Career Advice for Fund of Funds Analyst

Hi all,

Yesterday I found out that I did not pass CFA L3 :( Congrats to all that did and will receive their charter. I plan to retake in August for my second attempt and hope to pass it then. In my current role, I work at a pension as an analyst in the Alternatives group covering hedge funds and a few other mandates essentially helping run fund of fund portfolios. One of the reasons I'm pursuing the charter is because I would like to make a transition to the public equity side.

I just turned 26, and I'd like to make that transition to the equity side from FoFs sooner rather than later. The problem is I've tried applying to both buy side and sell side equity research positions here and there, and it's difficult to make that jump because I'm already in my mid-20s and don't have any banking/equity experience. I've also tried to apply for investment banking analyst jobs and haven't gotten any looks. I do read value investing books in my free time and have started taking an online equity research class so I can talk about these things if I get an interview.

At this point, I think once I obtain the CFA charter it will help make that transition, but it does not guarantee anything. Would going back to a top B-School program and getting an MBA help? I've heard tremendous things about programs like the Columbia Value Investing program and other top B-Schools that have high placement into buy side shops for both HFs or other asset managers. I know it's difficult to get into these programs and not to mention the amount of debt burden that comes with it, but it's something worth pursuing if you go all in and think it will pay off.

Any insight from experienced equity folks or ideas on helping make that transition would be much appreciated. Thanks!