I've been working in a markets related role for 2 years at a sell-side bank in NYC. My day to day responsibilities include following the markets closely and providing value added insights, which requires an understanding of how everything is interconnected. However, I was reached out by a recruiter for an opportunity in an asset management company(buy-side), but the position does not appear to be markets related. It's a risk analyst position involved in maintaining risk analytic models, providing management with insights about portfolio risk, assessing liquidity risk, etc.. and reporting to portfolio managersMy goal in the future is to be a portfolio manager so I am at odds about this new job. I feel like I am moving away from the day-to-day movements of the financial markets. However, the pay at this firm is 30-40% more than my current pay not including bonuses and it's on the buy-side and perhaps some hard skills for my career.Anyone have any insights? So essentially I feel like it's moving from a front-office (client-facing role) to a middle-off (non-client facing role). Correct me if I have made incorrect statements.

Why do you compare compensation across the positions "not including bonuses"? If you are at such a junior level that bonuses constitute rounding errors, I would conjecture that your insights on the interconnectedness of all things are of fairly limited added value, and that the risk analytics position will have you make a much more tangible contribution. I am also of the firm belief that banks will remain pretty miserable places to work for the foreseeable future, so those are a couple of reasons supporting the move. But you are probably correct in being concerned about moving in the direction away from client contact into a more nebulous middle office sphere. Are you actually entertaining a job offer or merely trying to decide whether to return the headhunter's phone call? If it is the latter, I would suggest you go and talk to the buy side people and see if you like them. That also counts for a lot.

Thanks, i will take your advice. I didnt include bonuses because I dont know what they are.

Never ever move away from client facing to non-client facing... never front office to back office. Risk is back office. Once you go to the back, it will be like swimming up a waterfall to go to front office again.