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DEAR MENTEES: since I posted my "job interview" thread, I've been getting numerous DMs requesting advice. For the next hour, DM me any question you want advice on, I will repost screencap on this thread cropping out your name/pic (i.e. you will be anonymized) & provide counsel
Thanks to my friend @Shitfund who created the concept of an anon-DM thread & I am shamelessly stealing
I am going to need the followers to participate in the thread and weigh in here because some of these questions are specific in areas I have zero experience in. Will I still offer advice despite having zero experience? I think we know the answer to that
If it's the only opportunity you have, don't overthink it—take it, sounds like a shot most guys your age would give their eye teeth for. Make as many "loose ties" as you can while you're there; do friendly touch-base follow-up with them every 4-6 months as you continue school
No magic here. Dig in the corners a bit extra. Work a bit harder. Think about how to constantly expand the scope of your role and the circle of your responsibility. Bring ideas. Don't just try to impress the bosses—build friendly alliances with peers you view as promising
If you have one-on-ones with a few different people, ask them the same questions (on process, values, long-term strategy)—check whether the answers are approximately the same or vary widely. If the latter, red flag. Too: Does their marketing sound like tired cliche boilerplate?
Any help from the crowd on this one? My instinctive answer: no need to overly worry about 10 years from now! Act at work as if you're going to be there forever, network privately as if you're going to need a new job someday. Correct path will become clear
Any help from the crowd re: breaking into IB/Corp Banking? I have nothing more specific to offer than networking—ask everybody you meet whether they know anyone you can talk to; on LinkedIn, try to find alumni of your school who are doing the job you're interested in & reach out
1st off this is extremely normal issue many grapple with. Do journalling—brainstorm jobs/fields you may like. Find local events where you can listen to speakers, meet people in those fields. Email the speakers to go for coffee! Interact with people on Twitter in those fields
Pragmatically, not loving your coworkers is not a job dealbreaker—you can cultivate friendships outside of work. But that shouldn't stop you from networking to "compare experiences in the industry". Protect yourself by not disclosing you'd consider moving, unless you get a signal
Don't "just cold-message anyone"—use thoughtful, targeted emails or LinkedIn messages. Ask everybody you know for suggestions of to approach, but lose your fear of cold emails too. Many won't reply—so what? Check out the book The 2-Hour Job Search for specific templates
Touchy. Try to stick to both the letter and spirit of the rules as much as humanly possible. Behave honourably; picture yourself explaining things to your now-boss when you quit. But, look: this is a well-worn path. Use your judgement, but put yourself first
Congrats! Start by listening. You're going to feel an internal pressure to prove yourself and produce something the first week. Don't. Get a vibe of the culture first. Spend more time than you think you have to sitting with people, talking one-on-one, learning how they think
I think there's always a shot to parlay your knowledge into a new field, it's a question of positioning. Could write a blog or newsletter or Twitter account about activist investing as a tool to network with people in the industry? Any help from the crowd on this question?
Another IB/PE question I can't usefully speak to—any help from crowd?
You probably already know that sending a writeup of an idea along with your resume helps. If the issue is that applications for posted roles are not leading to interviews, ask three industry contacts you trust for a cover letter/resume critique—instruct them to be brutally honest
Person at startup quant fund for 4 years. Don't overthink it, just start applying to other jobs & networking. If/when you develop other options for yourself, and have something concrete to compare current job to, it'll become crystal-clear whether you should stay or leave
You need to find a role where they'll appreciate & embrace your unusual background—these do exist—perhaps a startup. To prove yourself, may be useful to have some sort of product to show off: a coding project you completed, an independent creation or business you worked on
Being an accountant actually is what people think being a lawyer is: terrific background for a wide variety of jobs. I'm a broken record here but meet as many people as possible. Try to suss out some folks who did the exact transition you want to do, their advice will be gold
IB/PE not my lane but I think early in career it's great to get some brand power on your resume, bias would be to take the job at the top shop
Points for realizing you have much to learn. Be humble yes but don't doubt that you have value to add even as fresh grad. You have better awareness of social trends & challenge mid-career folks to update selves. Can express this implicitly rather than as a cocky assertion
Key here is understanding that $40mm. Need line by line breakdown of accounts—how extreme is Pareto distribution? Ages, how long worked with? Churn in past 2 years? Evaluate how sticky assets are. Then: what is exiting owner willing to do to smooth transition? Specific plan
When they ask, sure, but I wouldn't mention it unless they ask. They likely have a ballpark idea how much it was. If they have bands it could be irrelevant. Your value is based on what they believe you can do for them, not anchored on what you were paid in past
Wholly depends how much political capital you have & your status in the hierarchy. If new & junior, be ultra cautious. If midcareer with allies & sway in organzation, pick your battles. Gather info on how the task fits into the overall strategy before pushing back
Repeating a previous answer but spend a ton of time doing one-on-ones with all your coworkers—bosses, peers, HR folks, everybody. Don't be shy to ask boss for facetime. People always want to make a splash ASAP—pick up on the pre-existing dynamics before making moves
I don't think the Big 5 are going anywhere but you may get frustrated with the bureaucracy. Try to get under a boss you can learn from (easier said than done I know)
Refine your elevator pitch on how your background helps you pick stocks. Have ideas ready; write up two terrific equity ideas, include with your resume. Use Twitter to locate folks local to you who do equities & DM with them—maybe they'll critique your writeups?
Tough because as a self-taught individual you are competing against people with who have apprenticed & been mentored. Number of equity analyst seats is shrinking every year. The older you are the more challenging it is to break in. Not much to offer here. MBA could be a path?
OK folks that's it for this thread, if I didn't get to your question maybe we can do this again in a while? Thank you so much to everybody who weighed in on the thread with perspectives & input, fabulous contributions
