SS ER > HF. Network in from SS or MBA?

For the past year I've been at a MM bank doing tech/software ER and have spent about 5 years total on the sell side.

I would now like to make the transition to a traditional L/S hedge fund. I've recently started more seriously networking as I view that as my best path to breaking in. I have a few older colleagues who are advising me to grab an MBA first but it seems like a waste of $450-$500k in total opportunity cost. In today's environment, is that still a necessary stepping stone?

I know the answer is probably "depends" but thought I'd throw it out there to get some wider perspectives.

 
Most Helpful

HFs don't place a lot of value on MBA degrees, in general. Therefore unless you want to go back to bschool for your own personal benefit (advanced degree, network, take a break), I would just try to break into HF from your job. When I was there, there were a handful of HFs that came on campus, but most people I knew who targeted HFs did so on their own through their own networking off campus.

 

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