People talk about AUM growth and AUM/IP as key factors to consider when deciding on a pod to work at. I was wondering how much importance to place on sector coverage (let's say you are junior without sector expertise but are more interested in the TMT sector than FIG) and culture fit (how much you get along with the PM/team)? Does anyone regret working in a sector they are less interested in but are now pigeonholed into?

This is a great question that’s difficult to answer. I personally think the ultimate goal should be where you’d be most successful 3-5 years from now and work your way backwards. Interestingly, today’s immediate book size at a pod is not always the best barometer of potential. I’ve seen $1bn+ books blow up too many times during my decade in the industry.

How important are sector and culture fit when choosing a pod?

People talk about AUM growth and AUM/IP as key factors to consider when deciding on a pod to work at. I was wondering how much importance to place on sector coverage (let's say you are junior without sector expertise but are more interested in the TMT sector than FIG) and culture fit (how much you get along with the PM/team)? Does anyone regret working in a sector they are less interested in but are now pigeonholed into? Or work for a PM they don't get along with and wishes they prioritized fit more?
For those of us who are junior and don't have sector expertise, coming from MBA or banking analyst programs, we have to choose which pod we would like to interview with (often by sector), without knowing anything else about the individual pods' AUM or team. In that case, should we just choose whichever sector we are most interested in to interview for?

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How important are sector and culture fit when choosing a pod?

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