Education · 1 of 4

The path

Nobody starts as a hedge fund manager. You earn the right to manage money by being right for years as an analyst.

1. 1

   Bachelor's degree

   4 years

   Finance, economics, math, computer science or engineering.

2. 2

   First job

   2 to 3 years

   Investment banking, equity research or a junior analyst seat at a fund. Quant funds hire straight from math and coding degrees.

3. 3

   Hedge fund analyst

   3 to 5 years

   You research companies or markets and pitch trades to a portfolio manager.

4. 4

   Senior analyst

   2 to 4 years

   You own a sector and some of the decisions. Your track record is now visible.

5. 5

   Portfolio manager

   Ongoing, as long as you perform

   You get your own pool of money and your own risk limits, usually in your 30s.