how did you break out of the back office/ops?

Thanks guys, useful advise. I was going to give up. Paseed L3 this year.

I would study like a madman for the GMAT. Take all the time that you’d devote to L1 of the CFA and study just for the GMAT. Get your 700+ score. Then take all the L2 time and work on writing compelling essays and doing some meaningful community service work. Take your L3 time and put together the absolute best application you can for 10 top b schools. Apply to b school with your great GMAT, great extracurrics, great essays, and solid work exp/recs. Once you’re in at a top 20 bschool say bye bye to back office. I personally wouldn’t waste time on CFA. The effort is better spent doing the MBA.

DirtyZ Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I would study like a madman for the GMAT. Take > all the time that you’d devote to L1 of the CFA > and study just for the GMAT. Get your 700+ score. > Then take all the L2 time and work on writing > compelling essays and doing some meaningful > community service work. Take your L3 time and put > together the absolute best application you can for > 10 top b schools. Apply to b school with your > great GMAT, great extracurrics, great essays, and > solid work exp/recs. Once you’re in at a top 20 > bschool say bye bye to back office. > > I personally wouldn’t waste time on CFA. The > effort is better spent doing the MBA. Sure, if the guy wants to go into consulting or something, but if the front office is the goal, a CFA charter is pretty much mandatory these days, or, at least some progression with the designation.

equity_analyst: Correct me if I am wrong, but in banking this is not the case. An MBA is much more desirable. I also read of people in PE, VC who have no need or use for the CFA. Portfolio management among some other areas, I am sure you are right.

For me it was interview skills. I had all the required stuff to get TO the interview and ran with it. Willy

Theo Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > equity_analyst: Correct me if I am wrong, but in > banking this is not the case. An MBA is much more > desirable. I also read of people in PE, VC who > have no need or use for the CFA. Portfolio > management among some other areas, I am sure you > are right. Yeah, sorry, I’m refering to the front office in investment management.

bump

I networked my butt off. I mean email, phone call and followed up a ton. I also formed relationships with traders outside of work related issue’s. I just kept coming back even when they gave me a hard time. After a few months, they knew I was not going anywhere and helped me out. just working hard and letting people know where you want to go helped me a ton.

goldenboy09 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I networked my butt off. I mean email, phone call > and followed up a ton. I also formed relationships > with traders outside of work related issue’s. I > just kept coming back even when they gave me a > hard time. After a few months, they knew I was not > going anywhere and helped me out. > > just working hard and letting people know where > you want to go helped me a ton. So true, people aren’t going to know what your goal is unless you tell them–repeatedly.

your right. I told the manager of one desk how do I get a seat. point blank. he laughed. i ran into him again at company happy hour and asked again. he laughed I just kept coming back. Finally a seat open and he asked me if I was still intersted.

i responded to a similar question here

i responded to a similar question here http://www.analystforum.com/phorums/read.php?12,821885,823438#msg-823438

Maybe I am being a prude but sometimes I try not to be so blatant, but I guess your end goal and plain for all to see anyway so network away. Oh but one thing is that i hate kissing FO butts. Do you just suck it in and kiss away, grin n bear it or what?