust resource that it is.

In compiling the top 100 I noticed two big takeaways:

  1. AM firms are way more geographically diverse than I initially thought, and

  2. HFs are way more NYC centric than I thought.

If you want to go into HFs, focus on NYC. If you want to go into AM, your geographic options are much broader.

 

[quote=GoodBread]SBd your second post to balance it out. I just thought your plugging your $94 database was a little on the shameless side when stuff like this is out there: http://www.iimagazinerankings.com/rankingsMoMaRankAmerica09/[/quote]

I probably worded my first post poorly. I didn't mean for it to be a pure plug.

FYI - That II ranking list costs $349 to get in Excel format for a one-time download.

http://www.institutionalinvestor.com/DataStore/DSsearch.aspx?subjid=6

 

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"You stop being an asshole when it sucks to be you." -IlliniProgrammer "Your grammar made me wish I'd been aborted." -happypantsmcgee
 

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