- ** * Hey guys-
Just hoping to get some career-path feedback and any insight you may have from experience. I have been at a CRE sell-side shop for about a year (straight from undergrad). Compared to the stories I've heard from others, I'm grateful for my job in that I have very smart people around me, and I'm lucky enough to add value/be creative in an academic environment. However, I'm not sure if CRE is that path I'd like to pursue, as I feel I'm more passionate about traditional investment management/portfolio management. Perhaps I'd enjoy buy-side CRE more (ex: REPE), but who knows. Real estate is very niche, and I know the skillset is different than that required in investment management, so my fear is that the longer I continue in this industry, the more pigeon-holed I will get.
If I were to make that transition, would MBA be the best route? Thanks for any advice you may have.
Maybe you should find some people working in the investment management/portfolio management industry and ask them to meet you for coffee. This can help you in two ways. First, you can pick their brain about what their job is like and see if it suits you better. Second, if you decide to go that route, you've made some connections that can possibly help you get your foot in the door without an MBA. With a 3.9+ GPA, you may still be able to get into some boutique investment firms without getting your MBA first, but you will likely have to network for it.
Thanks for the advice, appreciate it. I'm hoping progress towards CFA will also help if I pursue the transition.
CFA probably won't help given the opportunity cost :(
You don't think CFA would help transition to investment management?
From your post, I assume you are referencing a transition to buy side RE (REPE/REIT). You never explicitly laid out what are you are looking for...If you are interested in transitioning to buy side RE, the CFA is about as valuable as it would be for an IB analyst trying to transition to traditional PE.....about as valuable as the piece of paper the lvl 1 cert is written on.
Not sure I understand this train of thought. CFA is hugely beneficial in any financial position, shows any firm you've got the drive to do their line of work
Edit: Shows financial firms that you've got the drive to do their line of work; in general
I'd prob go explore joining a 1 year MS in Finance program from Georgetown, or some other solid school. It would help with both breaking into an REPE role should you want to do that, while being able to explore/network with traditional IM through your program.
I have to disagree with the comments above, 1 year on the sell side plus CFA level I would look great to a REIT/REPE firm I'd think. As long as you are looking for an entry level analyst-type job, that's great experience to have being a 1-year out of school guy. Easpecially if Asset Mgmt/Portfolio is what you're looking to transition over to
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