Hi Everyone, So I just graduated with a degree in economics. I do have a job lined up at a boutique consulting firm (mainly working with tech companies doing project management).
This is great but what I really want to be doing is working in asset management. I was thinking about applying to a MSF school for fall of 2014. Is this a bad idea?
Or should I do my CFA level 1 in December and try to find a job once I pass. I was hoping to work in finance after graduation but never got an offer.
I’ve heard a lot of the lower tier MSF schools are not worth it. I would love to work at a HF or become a portfolio manager one day but obviously i need to go to the right school or going to MSF does nothing.
With a year in consulting, great EC’s (varsity athletics, student government, etc), 3.2 gpa, I’m confident I can score well on the gmat/gre (whichever I’m suppose to take) but do I have a shot at the top tier schools? how high do i need to score? Is this even a good idea?
Should I just look for a AM job and finish my cfa?
Ah yes, it is graduation time in college land. That’s why so many of these posts are popping up lately.
passing L1 gives you 0 benefit these days in terms of breaking in. tens of thousands of people have L1 on their resumes. So, keep that in mind when planning.
you are correct that “lower tier” these days generally isn’t worth it: applies to MS or MBA (although a few people will pop in to flame that). Though, this is very true given today’s bad hiring environment.
3.2 gpa isn’t that good.
for you, I would stick with consulting, do your CFA, then try for an MBA in 3-4 years, get into a good school, use campus recruiting to leap somewhere.
IMO you should be happy you have a job offer, especially with a degree in econ and that GPA. When I graduated lots of the people I knew with econ majors wound up making lattes.
As Blake would say, LMAO. Yeah, I’m sure IT consulting, installing ERP systems, and configuring SAP/Oracle counts as investment decision making process! Perhaps this pup can trump up the experience to, “I helped install, implement, and configure proprietary software systems so BSDs can M’n’A on the Buyside.”
thanks. I actually am super excited. i actually don’t know a ton about the career progression. any consulting websites/blog i should read. so i can learn more about salary, lifestyle, etc
Also practice minimal sleep and read up on airline/hotel loyalty programs if you will travel. Career progression at the best firms (BCG, etc) is going to be work 2-3 years and get out and do an MBA (not because you want to, but because its the next step).
Well, management consulting can involve corporate finance and project finance kinds of activities. If you can find the parts of the CFA curriculum that line up with your job responsibilities and you are advocating for the allocation of company resources baed on their return on investment, you can often shoe-horn the experience in.
Plenty of people here will poo-hoo it as “not really investing,” but at the end of the day, all that matters is what the guys at CFAI think.