Resources for Finance Professionals

[LehmanBrother]

Hello All -

I am an Equity Research Analyst working in New York with a major investment bank. I have been in the business for 7 years, of which 4 have been spent in Research, and 3 in Business Development. I am looking to move to Singapore to pursue opportunities in the areas of Equity Research or Wealth/Asset Management. I have decided that I do not want to work with my current firm in Singapore because our operations there are quite limited to primarily Fixed Income. Can anyone suggest how I can start looking for positions in Singapore? My time frame is quite open, but ideally, I would like to make my move anywhere from 6-12 months from now.

Also, as a side note - in terms of background. I have a Bachelors in Finance and Computer Science from a top US University and I am a Level 3 candidate in the CFA program.

If anyone has advice they can offer, or contacts they can offer me, I would be happy to buy you a drink or three when I visit Singapore in December 2007.

Cheers,
LB

[Makan24-7]

If you work for Lehman Bros on 7th Ave or Park Ave, then you should be networking with other banks on The Street for positions in Singapore. The partners there should be able to connect you to the partners in the Singapore offices. That's your best bet. Use your competitive advantage being on the Street.

[LehmanBrother]

I'm on 7th Avenue. It's not that easy to just call up another bank and ask for contacts. I have two uncles in Singapore that run Asset Managment companies there and do business with UBS, Morgan, Merrill, etc.........I could go through them to find opportunities, but I'd rather use that as a last resort. Any other ideas?

[Makan24-7]

No one's asking you to cold call. That's the least effective way. If you came from a top ranked school, your alumni network is the best way to start building the network to take you to Singapore. I recognize that you don't have an MBA (MBA alumni networks are usually very very effective if you come from a top 10-15 school) but it's still the best way to start.

I hope to be wrong in telling you this but apart from that, the networks your uncles have are your best bet. Here's why:

1. No one on the forum's going to risk their reputation/credibility recommending someone they have never met to decision makers in the Singapore banking circle especially when the circle here is very, very small. You of all people should know how networks and relationships are everything on the Street, more so in Singapore where the community is significantly smaller and where everyone really does know everyone.

2. Banks here recruit through headhunters. Although these headhunters are the elite firms such as Korn Ferry, Egon Zehnder, Heidrick & Struggles etc, their Singapore offices, to put it politely, are not put to par with their US counterparts in their recruiting standards.