01-11-2018, 04:07 PM
Here are some of the more stereotypical/common career paths in finance you see:
Undergrad > Banker > Banker lifer
Undergrad > Banker > Private Equity/Hedge Fund/Asset Management
Undergrad > Banker > Grad (MBA) > PE/HF/AM
Undergrad > Banker > Corporate Finance
Undergrad > Trader > Trader lifer
Undergrad > Trader > HF/AM
Undergrad > Equity/Credit Research > Research lifer
Undergrad > Equity/Credit Research > PE/HF/AM
Undergrad > Consultant > PE/HF/AM
Undergrad > Consultant > Equity/Credit Research
Undergrad > Accountant > Equity/Credit Research > PE/HF/AM
Undergrad > Accountant > Corporate Finance
Undergrad > Operations at bank > Operations at PE/HF/AM
Undergrad > Operations > Exchange/fintech company
Undergrad > PE/HF/AM (rare)
Undergrad > Sales > Investor Relations at PE/HF/AM
Undergrad > Sales > Capital Formation at PE/HF/AM
Undergrad > Wealth Management > Family Office
Grad (scientific concentration) > Trading/Research > HF/AM
Grad (scientific concentration) > HF/AM
If you're wondering why the representation of 'Grad' is so paltry compared to those that start with 'Undergrad', realize that you can stick 'MBA' in between just about any point in above career paths and it will hold true.
Also, just to caveat everything above, while my answer may portray the industry as generously meritocratic, in reality, these career paths rely heavily on deeply rooted biases and prejudices held by those wielding the power to hire. In many ways, finance is still very "clubby" in that certain attributes/backgrounds/previous work experiences are weighted heavily in favor of or against the candidate and you tend to see certain career paths, schools and backgrounds a lot more than others.Â
But all-in-all, while competition is high, this industry is a great place for those that aren't shy about where they come from, are sharp, and are ready to roll up their sleeves and work hard.
Undergrad > Banker > Banker lifer
Undergrad > Banker > Private Equity/Hedge Fund/Asset Management
Undergrad > Banker > Grad (MBA) > PE/HF/AM
Undergrad > Banker > Corporate Finance
Undergrad > Trader > Trader lifer
Undergrad > Trader > HF/AM
Undergrad > Equity/Credit Research > Research lifer
Undergrad > Equity/Credit Research > PE/HF/AM
Undergrad > Consultant > PE/HF/AM
Undergrad > Consultant > Equity/Credit Research
Undergrad > Accountant > Equity/Credit Research > PE/HF/AM
Undergrad > Accountant > Corporate Finance
Undergrad > Operations at bank > Operations at PE/HF/AM
Undergrad > Operations > Exchange/fintech company
Undergrad > PE/HF/AM (rare)
Undergrad > Sales > Investor Relations at PE/HF/AM
Undergrad > Sales > Capital Formation at PE/HF/AM
Undergrad > Wealth Management > Family Office
Grad (scientific concentration) > Trading/Research > HF/AM
Grad (scientific concentration) > HF/AM
If you're wondering why the representation of 'Grad' is so paltry compared to those that start with 'Undergrad', realize that you can stick 'MBA' in between just about any point in above career paths and it will hold true.
Also, just to caveat everything above, while my answer may portray the industry as generously meritocratic, in reality, these career paths rely heavily on deeply rooted biases and prejudices held by those wielding the power to hire. In many ways, finance is still very "clubby" in that certain attributes/backgrounds/previous work experiences are weighted heavily in favor of or against the candidate and you tend to see certain career paths, schools and backgrounds a lot more than others.Â
But all-in-all, while competition is high, this industry is a great place for those that aren't shy about where they come from, are sharp, and are ready to roll up their sleeves and work hard.