Hi all
I appreciate that there is a glut of such posts however I hope you have one more career advice post in you.
I'm currently at a Big 4 accountancy firm in Audit (financial services, main clients are two v large investment banks), in London. I will qualify as an ACA mid 2013, and am sitting the first level of CFA in December 2011. I have a 2:1 in Economics from Leeds and BBB at A Level. Fully appreciate that this is a bit mediocre.
My current job is predominantly concerned with assessing the operational controls in big banks (FOBO recs, book price testing, reviewing large positions/exposures, kicking the tyres of the management reporting process). I have a good understanding (better than most graduates, I would say) of, and a strong interest in, financial markets, derivatives and investment banking.
I am interested in trading, equity research, credit rating, and fund management. I was hoping to get a feel for what kind of thing you think could be achievable given my current position. I would like to move just after qualifying as an ACA. If I really pull my finger out, I'll complete the second level of CFA by then too.
Is there any hope for me getting into Trading/Research at a big bank? Could I get a junior position in a fund? Should I be looking at smaller firms?
I would not rule out corporate finance, however the hours are a bit of a turn off. I'd only do this for a few years (I think most people say this), if it was a good way of getting a more sustainable long term position.
I would not like to go into product control as this seems like a complete dead end. I do not have the capital to trade on my own.
I'm willing to move anywhere in the US, or to Hong Kong or Singapore. Or stay here. Would consider Frankfurt/Zurich too.
Advice welcome...
I appreciate that there is a glut of such posts however I hope you have one more career advice post in you.
I'm currently at a Big 4 accountancy firm in Audit (financial services, main clients are two v large investment banks), in London. I will qualify as an ACA mid 2013, and am sitting the first level of CFA in December 2011. I have a 2:1 in Economics from Leeds and BBB at A Level. Fully appreciate that this is a bit mediocre.
My current job is predominantly concerned with assessing the operational controls in big banks (FOBO recs, book price testing, reviewing large positions/exposures, kicking the tyres of the management reporting process). I have a good understanding (better than most graduates, I would say) of, and a strong interest in, financial markets, derivatives and investment banking.
I am interested in trading, equity research, credit rating, and fund management. I was hoping to get a feel for what kind of thing you think could be achievable given my current position. I would like to move just after qualifying as an ACA. If I really pull my finger out, I'll complete the second level of CFA by then too.
Is there any hope for me getting into Trading/Research at a big bank? Could I get a junior position in a fund? Should I be looking at smaller firms?
I would not rule out corporate finance, however the hours are a bit of a turn off. I'd only do this for a few years (I think most people say this), if it was a good way of getting a more sustainable long term position.
I would not like to go into product control as this seems like a complete dead end. I do not have the capital to trade on my own.
I'm willing to move anywhere in the US, or to Hong Kong or Singapore. Or stay here. Would consider Frankfurt/Zurich too.
Advice welcome...
