Where do I fit in the finance world (if I fit at all)?

I'm an undergrad senior economics major, and heavily considering tacking on a finance major for the sake of marketability. But I've had trouble really being sold on my options. I've generally thought that working as an analyst (and eventually making it to PM) at a Hedge Fund would be the best fit for my general interests and skillset (if i can ever hope to accomplish it), but I don't know for sure.

--I'm slightly more on the introverted side, but i wouldn't call it pathological or anything. I do like to be around people and work with them.

-- I have a really broad set of interests-- i enjoy philosophy, psychology, sciences, political theory, and basically anything that helps me understand the world better. Generally I prefer to really dive in and generate deeper insights in a given field or set of information.

--I'd say in terms of classes, I don't mind finance, but I generally like Economics>Finance>Accounting. I wouldn't call myself a "quant" type, but I do like the the theory of economics compared to finance or accounting.

-- I'm more into 'abstract' and creative thinking in a field. More than anything, I like to really pierce through the static and "figure out" how something works or the real cause of something-- whatever that may be.

--I like to write papers primarily for the sake of synthesizing ideas/arguments and organizing them logically-- making them tight, for lack of better phrasing.

--Also really enjoy strategizing.

Dislikes:

-- I'm not huge on extremely detailed work if it lacks a bigger picture or a clear direction. This probably explains my problems with accounting from my pov.

--I wouldn't want to do anything extremely quantitative.

-- Not sure how I'd do under extreme pressure like you might expect in trading (but i don't suspect that i'd do well).

Thoughts? Any insight is awesome.

 

Very cool. Thanks for the reply. This is actually one area I haven't looked into too much but sounds interesting. Do you know what the typical career path of econ consultants is? Is it something you do long term or does it build skill sets that can be used in other areas?

 
Best Response

Yeah I would second that econ consulting sounds like a really good fit for your interests and background. The one thing that gave me pause was your dislike that you're "not huge on extremely detailed work." That could be problematic in a litigation context lol. Otherwise it is a great launchpad for a new person interested in finance.

I'm happy to elaborate more if you care, but there is a wide variety of career paths for the junior folks in an econ shop. I spent 5 years doing this before b-school, and I'd say MBA is the most common exit, but I also had friends go on to tech startups, banking, corp FP&A type rotations, hedge funds/AM, econ/finance Ph.D., law school, or just stay the course and work their way through the ranks at the econ consulting firm. The number of peers I was hired with who have proven to be extremely successful in their ultimate field is really startlingly high. I think generally you get a high caliber group of people in there who just either didn't want to do the banking thing or didn't have their ducks in a row from a recruiting standpoint (that was me lol).

 

Thanks a lot for the input. It sounds like it could be pretty interesting and also a good route to preserve options, which is generally the kind of thing I like to go for since I'm still figuring out my likes and dislikes. I've sort of been in the same situation in terms of not being real on the ball on recruiting so I can relate.

I guess, since I'm at sort of a crossroads, I still have to decide whether to add on this finance major, which will require a summer and a semester (so not long). Is a finance major necessary (or helpful) to get into econ consulting? Even if it's not, I'm inclined to add it just for the technical skills, the wider range of areas that will be available, plus the GPA boost given the low number of classes I'll be taking (it's a 3.6 currently but getting into 3.7-3.8 range couldn't hurt).

 

other than you being introverted and enjoying writing papers you and I are very similar. I used to be somewhat withdrawn and then i learned to enjoy the sound of my voice. that really clinched it for me so i've taken all the other things you mentioned them and build a really nice career. i think your skill set is probably best suited to consulting or F500 corporate development. More bigger picture type of stuff with some quant aspects but not so much that your cock shrivels up inside and doesn't want to come out and play. good luck.

"I'm talking about liquid. Rich enough to have your own jet. Rich enough not to waste time. Fifty, a hundred million dollars, buddy. A player. Or nothing. " -GG
 

Gekko, what skill sets make your cock grow to John Holmes status? Being a porn star seems to be a good alternate career route which perhaps involves you screwing a few more assholes than finance for cash, but could still be a viable route.

 

Honestly, you sound like you really just have no idea who you are and what you want to do. All of this 'broad interest' just sounds like no interests to me. I would take a spin around the house for the first time and actually check out the backyard before I decided to make an offer. In other words, really get to know yourself before you sell yourself away to some 'economic consulting' career or something else you might end up hating.

 

Well, I wouldn't say you are are wrong. It's true that I don't know what I want to do (or who I am, to an extent). I actually am interested in all of those things, but I wouldn't say I have a "passion" for any of them. It's more casual than that. Of course, I'd prefer to have a passion if I could manage to find it. Honestly, I was just appreciative that people suggested something I hadn't looked into, and the fact that it could possibly be a good fit. I have no plans of completely focusing on econ consulting, but it's something I'll throw into the lot of options. What do you think is the best way to "spin around the house"? I don't care that I wouldn't have my dream job as soon as I graduate, but it would definitely be nice if I had an idea of what I truly wanted to do fairly early on.

 

I agree it's not a bad suggestion. You might end up liking it. I'm not totally 100% sure what that is. But, realistically it could take a year or longer to find out what you want to do. My perspective says don't be afraid to try something and fail at it. I know that is no where near ideal though. If you can, try something you think you might like, such as in an internship. I think you're a senior from your post, so you don't actually have a choice but to just go with the flow and see where it takes you. Whatever job you end up with right after college will teach you a lot, because you won't have many options except to just move forward. Focus on learning what things from your day-to-day experiences you really like and what things you really hate. This should give you a chance to decide how you want to spend the rest of your career, and from there you should be able to figure out what your gameplan is going to be. I feel like not a lot changes from day to day, so it's easy to distinguish between the things you notice that tire you the fuck, and what things give you energy. Use life's repetitiveness to learn and grow; get better at understanding things around you.

 

Hi, congrats! IB and consulting seem to be good fits for you. Other strong alternatives include start-ups/entrepreneurship (CFO, etc. roles), which is great if you want to be in the SF Bay Area. These careers should match your characteristics but look out for other opportunities that may come your way!

For the lead! Sipag, tiyaga, at lakas ng loob!
 

"-I perform best in a fast-paced environment where decisions have to be made quickly. From what I've observed, when most people are put into a stressful and fast-paced environment, they tend to lock up or scramble to make a decision, but for me this is where I thrive - I become more calm and I can make decisions more quickly."

Look into trading, the characteristic you describe is essential for traders.

"-I also believe that I have a real gift for understanding other people - including being able to see things from their point of view. I am usually well liked."

Look into sales, this is obvious.

Check out the Vault Guide for Sales & Trading, perhaps look into the S&T division at banks near you.

"There's always money in the banana stand" - George Bluth Sr.
 

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