Sell side FICC sales vs Buyside Bond Trader

Hi guys, if I get a BB FICC sales role and a bond trader role under a third tier bank asset management arm ( with 10bio AUM), which one should I choose?

the bond trader has the potential to become a portfolio manager (the interviewer told me about this).

And if I do well as the bond trader or as PM, can I jump to first tier AM?

Thanks for your kind suggestion!

 

not sure if I should start with top tier sales role then searching for opportunity to move to buyside or just start from a third tier small buyside and move to top buyside?

The sales role in the financial hub city but the trader role in the second-tier city

 

thanks bro, actually I've been doing FICC sales in a second-tire bank (but first tier in FICC S&T area) for a while.

What I find out is I become a tool man for my boss as what I doing there is to help cover boss' clients and got to booking revenue under boss' accounts.

i.e. I don't get many clients ownership.

The jobs becomes I got to entertain boss more rather than clients, and plus you don't get too much solid skills there.

What I doing is a bridge to connect my traders with clients, negotiation price and trade execution. Don't think it has much value in the long wrong. And it's hard to move out to other role with time pass along

 

thanks man, the boss has asked me during interview whether I want to be a PM or trader in the long run. As the AM arm of the bank just established several years, they only got 2-3 PM there and the chances to switch from trader to PM is very high.

Let's say if I got the chance in 2-3 years. What do you think this opportunity?

 

I would take the trading seat...FICC sales fuckin blows unless you’re being gifted a franchise book basically, but if that’s the case not a bad gig. One thing to always keep in mind is a trader can always lateral into sales, but sales will almost never lateral into trading. Sales is kind of an end game seat, you’re gonna stick it out for 10-15 yrs, and retire...just my opinion on the matter. And I’ve seen prob 8-10 salesmen let go over the last three years, and none have moved to trading seats

 

agree this, I just don't know what is the meaning to be a Sales, the daily jobs is like passing traders' price to clients and negotiates. I don't see there's any difference for doing 3 years or 5 years on this seats, except have larger books.

But also worry if move to the small bank AM arm, are there any opportunity to move back to top tier again?

 

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