Should a graduate pursue Investment Banking or Asset Management? - UK

Hi everyone,

I currently have my foot in the door with both investment banking top elite boutique and asset management bulge bracket in the UK. I come from a non-target university and bachelors degree. I am obviously very happy and grateful to have opportunities in both industries.

I’m very passionate about investing, and have been for a while, but I know M&A is a fantastic place to start your graduate career. I care about work-life balance to a certain extent, e.g. I want to be back from work early enough to at least spend an hour or two a day with girlfriend/ friends in the evening.

I’d love some of your opinions on which is a better role to start at. Both have great starting salaries and both are fantastic firms. 

Assets under management have been increasing at a rapid pace in the recent decades and asset management divisions account for a lot of revenue for bulge brackets. I’ve also read that many top bank CEOs see Asset Management as the future, although there is some competition (fintech, trading platforms, etc.).

How do you see the Asset Management industry playing out in the UK vs Investment Banking during the next decade? Also, it is really hard to find anything about career progression for Asset Management in the UK, does anyone have any insight in this? Career progression is one of the most attractive parts for investment banking, however I can’t seem to understand career progression in Asset Management.

Currently, I’m leaning more towards starting my career in Asset Management, but obviously I think it may be a mistake to turn a blind eye to investment banking.