Lesser Known Asset Management Firms
Hello, I recently got an offer to work at American Century Investments. I was wondering if anyone could provide some insights into their pay and culture? Is it on par with other Asset Managers? There are very few reviews on Glassdoor and I am having a hard time finding any information on them, despite their fairly large AUM. How do their exit opportunities look? (I am early career).
Based on the most helpful WSO content, there isn't specific information about American Century Investments in the provided dataset. However, here are some general insights about asset management firms that might help you evaluate your offer:
Pay and Compensation:
Culture:
Exit Opportunities:
If you're early in your career, focus on the learning opportunities and the firm's culture. Assess whether the environment will help you develop the skills and relationships that will benefit you in the long term. If you're still uncertain, you might want to reach out to current or former employees on LinkedIn for firsthand insights.
Sources: Is this associate compensation competitive?, Life as a Top Asset Manager, Allen & Co. - An In-Depth Review, Absurdly high pay at Qatalyst, any truth to the rumors?, Ares Capital Management - Culture, Status, Word on the Street
American century is well known. If you are earlier career, I'd be mostly concerned with experience over pay. The industry is consolidating though and if I were starting out, I'd weigh the experience at a big shop against the opportunity to work at a smaller shop with a newer business model.
Thank you for the response! Lesser known is definitely not the right word, maybe less talked about online. I am having a fairly hard time finding information about working there. Would working at American Century likely fall under the better experience category? Is it considered a big shop?
Yes, American Century is well known in the industry, I'd consider it a big shop. I haven't worked there though, but I think it would look good on a resume. If someone came from there, vs another big shop, I don't think it would make much difference to me if the work experience and performance was good. However the opportunity to get good experience may depend on which team you work on, and how good the firm is that area.
OP - what's the specific role you are taking? If it's on the investment side, in an area/asset class that you are interested in - it would be good hands on experience, as those seats are hard to find. i.e. if you are an equity or fixed income analyst, it would be interesting given they are historically an active manager through and through. Build some experience and then you'd have options.
Contextually, these are the types of firms that sometimes I marvel at still existing - active across the board, mixed bag performance wise, and their expense ratios are extremely high. They are as much an investment manager as they are a product manufacturer - any single strategy can be access by retail, institutional, retirement, advisors in a host of vehicles (ETF, Mutual Fund, CIT, etc.). Ultimately that's their success in being able to provide an RIA, or a retirement plan, an entire menu of options and/or a full fund family that can provide access to a host of strategies. If nothing else getting some first hand exposure to that would benefit a lot of firms out there who get the investment part right, and then bungle the packaging and distribution.
Hello,
Thank you for the context! Yes it is a direct investment role such as that. I am also interested in the subject matter, however, my current concerns are the culture. It seems from glassdoor reviews not very junior friendly with significantly lower pay and slower progression compared to similar firms. Is that accurate? Will i be stifeling my career by working there? Do they have solid exit opps/grad school placements?
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