Consultant to Value Investing, HELP
Hey everyone,
I have written a few posts, been a lurker for about a year and have learned alot from SOME of your posts haha. For this post, I wanted to focus my thoughts on my career path, and go fishing for what advice some of you may have.
I graduated from a Top 20 undergrad in 2009 with degrees in history and human/organizational development (3.3 GPA). I worked in sales for 9 months (door-to-door, brutal but great experience), and have worked at a Tier 2 Mgmt Consulting Company in Washington, D.C. for the past 2.5 years, starting as a temp, then hired after 6 months, and then getting promoted at my first annual review.
Over the past 2 years, my passion for finance, and specifically value investing started to grow. I always wanted to be in business, but for some reason the lightbulb just recently lit up. I've read Graham, Buffett, Klarman, Greenblatt, Lynch, Damodaran (shout-out!), Schloss, Munger and many others in my pursuit for as much knowledge as possible. At this point I am very well read, the next step for specific skills is to dive into some 10-k/q to practice the knowledge I've gained.
As I try to venture into finance, I have hit a bit of a wall. I see a few paths to getting a job in finance, MBA being one, but I'd like to get more experience before going back to graduate school (if I'd even want to get an MBA).
I am not interested in the banking route, but more equity research and investment management that focuses on value investing (intrinsic value, Mr. Market and all those fun things).
Networking has been my first step. I am trying to volunteer with CFA Washington (even though I'm unsure I'd want a CFA) and am looking up different boutiques investment firms in the DC area, trying to meet folks face-to-face for informational interviews, which could lead to an opportunity. Here is where I've been best able to demonstrate my passion. Where I can't demonstrate this passion is on my resume (no UG finance courses).
Does anyone have any ideas on how I can demonstrate this passion, besides time travelling to freshman year? My ultimate goal is to run a business that focuses on creating value for shareholders, and free cash flow can be reinvested into more opportunities for growth (sound familiar?), however I am still learning alot and seem to have a new path/idea everyday.
Alright sorry for the rambling, but any criticism/input/suggestions/advice is appreciated. Once I break into the job I know I will succeed, at this point its just a matter of getting into the door.
Thanks everyone!
CFA would be a good start
Is starting to study for the CFA a good decision before even having a finance job? Not sure if it could give me a leg up in entry-level job interviews, but still a good thought. Thanks.
I'm somewhat perplexed that you have all this interest, yet it won't show up ANYWHERE on your resume. Like, most folks who are interested in investing yet don't have the resume bones to back it up would probably beef up on extracurricular investing activities to help demonstrate interest.
For example, do you have a personal portfolio? Are you part of an investing club? Why not start studying for a CFA or consider going to business school (surely it's better than nothing finance related at all)? Perhaps you have a project at work that can related to investing (a PE due diligence project would be very good at this, but any analytical project can demonstrate some analytical skill and facility with numbers).
A bit more color on where you're coming from might help.
Also, please define Tier 2 consulting firm. Are we talking Tier 1 being Bain, McK, BCG and Tier 2 being Parthenon, Deloitte/Monitor, Marakon, Oliver Wyman type place or am I missing something?
Good points @PennTeller, thanks for the insight.
My interest in finance (and specifically value investing) came after I graduated, so I don't have any extracurricular activities in this field. I was a History major in college, focused mostly on American Foreign Policy, took Econ 100 but that's it (graduated 2009).
I do have a personal portfolio, but other posters on this site seem to think adding this to your resume is silly, since everyone can just say they have one. Business school and the CFA are options, but as I said in my original post, I would like to first get experience in the field before making this step. In addition, as a value investor at this time I don't see much margin of safety w/going to business school, especially since I am not concrete in what I want to do.
I should join a local investment club, and definitely need to go to the next meetup between monkeys here in the DC area.
I would prefer not to say the exact company I work for, but its similar to Accenture/Deloitte. I work in the Human Capital field (Org Dvlp, Workforce Planning, Strategic Planning) and work with Fed Gov't clients (I know, minus 1+ haha). I do have projects that require analytical skill, but none that deals with financials (unfortunately common when working with fed gov't clients) of the clients.
Any other insight you have is appreciated. My thinking is I really need to focus on networking, because at this point it will be difficult to show this passion for finance/investing (besides volunteering w/CFA DC) on my resume.
Thanks for the advice.
Commodi qui sequi et laboriosam. Doloremque est doloremque ipsum. Minima aspernatur quas et omnis quaerat.
Impedit ut atque magni. Modi laboriosam quisquam illum facere aut labore adipisci. Provident numquam natus voluptatibus numquam recusandae.
Dolore sint quibusdam aspernatur harum. Nisi quam ipsum beatae dolorum. Qui et ut vero sint rerum atque.
Consequuntur deleniti assumenda qui neque aut commodi. Neque rerum nisi corrupti illum nulla et alias. Dolorum dolores tempora debitis dignissimos doloremque optio esse non. Id cum facilis et dolorem sint voluptatum. Voluptatum temporibus pariatur suscipit. Praesentium facilis rem qui.
See All Comments - 100% Free
WSO depends on everyone being able to pitch in when they know something. Unlock with your email and get bonus: 6 financial modeling lessons free ($199 value)
or Unlock with your social account...