Upload your resume — or use our freshman intake if you're just starting — share your preferences and strengths, and get a personalized map of where you fit across asset management, wealth, platforms, data, and more.
📖 Not sure what "buy-side" means? Read the landscape primer →
How it works
01 —
Your archetype
Pick the career persona that fits you best.
02 —
Resume or background
Upload a resume, or use freshman intake if you're pre-experience.
03 —
Preferences quiz
Eight questions about what you want from a career.
04 —
Strengths
Rate current skill level AND interest in developing each dimension.
05 —
Get your map
AI-powered matches with firms, roles, and your personal narrative.
Powered by Pinnacle Paths28 years of buy-side expertise1,000+ professional network
The landscape primer
What does everyone in buy-side finance actually do?
Eight areas, eight plain-English realities. No jargon — just what each path looks like on a Tuesday morning.
Step 01 of 05
Which of these sounds most like you?
Pick the archetype that resonates. It's a mirror, not a test — it anchors your results and gives you language to understand your own fit.
Step 02 of 05
Tell us about your background.
Have a resume? Upload or paste it. Starting with no finance experience yet? Use the freshman intake — we'll build your map from what you have.
📄
Drop your resume here
PDF · DOCX · TXT · or click to browse
✓ resume loaded
📎 PDF uploaded — the AI will read it directly. No need to paste anything.
— or paste resume text —
Intended major / area of study
Courses you've enjoyed most (school, AP, IB — anything)
What are you naturally good at? Be honest.
Extracurriculars, clubs, sports, jobs (any kind)
What excites you about finance or business? Be specific.
Step 03 of 05
What do you actually want from a career?
Eight quick questions. Answer instinctively — the AI uses these to tell apart paths that look similar on the outside but feel completely different once you're actually in them.
One more — industry focus
Which industries do you find genuinely interesting?
Not which industries you know about — which ones you actually find yourself reading about, watching, or curious about. This helps us point you to the right firms within your matched areas. For example, if you're interested in Technology, we'll emphasize firms like Tradeweb and MarketAxess over traditional AM houses. Skip if you're not sure yet.
Step 04 of 05
Your eight core dimensions.
For each dimension, rate your current skill level and separately, your interest in developing it. Both matter — especially if you're early stage with high aspirations.
Step 05 of 05
Last — what kind of answer do you need?
Choose how the AI approaches your results. Click the ▾ Day in the life button on any area tile to preview what the path actually involves before selecting it.
Your mode
✓
🗺️
I'm exploring
Show me the full buy-side landscape and where I fit across all areas.
✓
🎯
I know what I want
Give me 3 specific role matches I can apply to now, with firms and next steps.
✓
🧭
Help me figure it out
No preconceptions — let my background lead entirely. Fully open discovery.
💡 Full exploration mode: area filters are disabled. The AI surfaces your best-fit paths based entirely on your background and strengths — including areas you haven't thought to consider.
Focus areas — optional · tap ▾ on any tile to see a day in the life
Select areas that appeal. Select I don't know yet for open discovery. Leave blank to match across everything.
Matching across all areas
Anything else to know?
Geography, firms you care about, role level, visa needs, deal-breakers.
Building your map…
Reading your background
Your Buy-Side Discovery Map
Here's where you fit.
Personalized by your archetype, background, preferences, and strengths. Scroll your matches, then drill into any area for firm-level and role-level intel.
Drill deeper into any area
Tap any area to get a detailed breakdown — specific firms, entry-level roles, your skill gap, and what to do this week.
Email your results
Enter your email address and we'll send your full discovery map as a branded report — no truncation, fully formatted.
📧 Sent from noreply@pinnacle-paths.com · No data is stored beyond delivery.