I have just passed all my ACA exams at the first attempt and have 2.5 years audit experience in one of the “big 4″ accountancy firms in London.

I am very interested in ER and looking to switch careers when I qualify in September this year. I feel however that my degree (Science), qualification and work experience to date lack the macro-economic theory and commercial awareness required for a job in ER.

Do you think I should apply now for ER roles or maybe do some extra training beforehand? If you think a course would help are there any in particular that you think are a must?

Thanks

I’ve previously held some positions at some smaller stock brokers by which they made me churn out reports.. none of which have quant sorta work in there.

Its nice to have a site dedicated to equities research especially since everyone who majors or has ambitions in finance are so drawn to investment banking!

keep up the good work!!!

ER headhunters tend to look for Big 4 London based ACA’s who are experienced in the particular sector they are recruiting for. You also need to have incredibly strong financial modelling skills and preferably some kind of experience in corporate finance or transaction services. Another important aspect is to have first time passes on your ACA or whatever professional qualification you will be taking. There are very few jobs in ER, so competition is fierce.

great site, is it new?

I was just wondering how relevant is work in auditing? I managed to secure an internship at a big 4 company and will be hunting for more work in the investment management side of things. All of which i HOPE will land me a big fish in equities research.

The reason why I ask, is that I find accounting and financial statements are crucial for equities research and having the ability to draw information from the statements is a skill that is highly sought after.. I figured as an auditor you will become familiar with such processes. Others have told me its useful but to the extent I had imagined. What do you think?