Hey,
I am graduating college and moving to NYC in May '11, where I want to eventually work in Finance.
I have a pretty good resume(4.0 GPA, Started my own business, interned at a market maker, professional poker experience, C++ experience), but it is from a crappy school. I feel this is going to be a detriment to me. Basically in High School(even though I was a Valedictorian with a 4.0), I was raking in cash playing poker. I didn't care about college and just went to one that gave me a full ride without much hassle.
Now, things are much different. I'm very dedicated to finance and have continued my perfect scores from high school. I work hard in the field, but I feel like the school might just be too big a hurdle to overcome.
Basically, I am simply wondering what my best move is. Is there a Masters program I should try to get into specifically to make it to Wall St? I know I can't do an MBA.
Is there a specific job I should be looking for? One where maybe I get experience but can prove myself to be on the same level as graduates from any other school and move on to a bigger job within a couple years?
Just wanting opinions on where I could go from here to get in a better position to really show myself to be worthy of a high-paying position that someone out of Wharton would be a shoe-in for.
I think you should take the GMAT and look to get into a Master's program. You have the skills and some experience, you just need to get yourself into a recruiting cycle. MSFHQ.com is a very good site about MSF. Depending on your GMAT scores you should look at MIT, Princeton, Columbia also has a Financial Engineering Masters.
Definitely try to enter a top masters program.
Also network, and by network I mean do your due diligence, learn about big poker players who work in finance and email them your story. Seems to be a very good one.
Good luck
Why not just try to break into trading out of undergrad?
That is what I want to do and what I am trying to do.
I am simply thinking I might not be able to land a decent job out of college because of the school I came from. My school doesn't have recruitment, nor did I even know there was such a thing at the time it was happening. If I go, I don't want to start at some place with no upward movement and one that is generally taking the no-goods from the bigger schools.
I feel I have the talent and work to really make it in the industry, but I am looking for the best way to actually get that chance to prove myself.
You should trade your own dollar. Maximize the search function as this is a commonly asked question. Nothing, however, comes REMOTELY CLOSE to generating Alpha ON YOUR OWN.
1) You may do well enough to never need to get a job. The best traders on earth do not work for prop shops, S&T divisions of BBs or HFs. They trade their own coin, travel the world and do the things most finance world people dream about for 20+ years of slaving and putting away.
2) Even if you blow out eventually, trading your own stack of chips will be more impressive to an interviewer at any of the above mentioned employers than any prestige related bullshit. VERY FEW people have the balls to try and the brains to succeed with the strategy I am suggesting.
I'm not saying this is for the move for you, personally...but consider it as an option.
I think this is horrible advice, and a good way to blow the money that you have earned. Successful trading should involve an edge, or a strategy, that will win over time. Those "ballers" you speak of, most of them didnt just graduate school and throw their money around. They learned and then went off on their own.
The OP, being the successful poker player he is, knows that if a novice sits down at a poker table against a bunch of pros, he likely doesn't have the experience or edge to consistently win. He may get lucky, but over time will probably lose.
Continue applying to trading firms. If you are finding no luck there, a Masters in Financial Math from somewhere like U Chicago or Stanford, etc would definitely be helpful. If you arent that quantitative, a Masters in Computer Science probably would be a lot of help as well. The industry is moving very heavily to automation unfortunately.
Given your background, I think your skills could be useful at a prop firm somewhere. There are tons that you have never heard of, look around the internet.
Agree here. I don't necessarily think I have the platforms or execution to really be able to generate a profitable edge. Not at least without a mentor or someone to really give me advice on inner workings that aren't necessarily in text books.
I haven't been applying to any firms yet as I'm still finishing up my resume and such to make sure it covers everything I do. I am getting a valuation of my company currently then will be sending it out.
I mainly need to learn more about the industry. I need to figure out what prop shops will help train me but also not make me pay for it. I need to figure out where I can apply, and where I can find lists of potential places for me to apply. I even need to learn more about daily/specific tasks of each sector, job, et cetera. I am in the process of this and am thinking about buying a couple guides from here, good idea?
why not just be a professional poker player?
Legislation mainly. It isn't stable. If it gets legalized there is a potential I do it though.
Apply to SIG. They are huge on poker. The fact that you were a pro poker player might bring attention to your resume.
I will be doing this shortly
I've heard that about SIG too.
As far as master's in finance go, while I don't know as much as Anthony and some of the other specialists, I'll tell you that London School of Economics is a good one... and it has an excellent reputation internationally. Amongst all the people who I know here in China who have done that, LSE is the most common (and I'm talking amongst bankers / PE guys). Obviously Princeton, etc, are also legit.
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