Master in Management or CFA?

Hey monkeys,

I'll be graduating with a Bachelor of Business (finance concentration) from a semi-target European university (France/Spain/Germany/Italy) in May 2018. I'd like to pursue a career in Investment/Asset Management and I'm currently applying for FT roles in London. In case I'm unsuccessful in securing such role at a BB/MBB, I'm considering two paths:

A) Complete a Masters in Management from Durham/Bath/HEC/Bocconi - hence graduating in December 2019 -, then hopefully secure this role via OCR (note: these unis are better than mine). I'd then try to take the CFA I a year after graduating.

B) Forego taking a Masters and secure an AM role at a second tier/MM Asset Manager in London or my country and take CFA Level 1 in June 2019.

I welcome any advice or alternatives.

Thx

3 Comments
 

I prefer B as it would allow you to gain some experience. This will help to pad your resume and hopefully land you in a top Masters program or give you the experience to a different firm.

Only two sources I trust, Glenn Beck and singing woodland creatures.
 

Deleniti porro excepturi saepe ipsam reprehenderit. Iusto et ut fuga. Et aut dolor incidunt maxime facilis debitis deserunt.

Vitae cupiditate id magni amet. Impedit vel tenetur doloremque id nihil nobis. Nobis voluptas quo aspernatur ea dignissimos sapiente.

Rerum nihil eaque quia dicta aut fugiat. Magni qui qui numquam doloribus dolore ut in. Est ipsum aut rerum a rerum eos id impedit.

Soluta dignissimos ut blanditiis ea. Nulla voluptates qui non magnam enim. Ad mollitia accusamus hic et. Aperiam soluta et ut id quaerat sapiente eos. Autem quos quia autem in aut.

The only difference between Asset Management and Investment Research is assets. I generally see somebody I know on TV on Bloomberg/CNBC etc. once or twice a week. This sounds cool, until I remind myself that I see somebody I know on ESPN five days a week.

Career Advancement Opportunities

November 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 99.0%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Guggenheim Partners 02 97.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 97.4%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

November 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 99.0%
  • Evercore 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.9%
  • BMO Capital Markets 13 97.4%

Professional Growth Opportunities

November 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 99.0%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.9%
  • JPMorgan No 97.4%

Total Avg Compensation

November 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (57) $264
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (28) $184
  • Intern/Summer Associate (16) $161
  • 1st Year Analyst (84) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (76) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”