Suitable career for someone with my interests?
Hi there,
I currently work as a market risk analyst in Sales & Trading. This is my first job out of my master's degree in Finance. Current work experience is 1 year and 4 months.
While I do enjoy certain aspects of my job, I also find myself wondering if there are other roles out there for me. I have always been interested in the idea of working with investments professionally and hence, a job as a PM in an asset management company or a hedge fund has always been something that I thought sounded interesting.
To simplify, these are some of the things I look for in a job:
1) I want to be part of a function that generates revenue for the company, i.e., front office.
2) I enjoy working with and analyzing numbers and graphs, probably more so than I enjoy analyzing more qualitative data, although analyzing qualitative data is not something I am against either as long as it is in moderation.
3) I enjoy working with IT tools, e.g., Excel, VBA, SQL, SAS. I don't want to be an IT guy by any means, but I like spending time building Excel sheets, writing VBA code or gathering data from SQL tables for the purpose of e.g. automating tasks.
4) If I were to manage investments, I think I would enjoy working with something a bit more high risk, high reward rather than low risk, low reward.
5) Although equities are generally considered high risk, high reward compared to other asset classes, my gut feeling tells me that the analysis work is a bit more qualitative and less quantitative than e.g. fixed income, hence why I currently lean towards something within the space of fixed income.
I took the CFA Level 1 exam in November 2023 and am hoping to pass in January when results are released.
I would love to hear your thoughts on what career paths you think would suit someone with my interests.
Thanks!
Based on the WSO content and the interests you've outlined, it seems like you're on a promising path considering your background in market risk analysis and your pursuit of the CFA Level 1. Here are some career paths that align with your interests:
Asset Management: Given your interest in managing investments and working in a revenue-generating role, asset management could be a great fit. Asset managers make decisions about investments in assets like stocks, bonds, and real estate on behalf of their clients. Your quantitative skills and enjoyment of high-risk, high-reward scenarios could serve you well here.
Hedge Fund Analyst/PM: Hedge funds often engage in higher-risk investment strategies compared to traditional asset management. Your analytical skills, combined with your interest in high-risk investments, could make you a good candidate for a role at a hedge fund, especially if you're inclined towards fixed income.
Sales & Trading: Since you're already in this field, consider a transition to a trading role that focuses on fixed income. Traders are very much front-office and revenue-generating, and fixed income trading is often more quantitative than equities.
Quantitative Analysis: With your enjoyment of IT tools and quantitative analysis, you might explore roles in quantitative research or strategy. These positions often involve creating models and strategies for trading, which can be a good use of your IT and analytical skills.
Structured Finance: This field involves complex financial instruments like mortgage-backed securities, which can be high-risk but also high-reward. It's a quantitative area and would make use of your skills in Excel, VBA, and SQL.
Risk Management: Although you're looking to move away from risk analysis, a front-office risk management role, such as a market risk strategist, could be a good blend of your current experience and your interest in a more quantitative, revenue-impacting position.
Remember, the CFA charter is highly regarded in investment roles, so passing Level 1 could open up more opportunities for you. It's also worth considering networking within your current role and reaching out to professionals in your desired fields to gain more insight. Keep building on your technical skills and consider how each role aligns with your risk appetite and interest in quantitative versus qualitative analysis.
Sources: What Career is Right For Me? IB?, Career Paths/Exit Opportunities, Private Equity vs. Venture Capital in 2018, Career Paths/Exit Opportunities, IB vs LAW? What career is right for me?
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