Top prop firm to top MBA?

Quote from EvOTraderV2:

the #s published are deceitful. I worked inside a career services office in college and know how it can be. Don't get me wrong. I believe b-school can be a great investment and it was for me; However, I strongly advise against the mentality of "prestige" because all markets are financial markets - whoever is clever and capable of capturing the gains to be made in that market will yield the most.

Just like in trading, the school you went to has very little effect on your ability to trade profitably. It does help you learn risk-management principals, how to market yourself, global markets, economics, etc but ultimately business comes down to performance. When I was younger, I refused to believe that. I convinced myself going to the best schools and getting excellent grades is the path to success. I later found out, it was not the degree or the school that determined success but the actual drive for success and ability to conduct business without your emotions getting the better of you.

My advise to you is to speak to people who have MBAs - not necessary current students. Speak to graduates o the last 5 years and weigh the return on investment you see. Just like placing a trade, you should calculate your risk and limit your exposure; However, there is no simple answer to whether or not an MBA is the best choice.
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I have spoken to a lot of MBA alums actually. All of them HIGHLY recommended it and said that even though the loans are rough, they had an amazing time and were able to transition into the jobs they wanted. The people who landed buyside told me that given my background and career goals, a top MBA is almost essential.

I agree that job stats, like any other stat, can be fudged or distorted. Nonetheless, the job market for students at top schools is quite solid; recruiters still flood these schools to seek talent, and having easy access to those firms is invaluable.
 
I think you have a good sense your own situation.

Since you wanted to go into investment management, which is the field I've been working in for almost a decade, I thought I'd just offer you a few of my thoughts..specifically my view that most of the firms out there aren't doing good research. Still, at the end of the day I feel that investment analysis is a great job. I love this work. Its fun, unpredictable, and has a never ending learning curve. Yes, it will probably be a lot more fulfilling then trading.
 
Quote from doublet83:

I think you have a good sense your own situation.

Since you wanted to go into investment management, which is the field I've been working in for almost a decade, I thought I'd just offer you a few of my thoughts..specifically my view that most of the firms out there aren't doing good research. Still, at the end of the day I feel that investment analysis is a great job. I love this work. Its fun, unpredictable, and has a never ending learning curve. Yes, it will probably be a lot more fulfilling then trading.
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I agree. There are SO many more interesting finance jobs than prop trading, a dying industry.
 
i am an investment banker (M&A) and have trading exp (derivatives, flows). i can tell you that what you need isnt an MBA or a new job, it is a long holiday and a change of life style.
 
Quote from Dobbes:

Why not asset management? You get front office/client responsbility, and you are responsible for performance, which you will be able to use your trading background as demonstrable experience. CFA is a good idea for any client-facing role, MBA may not be necessary.

As far as research: the sell side research is vastly different from buy side research. Most of the sell side research is thinly veiled promotional for a product (of course). It is closer to writing copy than it is researching and creating good investment portfolios. You don't need an MBA to work on sell side research. Sure the guy who is the official author may have one, but the guys actually doing the writing have a copy writing background.

If you really want to do research, you need to stay on the buy side. DRW, if you are there would be especially good. Talk to your bosses about transferring departments. Again, MBA may not be necessary if you have the write recommendations within your company.

Really, all the MBA is doing is stopping your career. You'll take two years off and incur some debt for the chance of a fresh start. My advice would be to take less risk. Either go part-time on tuition assistance from your employer, find a new job within the company, or start applying for asset management positions.
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I agree that sellside research is a lot of fluff, and I don't have any interest in that.

DRW is a prop trading firm. They definitely have researchers, but the type of work they're doing is very different from a traditional investment management firm.

Ideally, yes, it would be awesome to be able to get the job I want without an MBA, but it's all about access and credibility, which a top MBA will give me.
 
Quote from blueraincap:

...it is a long holiday and a change of life style.
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Probably that's what he is looking for. MBA is probably a bit of both ;-)

(with possibly adding some extra values)
 
Quote from trade4succes:

Probably that's what he is looking for. MBA is probably a bit of both ;-)

(with possibly adding some extra values)
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Lol. So true. B-school is 2 years of nonstop networking/partying/travelling. WAY more fun than the "real" world.
 
Quote from torque:

Lol. So true. B-school is 2 years of nonstop networking/partying/travelling. WAY more fun than the "real" world.
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A little correction - Where you land post your 2 years at a top B-School gets determined more by how much "hard work" you have done at the School rather than networking/partying/travelling aspect. :) Wishing you the best.
 
Quote from gmst:

A little correction - Where you land post your 2 years at a top B-School gets determined more by how much "hard work" you have done at the School rather than networking/partying/travelling aspect. :) Wishing you the best.
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Networking is more important than grades.
 
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