I am currently a 2nd year Associate for a single-strategy investment fund (~$30 billion AUM). I am happy with my current position and looking to stay for a few more years, though I would like to learn about what sort of options I may have in the near future. After 4-5 years at my firm, past Associates typically get their CFA and go to business school (e.g., Wharton, Chicago, Berkley). I am in the process of earning my CFA designation, though as I am an Associate, I will not have any sort of audited investment track record.
Long-term, my goal is to stay in the investment management industry and eventually become an Analyst/PM, what would be the best path for me to take?
From what I gather my two options are (a) go to business school and take my chances with recruiting or (b) try to interview and land an Analyst spot after ~4 years of work experience. How difficult would it be to land an Analyst role after ~4 years or work experience? Would my best option be business school? (I'm fairly positive I can get into a top 5 school). Thanks for your advice!
I don't know if I'm the only dumbass or not, but can you explain what an associate does if not analyst work? My understanding is that associates are senior to analysts but do similar work. Are you saying that at your firm an associate is the analyst's bitch? What do you do all day as an associate?
In equity research/buyside roles etc the titles are switched. You start as an associate and become an analyst.
FYI, managing your PA does not make you a Portfolio Manager. Titles on the buy-side and sell-side ER typically go Associate -> Analyst -> PM. Can you please explain how you got "earned" the title of PM without this basic knowledge? At our firm, my work is very similar to our Analyst's, though they tend to cover the industry while I do deep dives on a few companies for 1-2 months.
I am not in ER, we work in a very specific FI niche and the headcount is very low, we don't focus on titles and are not located in NYC. As I've mentioned in other posts I'm spending time on this board to learn more about the larger ecosystem. I assure you I share 100% investment discretion with one other guy for the money our firm manages, which is not insignificant. You should try to think outside the context of your own little universe, that's what I'm trying to do here.
Please cut the bs, not only did you derail the discussion I was trying to have but did so in an inflammatory way. I responded accoridngly. As you are a PM with likely a unique perspective on career paths, maybe you can help answer my question - irrespective of titles I am 2 years out college on the buy side and curious about my opportunities after another 2 years.. Junior analyst, b-school, analyst, just forget finance, move to Europe and travel any thoughts?
I would say in your situation, go MBA, not even close. Particularly if you can squish your top-5 aspirations down to top three or top two.
A top MBA is right for the middle 98% of people in your situation. For the 1% on one end, if you're tired of the ratrace want to retire early and live on very little money and do natural farming or massage therapy or join a monastery or something, it's not worth it. For the one percent on the other end, like Bill Gates or Mark Zuckerberg or Stevie Cohen, it's also totally not worth it, but for completely different reasons, and you would probably know it if you were one of them.
One exercise I always tell people is to take a piece of paper and write your chain of command down at your company all the way up to your CEO. Then add anyone to the list that you are particularly impressed by, like the CFO or people on different teams or whatever. Then get a highlighter and highlight all the people who have top MBAs. Chances are, you'll see that the MBA thing is pretty relevant, especially at the top. Here's another one: find someone who regrets getting an MBA at H/S/W. Of course, they will be biased since they invested the time/money, but generally I've had a hard time finding anyone who regrets it, and I can find a bunch of people that regret their undergrad experiences at my relatively decent college, for example.
There are other paths and exits (entrances) for someone like you, but to me all signs point toward MBA.
Enim inventore necessitatibus sed fugit. Dolor sed neque occaecati dolorum culpa eveniet esse aperiam. Porro vel molestiae soluta libero adipisci. Recusandae rem cumque velit sunt aut sunt. Cumque laborum sit dignissimos sapiente deleniti velit ut ut. Earum qui corporis ducimus debitis voluptatem omnis numquam.
Neque rem voluptatem voluptate laboriosam. Et quibusdam exercitationem magni placeat ut itaque dolorem ut. Dolorem dolorem temporibus et quam pariatur. Aperiam sit voluptas accusantium dolorem eos voluptatem placeat.
See All Comments - 100% Free
WSO depends on everyone being able to pitch in when they know something. Unlock with your email and get bonus: 6 financial modeling lessons free ($199 value)
or Unlock with your social account...