Not sure what to do after IB...does the job I want exist anymore? HF/AM/WM?
Will try to keep this brief but happy to answer any questions for more color...
Finishing up my second year in IB here and feel like I paid my dues despite me having zero interest in the job now looking for something new...
Know that I don't want PE, Corp Dev or really anything that involves much modeling and is very corporate but what I DO like:
Big passion of mine is markets, trading (know most of this forum would laugh but I love to spend time charting and have considered getting a CMT), being a strategist and macro. Think the kind of stuff from guys like Tom Lee or the general market or "macro" strategists you see on TV that present their cases qualitatively.
When it comes to macro however it seems the roles are now very quantitative and what I'm describing above just almost doesn't exist much anymore or am I wrong?
I'm strongly considering HFs or AM but again I don't actually enjoy modeling. I don't mind research but going super in-depth fundamentally on single names also doesn't interest me THAT much. I love to develop a thesis on the current overall trend of the market and sectors combining both qualitative thoughts and technicals with regards to charting and indicators
I almost feel like developing a general market thesis and advising investors between risk-on and risk-off regimes is something that would maybe even be more suited to wealth management or is that just wrong as well?
Sorry if this is a bit of a ramble but any help or guidance is much appreciated! I ultimately have just decided I want to do something I truly enjoy doing everyday!
bump
Sounds like sellside credit or rates strategist (usually works in the pit)
Tom Lee is a fucking clown
Good news is the job does exist!
Ha yeah was just a name I figured that wasn’t too obscure so people would know what I’m talking about
Sounds like a multi-asset strategist sort of thing...
Financial Astrologist
Check out NDR (Ned Davis research) or strategas or even the old evermore ISI team. They have teams that focus on that - NDR specifically is all about understanding macro calls from a fundamental view point and marrying that with technicals and other indicators - which is the true interpretation of technicals which is capturing the sentiment and debate between the main fundamental arguments.
Most AM shops have macro teams doing in house research as well. JPM private bank is another example, with someone like cembalest's team but that may be too fundamental research driven for you.
Point is there are tons of research shops that do this and again within larger firms the "in house" macro call. Might need to find the right one that has the mix of characteristics you like by networking though.
Also discretionary global macro sounds like it may interest you?
Great, thank you very much for the response. Sounds like I’ll need to network since it doesn’t seem like these would be the types of roles to just be posted frequently on LinkedIn or something, especially coming from IB!
This is good advice. There are a lot of macro/research only shops that provide research to institutional investors and advisors.
Also as mentioned pretty much every big bank has an in-house investment strategy or allocation team. You may have to take more of an entry level analyst role to get your foot in the door, but could be a fun career.
I’m currently an intern at an investment strategy team on the buyside. I would say the path to investment strategist is very much gated. These teams typically run extremely lean and seats for these spots are very rare.
In terms of skillsets, the role is becoming increasingly more data driven/statistics. Externally, you could typically see a masters in economics/financial engineering/financial economics, etc being required for an investment strategy seat (for instance, GS’s Investment Strategy Group). Sure you could make discretionary macro calls as an investment strategist, but you need to validate these calls with data, maybe run a couple of regressions and/or perform a t-stat to test for significance.
Trader at a LO AM?
Pros
Cons
Very interesting. I had assumed any type of “trader” role even at an AM shop would be quite quantitative. I’ll look into this thanks!
Have you considered professional dart-throwing? It's kinda like "macro" strategist. It's just instead of being on CNBC / Bloomberg, you will be on ESPN.
Still more of a real job than trying to be a career coach or whatever you do.
If you want to scam kids and immigrants, just post up in Times square with the other hucksters
Surprised Dick didn't sign up to be a 'mentor' on WSO. Those guys charge way more than he does I think
Ha yeah I understand perhaps the apprehension towards such a role, but it’s ultimately my passion and I’d like to do something that I’m excited about everyday. Spent enough time in IB for me!
Fair enough :) IB is rough so I get it.
Dude what you're describing is that you just want to be a talking head and qualitatively pontificate for money...you MUST be highly quantitative to get these kinds of roles these days
Unfortunately with more and more information being fed to us on the daily and more stuff tracked than ever before, it increases the burden to incorporate it all as well. I do wish I started working in LO AM in the 80s or 90s when info was much more scarce. 2020s is just a very different ballgame, and it will only get worse on this front (which is a sad reality but there's enough I like about the job to keep doing it for a while still)
Oh man, yeah that's what I feared...I mean at least I would think there will be *someone* out there 20 years from now still doing what I'm describing. Guess the odds are if that someone can be me...bit lost on what do here
In iste blanditiis excepturi illum laudantium voluptatibus consequuntur. Quibusdam id eaque eligendi necessitatibus. Voluptatem ut ipsa sequi et illum inventore velit eius.
Est maxime non non quos. Libero non eveniet laboriosam possimus. Quae magnam eius natus distinctio.
Minus veniam dolor veritatis possimus et. Dolor aliquid dolorum quisquam aperiam. Dolorem voluptatem et debitis hic vel quidem nostrum mollitia.
Cumque accusantium labore eos voluptas illum. Ducimus reprehenderit quia voluptatem. Magni excepturi perferendis voluptatibus enim aut deleniti.
See All Comments - 100% Free
WSO depends on everyone being able to pitch in when they know something. Unlock with your email and get bonus: 6 financial modeling lessons free ($199 value)
or Unlock with your social account...
Corrupti debitis eum molestiae. Aliquam dolores aspernatur ipsam molestiae qui voluptatem suscipit. Aliquid ut eius sunt.
Est non error perspiciatis est. Nam voluptatibus similique consequatur rem. Et eaque delectus eius nostrum.
Provident qui vel tempore unde officiis. Et expedita ipsum cupiditate illo. Explicabo numquam id sint sunt quo vel harum. Temporibus aut voluptatibus fuga architecto expedita. Suscipit tenetur iure suscipit eaque ut id. Voluptatem eaque velit ullam inventore voluptatem.