Career Perspectives: Investment Management

RC: Andrei Muresianu
Company: SAC Capital
Website: none
Industry: Investment Management
Position/Function: Analyst
Location: Corporate – Stamford, Ct.
Responsibilities: Covered the Restaurant and Computer and Business Service sectors

So what do Analysts do?
Analysts help pick stocks for investment portfolios. This involves everything from building comprehensive financial models on publicly traded companies, to talking to executives, listening to conference calls, visiting company facilities, etc. As an analyst you will use this research to make investment recommendations (in my case, equity investment recommendations, but others may also get involved in distressed debt, currencies, etc.) and monitor current positions.

What is a typical day for an Analyst?
Get to the office really early. Start scanning for news out on companies that you are responsible for covering as well as general market news that might impact your names. Spend the day updating models, talking to companies, watching the market trade, talking to others in the industry, reading newspapers, trying to come up with new investment ideas, etc.

What type of person would love this job?
Someone who loves learning new things- new industries, companies, technologies, etc. but who doesn’t necessarily want to have access to the nuts and bolts of those industries. Most everything done in the hedge fund or broader investment management industry is done at arms length. You should also love finance, the markets and be a bit of a news junkie. Lastly, you don’t work on projects that have a defined beginning, middle and end, the investment management world is a constantly evolving one where your work is never done.

What did you like the most about this job?
Being connected to the world through the financial markets. Being paid to learn new things.

What did you like the least about this job?
The stress.