SIE Exam
What do you think? I want to take it but not sure if necessary yet as I am only a sophomore applying to SA.
Jan 16, 2023Jan 16, 2023
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Comments (15)
Network. I applied to hundreds of internships for the summer going into my junior year and got none. This year I secured a couple super days and now have an internship in S&T this summer. You really have to spend countless hours applying on various job boards and reach out to alumni etc.
Thank you!
It opens you up to the interviewer asking you esoteric SIE-related questions which you may stumble on and then BAM now they have a reason to ding you where they didn't before. Don't give them this satisfaction or opportunity. This is the same reason you don't put "chess" as an interest on your resume bc next thing you know someone's asking you about your FIDE rating, favorite opening moves and then you're the one who looks like an idiot when you can't answer confidently. Save yourself, keep your guard close, don't give the opposition easy layups.
Also you look like a try-hard bc no one on earth wants to take those, we only get those licenses bc we have to. You might as well show them your HR anti-harassment course certificate too, jk. That time is better spent networking.
This isn't gospel btw, just what I was told when I had the idea of getting my SIE as an undergrad.
I think it entirely depends on the interviewer. I genuinely think it is a good thing to go out and do, it shows interest, motivation, self-starter tendencies, all objectively good things.
However, on the same token if I see it on a resume applying to my firm part of me would think you're an insufferable nerd with an unnecessary hard-on for a career field to the point of where you're jumping through universally abhorred regulatory hoops instead of getting laid and making friends. The emotional/social side of me would think you're not someone I want to hang out with and ultimately that does matter.
I understand that this is irrational and contradictory but it do be how it be doe. YMMV
Right. Totally see where you're coming from and I really appreciate your response. That saves me stress and I'll just use that time to focus on school, soccer, and networking.
Nail your technicals, networknetworknetwork, don't knock the idea of doing an internship at an absolute no-name IB either during a summer or remotely during the semester. There's also dozens of no-name investment firms (<10 guys) that you can work remotely for either paid or for free for a few hours/week to add some IB/investing to your resume. Find a 3-man search fund and give them 5-10hrs/week of your time remotely during the semester (did this as a stepping stone before my first IB internship).
Everyone's resume is "stacked" so you have to find a differentiator. Soccer? Network with other college soccer guys from other schools who are now working full-time, bond over doing homework on the team bus, talk ab the time your schools played each other (even if you weren't in college at the same time). "Yeah dude we played you guys, your campus actually seemed kinda sick". I balanced a (club) sport in college, being in the military reserves, and working part-time (remotely) finance internships during the semester. It was awfully hard but don't be afraid to put yourself out there
Tell your story, what experience at AmEx made you want to switch to IB? Find an angle, figure it out, find anything and work it.
I once found everyone on LinkedIn who had my exact same first and last name and worked in finance and DM'ed all of them (0 responded). Get creative
Strong life advice embedded here. Real wiseguy stuff. +SB
AttackSnail always out here spitting facts.
Funny enough, I put down Chess/Poker on my resume under interests/hobbies but no interviewers asked me about it despite actually being decent at it.
Nice man. Chess, and especially Poker, seem to be really common interests in the finance world. I've noticed poker is very common amongst traders and fast money guys, chess for PE and distressed/SS (even the Moyer DDA book alludes to a famous chess game by describing a chess move at the beginning of each chapter and has a chess board on the cover). Idk why this is but it is a (loose) trend I have noticed based on my own, admittedly very limited, personal experiences.
Whether most people's interest in those is superficial or not is unknown but for those that really can talk game pretty well and genuinely enjoy them they're great unifiers and show you're a guy with at least semi-intellectual pursuits. Congrats on having some cool hobbies.
100% do not do this. It's a waste of time and poses an opportunity cost for that time to be spent networking your ass off, polishing your resume, studying up on technicals, etc. As said above, the SIE mainly covers esoteric / legal minutia and you're better off spending that time focusing on other elements you can control like studying. No one would care that you passed the SIE and you only have so much free time to prepare before interviews start in March.
Thank you! I'll use that time to polish up my resume and continue recovering from my ACL tear lol.
Lmao and quit saying you have a "stacked resume" you sound like somebody that nobody would want to work with.
Just calm the hell down and humble yourself a little bit, okay? There are thousands of kids just like you, and thousands more with an even more "stacked" resume.
Thanks for your insight.
I would recommend against getting your SIE at this point. Like others mentioned, network like hell right now since recruiting will be in full swing soon. As a junior right now I had a lot of free time in my winter break so I knocked out the SIE. Just do it junior or senior year if you really want to do it.
No
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