Considering two job offers at the moment:
First one…
One is a product specialist role for a very big asset management firm. I would be the product specialist for the equity team…..basically a bridge between the sales team and the equity team. Responsibilities - sit on the morning meetings, know every trade in the portfolio, know the local market well, work on client pitches and go along with the sales team for client presentations to talk about the strategy etc.
Positives - pays very well with the possibility of a 100% bonus in a good year, good international travel (I don’t mind travel), cruisy in the sense that work hours can be long but a lot of it is schmoozing so not like stuck in a cubicle for 12 hours…
Flipside - probably say goodbye to the possibility of a buyside analyst role…I know I am working very closely with the PM in this role but I have rarely heard of people making the switch….don’t know if it is the all the fluffy stuff around sales and marketing which just makes the analyst role look less attractive after a while
Second one…
Credit Analyst with part trading responsibilities for an insurance company…..
Positives- good learning curve (I have no direct experience in credit analysis), almost a buyside analyst role, will work with a very smart person I know well, probably could even switch to equities after 2-3 years if I get my story right..
Flipside - pays about 50k less than the product specialist role and little bonus…so the total difference can be quite substantial
I have pretty much made up my mind to go for the analyst role but some of friends disagree…..their thinking that the cumulative monetary difference which is likely to build up over the next 3-4 years between the two roles will be very hard to make up even if I get a good buyside analyst role at an asset manager….
My take - I like most of us on AF who aren’t already doing it, would love to get the experience of managing money…be it credit or equities in the start. From my perspective, early on the skills one develops in such roles is transferable as both concentrate on understanding the fundamental drivers of a business albeit with different motives….or am I just making this one up????
At the same time, the $$$s in the other role look quite attractive….I am not sure what are negatives from a work perspective in such a role.
what does AF think?
First one…
One is a product specialist role for a very big asset management firm. I would be the product specialist for the equity team…..basically a bridge between the sales team and the equity team. Responsibilities - sit on the morning meetings, know every trade in the portfolio, know the local market well, work on client pitches and go along with the sales team for client presentations to talk about the strategy etc.
Positives - pays very well with the possibility of a 100% bonus in a good year, good international travel (I don’t mind travel), cruisy in the sense that work hours can be long but a lot of it is schmoozing so not like stuck in a cubicle for 12 hours…
Flipside - probably say goodbye to the possibility of a buyside analyst role…I know I am working very closely with the PM in this role but I have rarely heard of people making the switch….don’t know if it is the all the fluffy stuff around sales and marketing which just makes the analyst role look less attractive after a while
Second one…
Credit Analyst with part trading responsibilities for an insurance company…..
Positives- good learning curve (I have no direct experience in credit analysis), almost a buyside analyst role, will work with a very smart person I know well, probably could even switch to equities after 2-3 years if I get my story right..
Flipside - pays about 50k less than the product specialist role and little bonus…so the total difference can be quite substantial
I have pretty much made up my mind to go for the analyst role but some of friends disagree…..their thinking that the cumulative monetary difference which is likely to build up over the next 3-4 years between the two roles will be very hard to make up even if I get a good buyside analyst role at an asset manager….
My take - I like most of us on AF who aren’t already doing it, would love to get the experience of managing money…be it credit or equities in the start. From my perspective, early on the skills one develops in such roles is transferable as both concentrate on understanding the fundamental drivers of a business albeit with different motives….or am I just making this one up????
At the same time, the $$$s in the other role look quite attractive….I am not sure what are negatives from a work perspective in such a role.
what does AF think?