If you missed a summer analyst gig, you might want to consider Whale Path, Inc. You will get paid at least 500 dollars per project and will conduct research that is directly applicable to Investment Banking and other services. You will also be in direct contact with potential employers to work on real projects.
Description:
Research Analysts of Business and Finance majors are needed (Startup) (CA)
Whale Path is a Silicon Valley-based company. It is a Crowdsourced Research Platform that offers opportunity for students to conduct business and finance research for investment bankers, private equity and Fortune 1000 companies. Students apply their classroom training while working on real projects with real clients, earn money* and gain much needed exposure to a wide swath of potential employers.
http://www.whalepath.com/files/students_info/Postcard.pdf
*Average research rate is $500+ and the typical project takes roughly 20+ hours to complete. Students are combined in groups of 2-4 students for the project and get paid by the project.
Do you know if you can do this over the semester or is it just a summer program?
How far into your undergrad do you have to be to be eligible? Also interested in StryfeDSP's question...
The work product received from these students must be absolute shit. I'd spend more time checking it than I would just doing it myself.
From what I've learned, you can do it as long as you want or have time to do it. You'll work on teams and someone will fill your spot if you can't do it for a certain project at that particular time.
I'm not sure, you probably want to check with Anna Tolompoyko.. here's her e-mail [email protected]
They have a quality control group that goes over all the projects before submitting it. Also, you have to go through tests before you can officially be in. So for what it's worth, the quality is probably going to be alot better than you'd expect.
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Like iRX, I'm skeptical. But, definitely an interesting idea. Can't hurt if you are a student.
Is the quality control group really going to be qualified to be doing this work? IMO, if they were capable and qualified they would be in banking/research themselves.
I don't think there is any situation where you don't end up with sub-par work.
I sent them an email and they first scan your resume, linkedin, and previous research samples. From there, they will send you a test project for you to complete before they determine whether or not you are a good fit. This is also available remotely.
I e-mailed them. Seems like a pretty good option for something to do to keep active over the semester.
Edit: Anyone know how long it takes to get the test project after you send them all your stuff?
I'm sorry, I canNOT take this program seriously with that name :(
Same, I expected a company involved in the production of navigation systems for whale hunters.
Samesies, but I guess the name isn't really that important since you're not trying to brand yourself here.
Their info page said it's not an "internship", what would the position be called?
Also, lol @ their sample reports. Someone has very poor attention to detail on page 4: http://www.whalepath.com/files/research_samples/NASDAQ%20CAKE%20Financi…
Seriously, I cannot believe anyone would pay to get any of those shitty sample reports. If that's any indication of the quality of work produced by their "interns"... well....
So you're saying your analysis of a company's work is better than Fidelity, Credit Suisse or a boutique investment bank? That's a knee slapper.
But yes, it's a mistake. The quality could improve. Like anything that crowdsourced, it could improve. Imagine wikipedia from the first month they started to today. The firm is only a few months old. But while you're hating from the sidelines, I'd love to see some your reports from when you first started. Now that would be laughable, just like anyone's work that's first starting out.
Anyone's work when first starting out is laughable. That's why you don't let interns produce final work - that's why it gets thrown through revision after red-pen revision by analysts, associates, VPs before it's published. That's why you don't sell work done by "interns" for something like $500 a pop when this same work is going to be used by researchers, investors, etc. to make decisions. And if you make the argument that it could just be purchased and then revised... why pay for sub-par research to begin with?
Exactly. Who said it's the final report? It could be the starting point for analysts, associates and VP's. You're also not paying interns or Cap IQ for the initial research. You get more people working on a single project than you would if you had an intern(s) and also, you pay less than you would with Cap IQ. Plus, you get projects by your specifically targeted request.
Listen, I'm not going to argue like I know it all. I don't. I'm saying don't discount something you have limited knowledge about. I'm also not saying this is going to be the next best thing but to me it definitely has a lot of potential.
hah you sneaky bastard, you revised this. Didn't see it before I posted mine.
Jesus, that is worse than I was expecting. Page 3... valuation = don't buy.
Whale Dicks aside, anyone else get invited to their conference call today?
ya, I'm on it.
This is the last segment of their analysis:
Would you be comfortable with holding the company for 10+ years?
"Yes. With established brand name, I am comfortable to hold this company for 10+ years. Also, it has potential to become 3-4 bagger."
A little contradictory in my mind unless they're using completely different time horizons for their first recommendation.
I'm sorry, I myself probably couldn't produce a very good report yet either, but reading this...
It is riddled with contradictions. Not sure that this was the best piece of work to advertise the sight.
Think of how hilarious it is to call the Cheesecake Factory an established brand name that you'd be comfortable holding for 10+ years. There's maybe 3 or 4 fast food chains that have withstood 60+ years and very few casual restaurants that make it to 30... Anyone remember Howard Johnson's? Basically the A&P of restaurants... or does nobody remember them either? No chance Cheesecake Factory makes it another 10 years.
To get back on topic, this research looks like it was done by a room full of preteens in Mumbai, this isn't real life.
Lmao sorry but I wouldn't pay $2 for this
This is your open? First impressions matter. Anyone who sees this "advertisement" and then spots a candidate who included this experience on their resume will auto-ding them. That sample is the face of your organization and it's covered in chicken pox, riddled with typos, contradictions, and even #VALUE #DIV/0 errors.
I also find it odd that the quotes you attribute on your page are not from the clients you advertise - one is from a member of your board?! Do you expect potential candidates not to do the 3-second google research and realize what bunk this looks like?
You need to be checked in the psych ward. To be clear, I don't work for the marketing department or even for the company. I simply thought it would be good experience for people on WSO to have it if they don't have internships and get paid for it. Nothing more, nothing less.
