Corporate Finance --> HF?

Have the opportunity to join a technology/media company in their corporate finance department and wanted to see how feasible a switch to a value-oriented HF would be down the road. I'm not caught up on mega-funds - happy with a fund of any size. Thoughts on how a candidate with a corporate finance and credit research background would look? And how to go about networking once out of the more "traditional" industry?

 
Best Response

2 Questions: 1) What sort of financial analysis are you doing on those companies? 2) How many more rotations does your program involve and do you know what they will be?

If your job includes or will include work in the commodity trading arm of your company, you may have options at macro/commodity-oriented funds. If your job is purely corporate finance, then energy-focused PE may be a more favorable path, but HFs are still an option (plenty of large fundamental funds have energy desks/energy analysts), especially if you're doing the "right" kind of financial analysis on your competitors. Energy analysts often have backgrounds in the industry because of the amount of specialized knowledge involved-the sr. analyst who covers E&P at the fund I work for worked at an oilfield services company before getting into finance as an energy banker post-MBA. I wouldn't recommend ditching your current job for a banking analyst role unless you hate the sector/industry. In either case, the alternative investment universe often looks for people who have finance experience before MBA, so that's something to consider-you should at least be open to sell-side options post-MBA.

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Kenny_Powers_CFA:
2 Questions: 1) What sort of financial analysis are you doing on those companies? 2) How many more rotations does your program involve and do you know what they will be?

If your job includes or will include work in the commodity trading arm of your company, you may have options at macro/commodity-oriented funds. If your job is purely corporate finance, then energy-focused PE may be a more favorable path, but HFs are still an option (plenty of large fundamental funds have energy desks/energy analysts), especially if you're doing the "right" kind of financial analysis on your competitors. Energy analysts often have backgrounds in the industry because of the amount of specialized knowledge involved-the sr. analyst who covers E&P at the fund I work for worked at an oilfield services company before getting into finance as an energy banker post-MBA. I wouldn't recommend ditching your current job for a banking analyst role unless you hate the sector/industry. In either case, the alternative investment universe often looks for people who have finance experience before MBA, so that's something to consider-you should at least be open to sell-side options post-MBA.

1) You can call it basic fundamental analysis, I spread financials for a specific sector of companies I cover. I look for the basic stuff, debt to equity, current and quick ratio, contributions, cash flow, capex, etc. I deal with S and C corps and also some major public companies. If their financials are good then we do business.

2) 4 or 5 rotations before we decide which career path we want to take. Each rotation is about 18 months. My next rotation can be an accounting position or something in financial planning and strategy. I would absolutely hate accounting which is why I'm working extremely hard right now to make sure that I get into a strategy role for my next rotation.

I can probably get into a supply and trading role after my 2nd rotation. Do you think the experience I'm getting will be more valuable than say me getting into banking and actually working on oil and gas M&A's and advisory? I'm very confused as to what I should do. I know for a fact that I want to be at a Hedge Fund down the road, but now I just need to see what I can do now to get there.

For the past few months I've been thinking that to even get into IB as an analyst will be difficult, but I've started networking and from what I can sense from people is that my experience might help a little if I go for a IB analyst position in about 6 or 7 months. But as I get more settled in at my company I'm beginning to understand how big this company is and the opportunities I can have working here.

I can sacrifice the comfort and security I have at this company if it means that I will be in a better position to get into a HF. I just wanted some opinions on what I should do.

 
pacman007:

4 or 5 rotations before we decide which career path we want to take. Each rotation is about 18 months.

Wow! This rotation program is from 6-7.5 years?? That's a LONG program.

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