How should I approach breaking into asset management post graduation?
Hi. I am having a mini panic about my potential career path going forward. I have just graduated and I have secured a job at a well known financial services company. I have wanted to pursue asset management since my penultimate year of university but haven't had any luck with applications. I was thinking about applying again this year for graduate schemes but having researched and read up on things on WSO and related websites I have realised that perhaps I have been approaching it from the wrong angle. I see people saying how it is near impossible to get in. I have 3 main questions:
- Should I switch my application strategy to just sell-side role applications instead?
- Should I wait until I have enough money for a MSc at a top school?
- Is it impossible just for larger firms? Could I break into smaller shops?
Would need more context:
- what you studies, where you studied, what your expected to be doing at the financial services company.
But generally, do both of below:
1. Try to break in to SS Equity Research
2. Try to break into AM directly
It's a tall task to break in to AMs but you need to know what you want. Do you want to be in equity fund, fixed income fund, asset allocation team? Equity funds will "typically" hire from SS ER. Fixed income funds "typically" hire from corporate banking (+IB LevFin/DCM). I say typically because there are unconventional routes but given they are unconventional, they are very rare - middle/back office to front office internal lateral.
I wouldn't recommend you to do MSc at a top school unless you have terrible GPA from undergrad.
I would argue, it might be tougher to break into smaller shops if you want direct path (not SS to AM).
Best of luck!
Thank you for the advice. I should've said that I am based in the UK so could be a different process
Thank you for the advice. Can I ask how important the CFA is? It seems very expensive but I'm willing to pay for it if it could boost up my profile for summer internships. Currently I only have work experience at a marketing department of credit specialized financial services. Would the rest of the things you recommended be enough to get an internship next Summer?
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