PM vs trader vs platform

Hi guys -

I have been working for 8 years in the industry and am fortunate to have the following opportunities. I know they are very different and I thought about them hard, but just can't figure it out.

Option 1) Stay with the current tier 2 asset manager (similar size to Invesco or Schroder). I am currently a fixed income trader but the company will promote me to a junior PM.

Option 2) Move to a tier 1 asset manager (think Blackrock or PIMCO) as an execution trader. This is pretty much what I'm doing now at my current employer, so would be a lateral transition.

Option 3) Move to a trading platform (like Market Axess or Liquidnet) to promote a new product. The offer comes with about 30% higher comp than my current job but there is significant upside if the product takes off.

Initially I really wanted to become a PM (from execution trading) but ran out of patience so started looking elsewhere. I wanted to try out something new that's how I came across option 3. In the meantime option 2 suddenly appeared - if I work at a top tier AM as a trader, I feel like option 3 will always be available. Now my current employer is countering with option 1.

What do you think?

3 Comments
 

thanks for the advice... if I become a junior PM then the work actually gets more dull bc that's only cash mgmt fwd hedging order building etc, not a real PM. I am a bit disenchanted bc asset mgmt is a struggling industry and I started wondering if fintech is better, that's how I came across a role with trading tech. at this point I'm just confused not sure what I wanna do... yeah I agree I need to figure out what I really want.

 

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