Career Advice - Transition into the Investment Industry

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jimmyswo

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Hi everyone
I have a question which I would appreciate any of your insights. I am 36 years and a level 3 candidate. I have been working in various financial roles over the past 10 years in accounting, auditing, financial analysis, risk management including acquisitions experience. In addition to working on the CFA program I have an MBA from a good school (from Canada) and an accounting designation.
My question is this. I am interested in getting into the investment industry preferably as an analyst type of role and would appreciate peoples input on the best way of going about doing this. I know alot of analysts as quite a bit younger and was wondering how much of a disadvantage this would be? Although I have not worked in the investment industry, I fell I have most if not all the skills necessary to do so.
Any comments or advice would be greatly appreciated
(I am also fully aware of the current employment situation as well. But still going forward with this.)
Thanks
Jim
 
Stick to IM shops that somehow analyse the industry in which you currently work. For example, let�s say your in telecom. Try to get an analyst gig at a sell side research shop covering telecom. Also try valuation shops that do work in the industry. You can also try buyside shops (small shops) that invest heavily in telecom.

Try to network with industry contacts. And go to local CFA functions and industry conferences. It could take awhile, but networking and hustle may get it done.
 
thanks for the advice so far - I was thinking similar to joe - my experiences are fairly broad since i did consulting work as well so I have knowledge of various industries including - non-profit which I am currently employed. My accounting designation is the CGA for Ontario.
If there are any other comments out there I would really appreciate it. What about the age aspect being 36 years old - do you see this as an issue?
 
just wondering if anyone else had any advice for the original message.
thanks
 
If you're in Toronto good luck. I'm worse off than you - Management background in IT, with no University degree, so I quit my job last September, finished degree in business at a currently low tier university and I'm finishing in August.

Check out this thread for an idea of the current Canadian market.

http://www.analystforum.com/phorums/read.php?1,965343,page=1
 
jimmylndn Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> thanks for the advice so far - I was thinking
> similar to joe - my experiences are fairly broad
> since i did consulting work as well so I have
> knowledge of various industries including -
> non-profit which I am currently employed. My
> accounting designation is the CGA for Ontario.
> If there are any other comments out there I would
> really appreciate it. What about the age aspect
> being 36 years old - do you see this as an issue?

age could be an issue because w/o experience you have to start at the bottom and at the bottom it is usually young people who get hired
also I think CGA is useless for investment related jobs
your best bet is probably to use your MBA school's alumni network / career center



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at Friday, June 12, 2009 at 01:30PM by kblade.
 
I'm in a similar boat, but on a different lake. I am in Chicago, waiting for my L2 results. MBA from DePaul, 7 years Accounting experience, and 7 years Financial Analyst experience in the corporate world. Spent 2.5 years manually building excel-based consolidated financial statements for a billion dollar holding company. Currrently in the publishing industry, international company, heavily involved in the budgeting and forecasting process.

I'd like to get through the Level 3 exam before making a jump, but still need to figure out the best way to do it. Any advice is appreciated.
 
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