I’m working on contract as a senior analyst for a transport company. Basically doing their capital planning. My gigs up in 6 weeks.
Got a call from a very well respected buy side institutional investor. They’re offering me a short contract 4 months because they need some help in the…back office.
I mean waaaay back office. The role isn’t even called analyst. Its called ‘technician’…jesus christ
I’ve never worked in hardcore financial services, only in industry. But appearantly having both an accounting designation, and doing CFA L3 does not qualify me for a role in research analysis because the competition is so damn high.
WTF do I do?
Not take the role, and spend 2 months really- and I mean really- garunteeing I pass L3
Take the role, and risk branding myself as back office, but also gain some experience?
I doubt any role is “worthless.” If you can pass L3 anyway, then take the job, hammer away, make a good impression and see what opportunities that might open up.
Well, I was temping in college in BO at a big asset manager. I started from the bottom, now I’m here. Started from the bottom and whole crew f’n here.
Pass L3 and network. Many asset managers have graduate rotations that take people through compliance, marketing, investing, backo office, etc. One of the reasons for this is because having an impression of the whole business will help future high level managers. I say take the job and pass L3. You need money anyway and your other gigs almost up. Nobody is “branding” you as back office for a temp role. Just be careful about staying for years and years.
Our firm recruits using compliance, risk and backoffice roles to recruit and train people of our business in general. So around here there is none of this backoffice can never move to front office…its honestly just they don’t want to move.
Where there is a will there is a way. If you build your CV and network they will come!