Fixed Income AM SA interview

Hey folks,

I have a fixed income SA phone interview with a top-5 AM (think Fidelity, PIMCO, BlackRock, etc.) coming up soon.

My question is how would I go about impressing the interviewer with some knowledge which isn't expected of me? If it were an equity interview, I'd pitch a few good stocks, but bonds (beyond the basics) are somewhat of a terra incognita for me.

It's also important to find the right balance: I could mention some difficult concept and get grilled, because the interviewer knows 10x more than I do.

Any personal experience of being an interviewer/interviewee is more than welcome.

Thanks!

tl;dr How do I stand out in a FI AM interview?

Comments (4)

Jan 31, 2019 - 8:59am

- faceslappingcompilation
- Rank: Neanderthal
- | 2,974

start by reading the last 12 FOMC statements. there are red-lined versions, that show the change from statement to statement. Then try to understand what drove the changes in the statement, and how the yield curve responded between each of the statements.

why? so you can try to make an informed prediction on what the Fed will do next? What drives their decisions?

just google it...you're welcome

Most Helpful

Jan 31, 2019 - 9:49am

- coreytrevor
- Rank: King Kong
- | 1,402

As someone who works in FI AM, I can say that you won't be expected to "pitch bonds". What the interviewer is going to care much more about is you knowing/or at least being interested in having the bond math down cold. Be able to explain duration, convexity, OAS/OAD clearly and concisely I think would give you a big leg up. Also being able to understand the implications of different yield curve shapes on bond pricing and the above concepts.

Authored by: Certified Asset Management Professional - 3rd+ Year Associate Certified Asset Management Pro