Someone quoted this in a responce to you:
"I seriously looked at finance/financial engineering programs, but they are too narrow in focus, and I don't want to be a quant. My "ideal" job is research or product management at a large investment management firm such as wellington, fidelity, t rowe price, pimco, atc."
Going from your quote, here is a story AND a solution for you.
Once a long time ago, I got connected to a firm that did what you feel is the perfect fit.
You want to produce "white papers" that, if acted upon, get fees into the company you want to work for.
My job was to edit and correct and upgrade "white papers".
Then I was asked to take their staff to meetings where the "research" questions could be asked.
Then I was asked to just make four trips a year to Europe to distribute and explain "white papers" in top level meetings and just pick up OPM for use in the US.
Segway to your list. Those are big companies as you say. They hire US connected people (guys who are relatives of rich people just getting out of school; C+ history majors).
You can't hack the cultural problem (I didn't have that problem; I was a two column cut in the NY Times with header male then female). BUT .....
Be a big frog in a small pond instead. Work for a small company and contribute strongly.
I was recruited at a cocktail party in Greenwich (a suburb east of NYC).
I agreed to read a "white paper". It was really not too good. So I corrected it to make it valuable, etc. , etc..
NYC is the place to go and just have a few drinks.
You probably are good at research; I think you can evaluate.
Get 10 white papers from five NYC outfits. "Fix" their bullshit.
Call the author and ask to have drinks. Ask if he wants some input to be able to market the white paper's content.
Work on the paper with him and see if he will take you to a presentation.
Cost: who knows but its cheap.
My timeline was Saturday cocktails as friend's mansion in Greenwich. Lunch on Tuesday and did markup afer lunch.
They did presentations and were all over me to do research. So a few weeks later I was on the road doing research interviews to make a new white paper. I wrote at home. they did presentations.
I was guaranteed a partnership in two years if I went full time.
I declined. I went to live in Switzerland. They came to see me over and over.
Punchline:
1. Are you smart and confident?
2. Can you fix the usual NYC bullshit of the Financial Industry?
3. Are you a quick study regarding time valued info?
I admit many years later I was recruited to be on the Wharton faculty. I was just a name they wanted; so the boss of UCSC agreed to lend my name and time.
In the Finncial Industry, there are very few intellectual requirements. Salespeople need something to hold in their hand and present. Sales is just bullshitting to get a decision. If you like research and you are quick witted and can turn out time valued research, you will have it made.
there are people who work for "finder's fees". This is the trash of the financial industry. On the otherhand, there are people who want timely information to make decisions to apply unused capital. This stuff is etherial timely information.
The white papers I worked on were borderline "insider information". Doing interviews with power gets white paper timely substantive content.
Example: A company is growing. they buy new property to cast machine tools. they plan to ship green castings for machining back at the original manufacturind site.
Your paper shows they are going to have a royal fuck up (post machining stress relief). the paper you provide to other machine tool company investor corporations prevent this type mistake being made with OPM.
There are only 197 market stock sectors. Expertise in research comes easy. BUT it is also the missing link in the FI in NYC.
The heirarchy is money, power and information. You want to create information; you have it made.
As a past Adj Prof at Wharton, I suggest that you skip the MBA and begin the wealth harvest.
Also later in life, consulting as an Adj Prof at Wharton is one hell of a trip; no doors are closed to you. You are sought after continually.
