BlackRock – “Review on BLK by a former PMG Associate”

Pros

BLK has a great culture and excellent brand name. The sell side treats you like kings and queens when you are on the portfolio management side. You hit the ground running and literally do everything that the senior PMs do, which is invaluable.

Cons

It is nearly impossible to move between product groups on the portfolio management side despite expressing interest in something else after a year or two. If a product group is not doing well, a young associate is stuck with a stagnant career at an excellent firm. Then what?

Advice to Senior Management

There should be an Associate program that is rotational. After a 2 year rotation, a person can then choose the specialty or a group chooses from the program. This way, both the associate and the group know if they are a good long term fit.