How to get into Banking Part 2: "Run Your Own Personal Money"

This article "How to get into banking - and WSO myths" was posted onto Reddit last night and got a few good responses, this one in particular:

From user i-cjw:

I keep making this comment, because it's true:
You want to stand out in the finance job market? Run your own personal money. I swear, of 100 resumes that come across my desk, less than 1% demonstrate and interest and willingness to back their confidence with their own cash. That to me is the dividing line between those with real passion and ability, and those for whom investment is just about wearing nice suits and getting paid without taking risk. He/she may not get the job, but 100% of the time I will interview the guy whose resume came with a research note they wrote or list of recent trades & short description attached.

Question from user QuoteOfTheHour

Could you be more specific? I built a portfolio over the summer, and will be applying for internships during a finance convention soon. Should we mention our holdings in a separate document? Or attach an official record of our portfolio? Thanks

Response from user i-cjw:

Brevity is the key! One page max in addition to your resume. A small chart & a couple of bullet points on each significant position (investment thesis, outcome, lessons learned). Include losers as well as winners. Metrics, metrics, metrics - what was the PE/Div/ROE when you invested, where is it going & why? Maybe add "Investment models & full notes available upon request" at the bottom, take those models & notes along to the interview, and be prepared to talk about them.
Is it real money, or paper? If real money, then by all means mention the invested amounts - no-one's expecting you to be running a $2bn portfolio, what matters is that the amounts are significant to you at your point in life. Didn't make positive P&L? Not such an issue - personally, I'd prefer my hires to have made their mistakes and learned from them before they come to me. Be candid about your mistakes, and pro-active about how you've changed your approach as a result.
 

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Frank Sinatra - "Alcohol may be man's worst enemy, but the bible says love your enemy."
 

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Best Response

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Frank Sinatra - "Alcohol may be man's worst enemy, but the bible says love your enemy."
 

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