Are these guys serious? The formatting of the sample research report is horrible.
Surely you wouldn't get dinged for having these guys on your resume if you were just with them as something to do over the semester, and had more legitimate experience on your resume otherwise. I mean if you don't try to sell this place as where you got a lot of experience, and more so as just a way to stay engaged in finance over the school term(s), then really I can see it as a more of a reinforcer with a nice paycheck.
I would never look twice at this place as where to go for a summer internship, however.
If you want to talk about some kind of testing process, etc. as a way to weed out the idiots, just look at the average top investment banking interns. Even though they are from great schools, have survived a very tough interview process, are set up with the best finance tools right in front of them, with on-the-spot guidance, most interns are still terrible to work with because they are just beginning. It takes serious time to get good at this stuff, and a uni student working remotely simply can't deliver high quality work.
[quote=Asia_i_Banker]
If you want to talk about some kind of testing process, etc. as a way to weed out the idiots, just look at the average top investment banking interns. Even though they are from great schools, have survived a very tough interview process, are set up with the best finance tools right in front of them, with on-the-spot guidance, most interns are still terrible to work with because they are just beginning. It takes serious time to get good at this stuff, and a uni student working remotely simply can't deliver high quality work.
Well, you get what you pay for. I'm sure KPMG, Fidelity et al don't consider any research they buy from Whalepath to be the end all, be all. Just like there are only certain tasks my old firm would outsource to our buddies in India. So those companies probably aren't losing sleep over formatting (or that's my guess anyway), or paying six figure fees for the product.
Either way, I think it's an interesting idea, but it doesn't sound like anyone expects it to improve your employment prospects down the road.
The 3 people that they have quotes from on their website are all IT/marketing people and don't seem to have any connection to a place that would need this kind of research..
TO ANYONE CONSIDERING SIGNING UP: Don't listen to these numb skulls talking down on Whale Path. As an intern, your attitude should always be to take up anything that you can. In addition, your research will probably be shit but it lays a good foundation for when you start at an IB or elsewhere. In addition, you will speak with real employers. You have a real chance to improve and shine without any risk, rather than front your own money to learn how to model and so forth. The guy who said he/she would be auto-dinged is an idiot and knows nothing. If you can tell a potential employer what you learned from the position, what you can improve on and what you've accomplished; you're well situated for the future.
This shit is tight as hell LOL. Would love to stack paper on the side.
Well, I hope you don't analyze corporate strategies as bad as you analyze people's motivation. Anything concrete that you can mention that are better opportunities?
Doing finance/portfolio management extracurriculars (e.g. Investment Club, Finance Club, etc.) or CFA, for example.
Want to give suggestions lol?
I can't speak for everyone, but at my school the only investment club grew so large they morphed it into an actual Portfolio Management course available only to seniors/grad students. Likewise with the CFA Research Challenge - only open to upperclassmen. So unfortunately for me, there aren't any extracurricular options available at my school. (Business school clubs are centered around marketing/management, and accounting clubs have the same prereqs as the Iclub. There are also no opportunities with our financial research institute).
The majority of the people I know either don't work during the semester, or work part-time at a restaurant or other local store. If working with this firm as something to do over the school semester is an option for someone I literally see zero downside to doing so. 2-3 weeks to complete, 20-30 hours of time, and an average of $500 per report.
Who cares if it's not the most prestigious research firm? The work you put into your reports will speak for itself, and I honestly can't see any WSO user having any problem with becoming a top researcher if the standard is what's on their website. (Apparently there's room for promotion to a Sr. level if you knock your work outta the park consistently). If your in an interview and your interviewer expresses concern about the name being on your resume, you should have your reports on hand anyway to show him that you don't have your head in the ground.
If anyone has any further questions in regards to Whale Path, be sure to check out the FAQ
http://www.whalepath.com/files/students_info/Researchers-FAQ.pdf
Dude totally works for Whale Path as an unpaid marketing intern. Otherwise he wouldn't keep bumping this horrid thread.
Yes!!!! The FAQ!!!!
hah haters gon hate. But seriously, what ever happened to doing something nice without their being an alternative motive. People can sign up for it or not, it doesn't affect me at all, just thought after everyone was putting it down that people should get the facts. The only skin I have is in the game is I may potentially work there as a researcher and I vouched for the firm because I think it has promise.
Can we please refrain using the term "haters gonna hate" on WSO? It is really leads me to think that you are a teenage high schooler going through pubescent insecurities.
LOL, in other words... you think this is your only chance to land an interview.
Even the FAQ is riddled with grammatical errors. Also, I don't understand how their clients match up with the research they do. Why would companies like CS, EA, and KPMG turn to them to do their market research when they probably have either departments within their own companies, or large designated contractors who've been doing it? It could be a good opportunity for students to make some $$ on the side, but I'd still take everything they say with a grain of salt. I wasn't convinced during their conference call.
This is my train of thought...I think that they might be exaggerating a bit on KPMG, Fidelity, etc using their research - maybe they did one time or something and so now they're flying their name on the website. Still, I'm going to at least do the test project to see how it is. The $$ and opportunity to get experience speaking with management of the companies you do research for is too good to just disregard.
Also, since this technically isn't an internship and we'd be "Research Associates", wouldn't doing this disqualify anyone from the CFA Research Challenge after such an amount of time?
Not to put the program down but it needs to be put bluntly - I can absolutely guarantee you that you will never speak with the management team of any companies $1B+ in market cap in such a strange role as this one. It's hard enough for us to get in front of management teams sometimes... so I'm not sure they're switching their schedules around to accommodate the freshman interns at the research equivalent of a chop shop.
lol np, I was extremely skeptical when they told me about management
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