Optimization - Best General Seats
What would you guys say are the top 5-10 jobs across all of finance and where for someone two years out of college seeking to stay in the space for their whole career? E.g. L/S Cross Cap Structure Analyst at Citadel, Buyout Associate at KKR, Private Credit Associate at Ares, etc.
Where are the strongest/sharpest/fastest growing platforms for which industries? Where will I grow personally and professionally and technically etc etc for my career and where is comp the best? Anecdotal viewpoints/datapoints would be greatly appreciated. Looking to make a change in the near term and am in a seat currently where I could likely get into anything anywhere.
By priority, I value 1) WLB and being able to see friends family and exercise consistently 2) comp (now but much more so later on via carry/P&L as potential SPM) 3) learning and feeding intellectual curiosity.
Basically please help bridge me to the role/place that will optimize my life.
Based on the most helpful WSO content, here’s a breakdown of roles and platforms that align with your priorities of work-life balance (WLB), compensation (both now and long-term), and intellectual growth:
Top Roles Across Finance:
Private Equity (Buyout Associate)
Long/Short Equity Analyst (Hedge Funds)
Private Credit Associate
Corporate Development (F500)
Real Estate Private Equity
Venture Capital Associate
Asset Management (Traditional or Alternatives)
Infrastructure Investing
Family Office Investment Roles
Consulting to Finance Transition (e.g., MBB to PE/VC)
Strongest Platforms by Industry:
Balancing Priorities:
Final Thoughts:
If WLB is your top priority, consider roles like Corporate Development, Asset Management, or Family Offices. For comp and long-term growth, Private Equity, Hedge Funds, or Private Credit are strong bets. If intellectual curiosity drives you, Venture Capital or Long/Short Equity roles might be the best fit.
Sources: Work/Life Balance - Hours, Private Equity shops with the best work/life balance, Finance Career Path & List, Q&A: Former MBB Consultant, What is your compensation in Real Estate Finance?
The best seat is at the firm / strategy that will grow the most over the next 10-15 years working for people that care about your development. But my advice, careers are random so maybe take it one step at a time
Completely agree with you and think that’s obviously difficult to tell especially right now. PE returns not be as good as the decade post GFC with higher rates and tougher exit environment, PC has secular tailwinds and AUM growth but spreads are tightening and fees as well as a result of higher competition and commoditization. HFs will always carry the greatest unknown obviously from comp and job security perspectives. Like how do I make a career decision right now? No one has a crystal ball, I’m not asking for foresight. What I am asking for is advice and anecdotal information on who works in a super stimulating job they’re passionate about with semi decent hours and comp growth…
Also really agree w the point on having people around you that care about your progression. That will become more apparent throughout interviews though and don’t expect to get as much specific help on this forum.
I am in the same boat. Couple months into IB AN1 and have no idea what I want to do. Very scared by compressing returns in PE. Heavily considering VC or Startups. But really don’t know. Doesn’t seem that there is a well established path anymore.
The problem is you’re asking people to predict the future here. The best risk-adjusted seat at this current moment may very well be one you listed, but you’re just starting your career and things will certainly change in 5/10/20 years.
Your best bet is to probably somehow land at Open AI, Meta, Anthropic, Perplexity, etc. Otherwise, you’re in the same boat as us all, just trying to figure out how to feed our future family for the next 30 years.
I think you’re looking at the situation the wrong way. The best seat is the one where you will excel. Ultimately, there was some guy 10 years ago who said “hey, maybe FIG isn’t the hottest vertical, but I enjoy it” and now that all the large asset managers, most notably Apollo, are turning into insurance companies, that guy has a very valuable skill set. Similarly, there may be someone that went to corporate at a company they felt passionate about and now they are in the c-suite. Citadel or Blackstone both look great on a resume, but it’s your job to test the waters by actually working in different industries / roles to figure out what you like to do. Anecdotally, I know someone at one of these firms that hates what they do but is sticking around for the name. Considering that someone may love that very same role, it’ll be hard for my friend to stand out and thrive, and eventually he’ll get shown the door. Then, when it comes time to find his next job in another asset class, he’s at a disadvantage because someone else will have experience in X asset class and get the job instead.
You're always going to be better off pursuing what you have an interest in, regardless of these comp considerations. Sure, PE returns might be "compressing" but if you enjoy PE work (and are good at it) you'll be one of the winners longer term.
You should at least give some idea of what type of work (not just WLB, comp and some vague mentions of intellectual curiosity) you'd enjoy so people can narrow it from there to help with more specifics.
“L/S cross cap structure analyst” at Citadel does not exist, unless it’s a new position
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