Listing personal investing experience on resume

Hi,

I am applying to an Asset Management company for a research associate position (equities). The posting lists a requirement for a demonstrated interest in the stock market. I currently have a portfolio which i have grown over the past 4 years into about $350,000 mainly by doing fundamental analysis on emerging markets and on domestic mid/large cap equities. Should I include this on my resume? If so, how would you incorporate it on your resume?

Best Regards

TH

 

Hi Mr Putin :)

Yes i am talking about real money, even though having $350k is a large sum not all of it is my money. Also models and bottles is correct in assuming that i made contributions to the account quite frequently. My returns have been on average in the single digits annually and if i was planning to live of the returns of this sum of money it would simply not be enough especially since I live in Toronto which can be pricey. My goal is simply to grow that sum into a large enough "nest egg" of sorts while also maintaining a full time job.

 
Best Response

Yes, you should definitely put it on your resume. However, a few things to keep in mind:

  • you should be prepared to talk at length about your positions, especially winners and losers.
  • be prepared to talk about the process you used to select the names.
  • if you have a performance record, it needs to be time-weighted. Schwab conveniently calculates this for you, as do many other brokers. Money-weighted returns (i.e. "I grew 50k into 350k") are often meaningless since you probably made contributions to the account in the interim.
  • whatever you do, be humble about it and talk about what you learned, what you would do different, mistakes you made, etc. Don't go in bragging about how much you made or how awesome you are. As the other poster mentioned, managing a personal account is a lot different than managing millions or billions.
 

Thanks for reply models

You are correct that i make contributions to the portfolio quite often. No crazy return stories here, just consistent small returns plus contributions added up to this amount over a period of years. So how do you think i should go highlighting this experience without coming off full of myself. I just want to use this information to show that i am genuinely interested in this line of work. I have a finance degree but no experience in AM so i am trying to use this as a crutch of sorts to perhaps separate myself from other competition. Would you advise that i include the money weighted return? E.g. Managed a personal six figure portfolio with a money weighted return of 8% annually? I can talk at length about the process and the companies in particular quite well. I even have models that i built myself, however i am just at a loss at how to highlight this on a resume.

Best Regards

TH

 

I wouldn't actually put the dollar amount. I would just focus on the returns and be able to talk about your biggest winners / losers in depth and why you chose them. I had a similar situation and I listed the $ amount on my resume and they interviewer wanted to know how I got the money (inherited) and I could tell he was rolling his eyes and a bit of a jealous rage came over him. This was at a smaller shop and you have to gauge your audience, but I would be careful throwing dollar amounts out there.

 

Yeh thats what i ended up going with. I didn't put a dollar amount and just listed that generally i did my own investing and made my own models. That sucks sounds like the guy was really unprofessional if you could tell he was condescending. I also feel uncomfortable disclosing personal finances anyway so i think this was the way to go. Hopefully I will get a callback !

 

I'm assuming you know that whatever advice given to you on this forum regarding any sort of investment strategy will be null and void given that it is probably public knowledge so much that you accrue no advantage as you know just about what every tom, dick and harry investor knows...if you are serious about investing, go and do your own hard core research and value your companies.

With regards to getting into IBD, you don't need to have invested in the stock market! All you need are good grades and crazy leadership experience and of course prep for those interviews

 

Commission won't eat up your summer salary. It's only $7 with Scottrade (very good broker choice by the way), as long as you don't day trade you will be fine. And you don't need tons of research to see that it's smart to invest when the market nose dived. But do you think that it hit the bottom? That's the question you need to be asking yourself. Because if Coke went from 10 to 8 what makes you think that it won't go to 6?

But investing like Buffett is a smart move. Good ol' American companies have a lot to offer as long as you have faith in America.

I want to work now! No, really. I want those 100+ hours/week.

 

don't listen to the college schmucks on this board; obviously banking has nothing to do with stock picking, but then again what the fuck does it have to do with leadership? do NOT take chances when it comes to interviewing.

they may ask you if you follow any stocks etc. if they do, you'd BETTER have something to say.

_______________________________________ http://www.drmarkklein.blogspot.com/
 

While trouble in the credit markets has affected us in M&A, we couldn't give two hoots whether the market goes up or down. Knowledge of the stock market won't do you any good in this practice.

However:

When interviewing for full time positions, twice I was asked about stocks. Both times I didn't have an answer, although I offered to talk about what I would theoretically look for in a stock, which was declined. So you may want to brush up on some things for interviews, but feel free to forget them the moment you are done.

CompBanker’s Career Guidance Services: https://www.rossettiadvisors.com/
 
ibhopeful532:
I'm going to be a junior and have never invested in the stock market or anything else before. Will this be a concern for IBD recruiting? I do however have a decent amount of macroeconomic knowledge and did Fed Challenge (US finalists) in high school so I know a lot about the Fed and stuff.

On another note, I read Buffet's strategy on intrinsic value investing. Given the Dow's nosedive in recent weeks, is this a good time to BuyBUYBUY as everyone else runs away due to herd mentality? I'm looking to invest my $3000 summer wage in something like Coca-Cola or something via Scottrade. Good experience or waste-of-money (since any gains on this amount will be cut into severely by commission alone?) Thanks!

Two things. where did you read this "buffet strategy"

and no investing isn't important necessarily, but ppl will like to see you demonstrating interest in the markets, and have some knowledge of recent market events....

 

So then my question to you folks in IB is that given my keen interest in the market perhaps I'm better off doing Asset Management than IB?...I've always wanted to go directly into Buyside rather than going the BB IB route of Sellside and then into Buyside...Are there any good programs for kiddos coming out of undergraduate into Asset Management (at a BB level) or perhaps HF/PE?

 

As a first intro to value investing, I think you'd get a good overview from "Value Investing: From Graham to Buffett and Beyond" ISBN-10: 0471463396

If you enjoy it, I'd recommend you go from there to reading all the classic Graham/Dodd stuff and Buffets letters to stockholders, etc.

CRE NERD
 

I see, but isn't it kind of risky? wouldnt the interviewers be somewhat... think that you are an... dont know the world but like amateur? haha

thanks for the inputs guys!!!!

 

Your friend and everyone else like him get laughed at as soon as they leave the interview room. You can certainly put investing under an "interests" section and even elaborate that you manage a small PA (personal account) but to include it under work experience when you are managing less than the cost of the interview table you are sitting at is amateurish and will make you look stupid.

If you are managing 6-7 figure of your own money and possibly money from family/friends you can put it under experience. Otherwise the interview is bound to ask, how much do you manage, which can only be answered in one of two ways a) $3,000 (or any other nominal amount b) lie and make up a number.

its fine to convey an interest in the markets but dont become the laughing stock of the office

 

great post!!!

thats how I was thinking, but you put it better. guess im not doing it.. haha

but for my friend, he actually manages 15grand from his friends (started when he was 19), writes up "reports" about the performances. he believes that it will actually help him during interviews because he isnt really lying and he can actually learn from it... i dont think he makes that much money though... great honest guy though.

anyways thanks!

 

I see that as a positive addition to the interests section. Be prepared to talk about specific examples - e.g. went long B of A in 2009 and didn't sweat it because I researched XYZ. I would avoid saying "I returned 38% p.a. over the last 4 years and 2 months." We can all cherry pick returns and you have no benchmark.

 

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