What to Know about the Job-Search Process
Valerie Fred serves as a dedicated career coach for the Master’s in Asset Management program, helping students secure post-graduation jobs. Here, she answers some frequently asked questions about the Career Development Office (CDO) and the recruiting process.
Graduates of the Master’s in Asset Management program have secured positions at a variety of firms, including major banks, investment funds, and hedge funds. View the Employment Report for the Class of 2023.
What kinds of assistance does the Career Development Office offer?
“I am the dedicated coach for the program, but you can absolutely make an appointment with any of the career coaches in the office. I encourage students to meet more than just me to get a different perspective. If you ever just want to run something by us, there’s always somebody available, either virtually or sitting in Evans Hall, during a dedicated daily open hour. You can just pop in and ask a quick question.”
What advice do you have for students approaching the networking process?
“Networking in the United States is culturally a little different and unique. It can sometimes feel a bit uncomfortable to just send cold emails to people that you’ve never met before. That’s something that myself and others in the Career Development Office can really help you with. It feels easier if you have a strategy and approach early on.”
The Master’s in Asset Management program has a practical experience requirement. What exactly does that entail?
“The practical experience requirement is very flexible. A handful of students have done very structured off-cycle internships at asset management firms—even in person—one day or more a week. Some students do research for professors. Some students do case competitions. There’s a number of different ways that the requirement can be fulfilled, and it isn’t meant to be overly burdensome. It isn’t meant to stress students out—we want students focusing on their full-time career search in addition to their coursework."
What does the recruiting timeline look like for students in the Master’s in Asset Management program?
“The field of asset management is very broad, so we don’t see a tremendous amount of formalized structured recruiting. Asset management recruitment relies on more proactive outreach and networking than some other paths.
“Instead, we have multi-employer HireSOM events, some virtually. As part of my role, I am constantly doing outreach to employers. We do HireSOM events throughout the year and we aim to get as many asset management employers as possible to participate.
“Remember, asset management students have access to all the same resources that any SOM student has. And the vast majority of events that are run on campus are open to all SOM students.”