Transitioning from Fund Accounting to ER

Hi. I am new to the boards here and am looking for some advice in a career change.

I currently work as Fund Accountant. After several months, I am looking to transition into Equity Research. I cannot imagine being a fund accountant for the rest of my life since the job is pretty much day-in and day-out routine job. I want to look for a more challenging career that involves heavy analytical skills, so I would like to break into Equity Research.

A little about myself. Graduated from top 20 University Level II CFA Candidate Little equity research experience

My questions is how likely a Fund Accountant can get into Equity Research. Judging from my previous co-workers, most either got promoted to another related role or became an auditor. I am also afraid that being a Fund Accountant for a long time will pigeon hole me in that field. Any advice is appreciated. Also, if you were a FA that turned ER, do you mind sharing how you got in?

Thanks!

9 Comments
 
Best Response

You'll need two things: (1) to show the drive that you really want to break in through knowing your shit, and (2) have a pleasant personality so that people you meet will want to help you.

  1. Do independent learning - depending on how much you want the job, this ranges from scanning the news for the sector you want to get into, to following companies and knowing basic things like their net debt and current valuation, to building your own model from scratch and writing reports. I don't know how helpful fund accounting experience is in understanding how different items of financials flow through / impact one another, but nonetheless you'll need to know your shit if you want an offer.
  2. Ask people out for coffee chats - have your story of "why research" tight, and be a generally nice person. Assume every coffee chat is a potential interview; you've done your prep and it's time to showcase what you know if technical questions / stock pitch questions come up. Sometimes you'd get the bonus of naturally clicking with the person you're talking to, and sometimes you won't.
  3. Repeat until you break in - every time you fail is another learning experience.

Good luck.

 

Provident ipsam ipsam ipsa et impedit ut commodi. Suscipit est impedit hic aut omnis explicabo commodi. Blanditiis laboriosam beatae rerum.

Amet voluptas et enim dolor sint tempora ut facere. Eaque qui quas corrupti rerum est consequatur sequi. Magnam ut rem officia quasi sit accusantium reiciendis. Aut eos assumenda voluptatum expedita illum excepturi.

Career Advancement Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.8%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.2%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.8%
  • Evercore 01 98.2%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.6%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Evercore No 98.8%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.2%
  • JPMorgan No 97.7%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (14) $434
  • Associates (43) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (75) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (65) $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...”