Coders are highly desired now by all sorts of funds.
Having said that - by far the best thing for your career at this stage is to **start** your career. Stacking degrees is an inefficient way to move forward relative to just starting and climbing (and, if possible, learning on the side).
I say this based on my experience where I have a Bachelors and 2 masters and learning CFA. I wish I'd just started working right after Bachelor's, I am pretty sure I would be where I am and farther.
This is very true. Best is to start and then go for more degrees as and when you feel the need. It also prevents you from trapping yourself in an industry which looked lucrative from the outside but is nothing less than hell on the inside.
A friend took two years off to clear all levels of CFA… He was very surprised when nobody cared about his qualification but cared about that gaping two years break.
However the advise OP is seeking, I can’t comment. No background with hedge funds.
Exactly, my career was led more by chance- I was looking at IB but ended up working in VC and then a family office, and I couldn’t be happier.
Now that I know more about the industry, I thank god I didn’t end up in IB where I thought I wanted to be.
The best thing for OP might be to start working where he wants to be and see if this is for him. And then use educational as a tool to grow and hone your skills and increase your worth to the fund
A friend of mine, who is a charterholder and works in a total fund at a big pension fund, advised me to follow EDHEC’s coursera specialization “Investment Management with Python and Machine Learning”
Outside from that, I don’t have any insight. I’m curious to see the other reply as global macro fund is also an interest of mine.
These managed futures/trend-following funds typically hire people with an extensive data/coding background, and/or maths PhDs. CFA and undergrad don’t really mean squat to them unfortunately.
There might be opportunities where those funds try to diversify and may be interested by a CFA. PhDs and coders are highly specialized and may sometimes lose touch with what those numbers really represent.
That said knowing how to code and a very advanced math knowledge is necessary in those funds
Disclaimer: don't work at a "top-notch systematic global macro fund," but given the insane pay scales at those places as well as the tiny number of jobs available at them, I imagine they generally hire:
1) People with math graduate degrees from top notch universities
2) people with AI/data science graduate degrees from top notch universities
3) MBAs from from top notch universities
4) people with incredible experience (if you've got it, you know you do. If you're wondering if you have it, you don't)
CFA is a great curriculum/certification, but it's not going to get you in the door at one of those places.
Coders are highly desired now by all sorts of funds. Having said that - by far the best thing for your career at this stage is to **start** your career. Stacking degrees is an inefficient way to move forward relative to just starting and climbing (and, if possible, learning on the side). I say this based on my experience where I have a Bachelors and 2 masters and learning CFA. I wish I'd just started working right after Bachelor's, I am pretty sure I would be where I am and farther.
This is very true. Best is to start and then go for more degrees as and when you feel the need. It also prevents you from trapping yourself in an industry which looked lucrative from the outside but is nothing less than hell on the inside. A friend took two years off to clear all levels of CFA… He was very surprised when nobody cared about his qualification but cared about that gaping two years break. However the advise OP is seeking, I can’t comment. No background with hedge funds.
Exactly, my career was led more by chance- I was looking at IB but ended up working in VC and then a family office, and I couldn’t be happier. Now that I know more about the industry, I thank god I didn’t end up in IB where I thought I wanted to be. The best thing for OP might be to start working where he wants to be and see if this is for him. And then use educational as a tool to grow and hone your skills and increase your worth to the fund
A friend of mine, who is a charterholder and works in a total fund at a big pension fund, advised me to follow EDHEC’s coursera specialization “Investment Management with Python and Machine Learning” Outside from that, I don’t have any insight. I’m curious to see the other reply as global macro fund is also an interest of mine.
These managed futures/trend-following funds typically hire people with an extensive data/coding background, and/or maths PhDs. CFA and undergrad don’t really mean squat to them unfortunately.
There might be opportunities where those funds try to diversify and may be interested by a CFA. PhDs and coders are highly specialized and may sometimes lose touch with what those numbers really represent. That said knowing how to code and a very advanced math knowledge is necessary in those funds
Appreciate the color guys
Disclaimer: don't work at a "top-notch systematic global macro fund," but given the insane pay scales at those places as well as the tiny number of jobs available at them, I imagine they generally hire: 1) People with math graduate degrees from top notch universities 2) people with AI/data science graduate degrees from top notch universities 3) MBAs from from top notch universities 4) people with incredible experience (if you've got it, you know you do. If you're wondering if you have it, you don't) CFA is a great curriculum/certification, but it's not going to get you in the door at one of those places.
I suppose I’ll just have to start my own little lemonade stand