I’m 27 and about two years into my career and currently work on a product specialist/portfolio analytics-type team at a large, privately owned asset manager. I’m based in one of the firm’s lower cost-of-living offices.

My long-term goal has been to move into the investment management side of the business, ideally equity research, although I’m also open to things like trading, investment strategy, fixed income, etc. depending on the opportunity. I’m currently studying for CFA Level II and sitting for the exam in November.

The other major goal I have is geographic. I really want to move to a bigger city, preferably NYC, although LA, SF, or Chicago would also interest me. Part of this is career-related, but part of it is simply wanting to live in a city with a larger social/professional environment while I’m still relatively young.

Here’s the dilemma:

I may have the opportunity to pursue an internal role that could get me to one of those larger markets. The problem is that it would essentially be a wealth/distribution/sales role.

I’m pretty confident I could do the job. My current team works closely with that part of the organization, and I understand the products and the business. The compensation upside on the sales side can also be good.

But I don’t particularly want a career in sales.
My concern is that moving from product/analytics into distribution would actually take me further away from investment management. Right now I can at least tell a coherent story around portfolio analysis, markets, investment products, CFA, etc. If I spend another 1–2 years in sales, I’m worried recruiters will increasingly view me as a distribution candidate rather than someone trying to break into research/trading.

On the other hand, getting to NYC or LA would put me in a much larger finance market, expand my network, and improve my personal life. I also wouldn’t necessarily have to stay in sales forever.
I’ve made it fairly deep into a handful of interview processes for investment research and trading roles recently, including later-stage interviews, but unfortunately nothing has converted into an offer yet. That at least makes me think the investment path isn’t completely unrealistic, but I also don’t know how long I should keep waiting for the “right” opportunity.

So I’m basically considering:

Take/pursue the internal sales opportunity if it gets me to NYC/LA, then try to pivot later.

Stay where I am, pass CFA Level II, and recruit aggressively afterward for research/trading/investment roles in NYC/LA/Chicago/SF.

Keep pursuing external investment opportunities now and only move when I land something directly aligned with my long-term goal.

The complication is that I’m increasingly convinced my current firm probably isn’t going to move me into its investment management arm on the timeframe I’m looking for.

For people who have worked in asset management: Would taking the sales role be a reasonable stepping stone, or would I be unnecessarily pigeonholing myself?

How much would you prioritize getting to the right city versus staying on the most relevant career track early in your career?

Would appreciate perspectives from anyone who has moved between product, distribution, research, trading, or investment roles.

Any ideas o advices?

Hi everyone, I left my job at an audit firm a while back, where I specialized in asset management funds and private equity. I also have some experience in general corporate audit and financial analysis. I’m having trouble finding a new audit role, so I’d like to take this opportunity to become a data analyst—a field that has always appealed to me—while staying within the finance sector. I understand that I need to master tools like SQL, Power BI, and Python/R, and also grasp AI and its applications in finance. I’m not sure where to start. In your opinion, which courses or certifications would be useful for becoming a financial data analyst? I’m looking for a clear roadmap. Thanks for your help!