Hello and Introductory Post from Newbie
Hello WSO!
I was requested to intro myself, and what brought me here.
I am Christine Watkins-Moore, and am currently working towards my BS Forensic Accounting & Fraud Examination degree. I have designs on working in Investment Banking after I complete my degree, for an investment banking firm in San Francisco that has a Financial Analyst Internship program that caught my attention. After I have 2 years of industry work under my belt, I will be pursuing a dual degree of
MBA and MS Investments Management & Financial Analysis at Creighton University (online). With Creighton offering the dual Master's, 80% of the Chartered Financial Analyst content is integrated into that degree track. With the Investment Banking internship lasting 3 years, pursuing the MS in my final year at the IB will set me up for hire at that firm. I see nothing but good things coming from the additional degree; it makes me a more-valued employee, and tracks me for more opportunities than others who do not possess that additional education.
Now to why I am pursuing involvement with WSO:
With the private tutoring for the GMAT plus the financial modeling lessons, as well as the prep course for the ib interview, WSO has the necessary information I need in order to gain the upper hand in my career track. Although I am an older person (48 years), I believe that my life experience gives me a supreme advantage over the fresh-faced young bucks pursuing a finance career. Confidence, coupled with opportunity and preparation will take me where I want to go. I am no stranger to 90-hour weeks; I can easily work circles around my competition.. if you want to call them that.
I am certain that the courses offered by Wall Street Oasis are really the cherry on top of a very lucrative sundae, and I'll make sure to bring my spoon.
Looking forward to enjoying the spoils.
In short, you're wrong. Your "experience" is not going to help you, and every single firm that gives you an interview will expect you to explain why IB at 48. If you have some grand answer, awesome. More likely than not, you don't. You undergrad degree isn't ideal either, not something one would get to tailor their skill set towards banking. You just described a path that will take you roughly 6-8 years before reaping the true benefits, I am not sure who advised you to go about this at your age, but I do not think they fully understand what is required to get into banking. I wish you luck, anything is possible, but your chances seem unlikely. If you don't mind me asking, why have you waited until now to pursue IB? Also, what is your competitive advantage that will give you ground to stand on when contrasted with all the 20 year olds who have completed numerous summer internships in the IBD, and have superior modeling and Microsoft Office skills? Lastly, what have you been doing from 18-48? Your confidence is misplaced
Wow. Such an unexpected bit of vitriol you're throwing my way. From 18 to 48 I have stayed fairly busy.. wrote a couple of non-fiction books and a book of poetry (all published).. traveled North America.. trained horses.. built several MLM teams from scratch.. managed a few businesses.. built several businesses from the ground up.. learned website-building and SEO proficiently enough to be successful.. delivered a baby.. jumped into loan origination/mortgage banking with both feet closing over $37 million in loans in first 9-months.. loved hard, got my heart broken several times.. married.. divorced.. cared for two dying loved ones until their last breath.. licensed with Washington state as a Paralegal.. worked for Washington State assistant Attorney General's office.. built an insurance agency.. and learned how to call a bully out on his crap. For the last few years, I have been forex trading for an investment fund; learning risk mitigation, patterns & algorithms in currency markets, financial plans, trading plans, and position/swing trading. My focused interest in IB is actually asset-valuation (hence the forensic accounting). Microsoft Office skills are fairly easy to come by.. as any college student worth their salt will tell you that. Nothing I have done in my life has ever taken me as long to master as the average Joe or Jane.. so your quip about 'roughly 6-8 years before reaping true benefits' is a little misplaced. I get the feeling that you have a bit of a superiority complex; that perhaps you are a little restricted on your definition of investment banking or the myriad of reasons why someone would enter it at a late stage in life. Plus, you don't know me.. don't know my skill set or what sets my soul on fire. So what exactly are the true benefits of IB, according to you? I highly doubt that 20-year-olds will have completed numerous summer internships.. they're barely out of high school. You mean mid-20-somethings? I have found that very few 20-somethings even really know what they want to do with their lives; though I