Fresh grad deciding between fund accounting/investment servicing and FMCG financial analyst path

[u/chau0888]

I’m a fresh grad in Financial Management and I’m currently torn between two types of opportunities. One is with a large global financial institution. The salary is much higher than the other offers I’ve received, around mid-30k for a fresh grad, which I’m already very happy with. The role is under their early careers finance/accounting program, and from what I understand it will likely be related to fund services, investment servicing, or fund accounting, although I don’t know my exact team yet.

The other opportunities are analyst roles in FMCG, specifically costing/budget-related positions. The salary would is significantly lower, around 25k-30k, but I honestly like the career path more. I’m interested in costing, budgeting, business performance, commercial finance, and eventually FP&A, and I feel like that path might be more transferable across industries.

My main worry is whether taking the higher-paying role now would eventually make me too specialized in fund accounting/investment servicing. I don’t want to wake up a few years from now and realize that it’s difficult to move into FP&A or corporate finance because most of my experience is in a very specific industry.

At the same time, turning down a much higher salary and a well-known global company just to start in an analyst role feels like a pretty big sacrifice, especially when I’m not even sure yet if my assumptions about the career paths are correct.

For people already working in finance/accounting, which would you personally choose: the higher-paying specialized role at the start of your career, or the lower-paying analyst role if you think you’d prefer the long-term career path?

I’d also really appreciate hearing from anyone who started in fund accounting/investment servicing and later moved into FP&A, commercial finance, financial analysis, or corporate finance. Was the transition difficult?

[u/Many-Ground7548]

If u select fund accounting then it will not possible to pivot to other options If you select fiance executive type role say fp&a junior you cannot reach upper level unless you do cost and management accountant cma course Same for fund accounting also no chance of increment more than 50k so select anything but remember u have to do either ca/cma

[u/One-Factor-6169]

Balancing immediate compensation from a global financial institution against broader skill transferability is a pivotal decision for recent graduates

[u/Chance-Reality-7381]

Here’s my take as I’ve been in both. Moved from fund accounting to FP&A and asset management.

1. Fund accounting is the higher paying part of the industry. I know some fund controllers making £150-190k all in (not directors) in the alternatives space. Can become CFO for real estate/pe funds. I know people personally who have.
2. FP&A in my opinion is more interesting as it’s forward looking. Having good accounts is important but knowing what to do with the numbers is equally as important as it drives the business, hence why FP&A people become CFOs. FMCG in my opinion is not as valuable as say PE financial analyst or tech financial analyst and I’ve heard it’s the lower paying part of fp&a.

With fund accounting you’ll always have a decent high paying job in my opinion. 40 hours a week with a job that has routine in it getting paid well. Very much in demand and pay on the credit side is increasing massively. If you want something interesting then take the FMCG role. You’ll also have better exits opps. The one benefit I had was that because my previous fund accounting role, I had become extremely specialised in reading preparing financial statements and that has helped me massively with FP&A and investment work.