Career Advise - Wanted to hear some opinions

Hey guys...

Just wanted to hear ppl's opinion on my situation...
any feedback both positive and negative would be appreciated...

I have been working at a custodian bank (~State street, BNY)
for little over a year now...but i feel like I'm not getting anywhere
with my current position...I'm basically a glorified data entry assistant...
no opps to move up or laterally...ultimately I want to work in the hedge fund
space/PM or ER type of position

So i'm thinking about taking time off and studying for the CFA designation
and take a couple classes at my local community college or university in
my area...plus take this time to studying for the GMAT...

given my situation, would it be wise to quit my job and focus on studying
so I can get a master or charter and be more marketable in the near future?
also worried that future employers would ask why I quit, and the gap in my
employment...etc

Thanks for you input

 

before you quit your job, assess and re-assess where you are in your career. what's the difficulty level in finding the same job you were doing before? obviously, you understand that it is incredibly difficult even for people who have relevant experience in the hf space/research finding employment, what do you think about your chances?

i think you should manage your time on doing the following - keep working at your job and making bank. use the resources at your firm (bloomberg, contact information for your clients, etc.) to network, manage your time wisely studying for the cfa/gmat.

although the financial services hiring is opening up, it still isn't near 2006 levels. you should take the next 6-7 months to prepare/save for whatever it is you want to do. if you still think you should quit, then go ahead (make sure you've saved enough to carry you through unemployment).

------------ I'm making it up as I go along.
 
Best Response

If your job isn't terribly difficult, as seems to be the case, instead of quitting, living off of your savings, and hoping for the best, I would start putting in some GMAT time now (unless your U Grad GPA is bad, you don't need community univ coursework), or CFA time now, and look for other FT opps. Don't give away a meal ticket since the alternative is doing nothing but a gap in your resume. You can absolutely study, fix up your resume and look for other positions, and work at your current job - you don't have to completely drop the paycheck for nothing. Suck it up, tough it out, and evaluate all of your options, come up with a strategy and then make it happen. If you find another position, then leave your job. Otherwise, 1) you will need your current people for job recs for B school if you go down that path, and 2) you still need $ to survive (or so I am assuming). Good luck and think it through.

 

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