have met some impressive ones, and worked alongside a few. I'm not really worried about 20-somethings. I can run circles around most people half my age. I can outlast, outplay, outwit, and outrun most people. I have a fierce competitive side, know what I want, and nothing I have ever set my mind on have I been unsuccessful at. Why investment banking at 48? Why not? A more apropos question is, what makes me suited for investment banking at 48? No firm would ask it like that because there is a little thing called discrimination where those questions that even Hint at considering my age would be a no-no. But to humor you.. I'll answer. I am a forward thinker who for most of my life, has had the world by the balls. I am voraciously detail-oriented, which makes me notice things that others miss. I purposely researched, dug into, and explored every angle of the finance industry to ensure that investment banking and I were a good fit. I am focused, tireless, and honest, with the ability to quickly ascertain the most efficient path to success. With logic as my primary driver, complex problems are easily broken down into manageable pieces. I am also likable, humble, take direction well, and work well solo or as part of a team. My work ethic is ironclad. What I do not know, I will learn and practice until my grasp of it is second nature and flawless. THAT is how I know my confidence is not misplaced. By the time I get to the interview and in front of that decision-maker, I will have mastered financial modeling, as well as how to ace the process. I've read the info about what is asked of applicants in an investment banking interview, and nothing about it freaks me out. There's knowledge needed to ace it, I will ace it. My degree choice, all the other financial content I have learned, and the gpa I am on track for (4.0 of course, lol) have all been specific to this career track. Perhaps I'll have to invite you to lunch once I've been at the firm for a few years. You can tell me how wrong I was over lunch. I have to sincerely thank you for renewing my determination. Anything else you'd like to share? Anything else you'd like to ask.. maybe my blood type?
If you read through all of my posts (click on my account) you'll notice that 99% of the time I try to motivate people and offer any advice I can. I am not some pessimistic and entitled troll who wishes to push you out of an industry. I was not implying that you hadn't done anything of value with your life, but from your initial post you made it sound as though you had minimal IB-related experience (which you do, forex trading is as applicable to IB as apples to oranges).
You "have the world by its balls" so I am not sure why you're even asking for advice in the first place. Also, you will ONE HUNDRED PERCENT be asked why you are pursuing banking at this age. That question has nothing to do with implying you are too old for the job, but most people who break into IB do before the age of 30. Why change career paths now is how it will be phrased. My guess would be the percentage of people who break in after 30 is less than 1%.
If you think you're a shoe-in relative to the 20-somethings that have planned for IB since HS, good luck. Make them out to be petty, immature, youngsters, who aren't half as smart as yourself, by all means. They have been studying and prepping for these interviews while you were still riding horses or some shit.
Having a great work ethic and being smart is great, nice to know you have the minimal characteristics to apply for the position (you certainly have the ego). You are clearly misinformed if you think taking WSO prep courses will make you a MASTER modeler, and this will tell any other reader how clearly self-deluded you are. There are certain modeling skills you will never learn until you've worked in banking, and any person on this sight will back me on that in a heartbeat. I would hope you're on track for a 4.0 when you are older than most of your PhD teachers.... I'd ask for your blood type, but I already know it is B, for Beta. I could go on, but I'll let the recruitment process knock your attitude down a few notches before I waste any more key strokes.
Molestiae sed iste quis minima nam. Sed harum aut aut hic.
Voluptatem sit sapiente aut doloremque sunt et necessitatibus sint. Et laborum et ea perspiciatis dolorum natus aliquid enim. Velit est explicabo eveniet saepe consectetur. Vitae et laborum omnis quisquam. Id nostrum qui animi temporibus in nostrum. Pariatur quo quis fugit beatae aut asperiores.
Modi architecto accusantium voluptatem perferendis. Ut fuga facere quia in esse eos. Dicta et neque aut harum. Architecto eos consequatur sapiente. Ad eaque et et.
Asperiores dolores doloremque rerum eius. Molestiae ut voluptatem porro aut. Exercitationem explicabo et commodi voluptatem consequatur. Ex rerum aut error. Cumque debitis molestias beatae molestiae accusamus aut quo.
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...