Career development paths

Hi can anyone describe in detail what sort of career development you will get between portfolio manager and investment/transaction specialist? Which one is more superior in terms of pay/ progression/ exits? Speaking from a fund environment something like Blackstone, etc

Appreciate your help

17 Comments
 

Backoffice_Boss

Portfolio management is back office 

Thanks for sharing but could you help shed some light into what portfolio management does?

 

mrcheese321

The terms in a bubble don't mean anything. Do you have a job description you can post so we can actually help?

JD as follows:

Assist the team with financial analysis, reporting and project management support.

Assist with preparation of internal / external reports & presentations to investors and other stakeholders, including quarterly reporting, ad hoc queries, investment memorandum and presentations to relevant boards etc

Provide financial analysis support in the preparation of the regular fund management activities (acquisition / disposition / business planning)

Assist with transactions including the due diligence process, underwriting preparation and other related activities

 

overgeared

mrcheese321

The terms in a bubble don't mean anything. Do you have a job description you can post so we can actually help?

JD as follows:

Assist the team with financial analysis, reporting and project management support.

Assist with preparation of internal / external reports & presentations to investors and other stakeholders, including quarterly reporting, ad hoc queries, investment memorandum and presentations to relevant boards etc

Provide financial analysis support in the preparation of the regular fund management activities (acquisition / disposition / business planning)

Assist with transactions including the due diligence process, underwriting preparation and other related activities

Any idea what's the career progression/trajectory/exit options?

 
Most Helpful

The issue with roles like this is that they are pretty bespoke and there isn't a lot of career progression by itself.

You are on the PM team, which is great as you will see the company/fund more from a managerial prospective, but at the analyst/associate level it is bad because to actually get a true PM/head of fund spot you usually need experience in AM or Originations.

So this isn't linear where you take this job and work your way up - you will hit a ceiling here and then be forced to move groups to keep your career trajectory.

A lot of companies know this and plan for it, so the most useful thing would be to try and reach out to the last analyst/associate in the spot and see what they did.

At the life co I previously worked at, the PMs made it a point to say that after 2 years, they would get you a spot in any group you wanted. I took a hybrid AM/PM debt spot after about 18 months, my successor took an equity acquisitions spot, and his successor took an equity AM spot.

 

mrcheese321

The issue with roles like this is that they are pretty bespoke and there isn't a lot of career progression by itself.

You are on the PM team, which is great as you will see the company/fund more from a managerial prospective, but at the analyst/associate level it is bad because to actually get a true PM/head of fund spot you usually need experience in AM or Originations.

So this isn't linear where you take this job and work your way up - you will hit a ceiling here and then be forced to move groups to keep your career trajectory.

A lot of companies know this and plan for it, so the most useful thing would be to try and reach out to the last analyst/associate in the spot and see what they did.

At the life co I previously worked at, the PMs made it a point to say that after 2 years, they would get you a spot in any group you wanted. I took a hybrid AM/PM debt spot after about 18 months, my successor took an equity acquisitions spot, and his successor took an equity AM spot.

Thank you for the sharing. If I were to approach the hiring manager, how should I frame my question towards what you have suggested in terms of job rotation

 

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