It’s not just with this test. It’s with everything in life. Just brush it off. People are always downplaying your accomplishments… I also like to donwplay the things I do because nobody knows.
Most people don’t understand our industry, nor should they be expected to do so. It seems a little over-the-top to expect people to care about or understand all of this just because you do. My mom has no clue what CFA stands for and I couldn’t care less. The most important thing is a supportive spouse or significant other.
“The most important thing is a supportive spouse or significant other.” Or ballet dancer, personal therapist and/or masseuse…not all of us can convince people to hang out with us for free…
Turkish Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > “The most important thing is a supportive spouse > or significant other.” > > Or ballet dancer, personal therapist and/or > masseuse…not all of us can convince people to > hang out with us for free… LOL
cfa2grunt Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Most people don’t understand our industry, nor > should they be expected to do so. It seems a > little over-the-top to expect people to care about > or understand all of this just because you do. My > mom has no clue what CFA stands for and I couldn’t > care less. The most important thing is a > supportive spouse or significant other. i totally agree with you. sometimes i lose sight of this because most of my friends are in finance, who understand and generally can relate to the work i do. however, most people in other industries either don’t know what exactly what i do, or don’t care. i can’t blame them, because i know so relatively little about other professions it’s almost ridiculous. for me, it was actually a lot easier to explain to people what equity research was. they’d ask me what equity research meant, and i’d explain to them that i basically give investment advice to investors and hedge funds…and that i’m sort of like the guys on CNBC that tell you what stocks to invest in, except i’m not nearly as famous (but still better looking, though). that description generally resonates with people, because most folks invest in stocks or watch a lot of television. for private equity, it’s not as easy…you’d think that anyone reading the business section of the new york times or has seen the covers of the wall street journal should know, but a lot of people don’t. it’s especially hard for me now that i moved out of nyc, where the concentration of finance professionals is not nearly as great. i used to try to explain to people that i help to buy undervalued companies, improve their operations and help them grow, and then sell the companies to the public again in order to make money. but that explanation seemed too “detailed” for some people, so now if i meet someone who doesn’t work in finance (and doesn’t care to know me), i’ll just tell them that i’m a stock broker.
Interesting numi…I too used to try to tell people, I was in investment management (way too broad), portfolio management (too many questions), structuring (that was just dumb)…so now I go with finance and leave it at that. The responses are usually, “cool” and they leave it. If they think they know me pretty well, they like to throw in, “so how much more do you make than me?”
Welcome to the non-finance world… Person A: “What do you do?” Person B: “I’m work in structuring” Person A: “oh man, the housing slowdown and mortgage crisis must’ve hurt you bad” Person B: “Yea, but there’s other work. Like credit cards and accounts receivables and such.” Person A: “ok. But what do credit cards and accounts whatever have to do with building structures?”
Turkish Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > “The most important thing is a supportive spouse > or significant other.” > > Or ballet dancer, personal therapist and/or > masseuse…not all of us can convince people to > hang out with us for free… rofl
Turkish Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Interesting numi…I too used to try to tell > people, I was in investment management (way too > broad), portfolio management (too many questions), > structuring (that was just dumb)…so now I go > with finance and leave it at that. > > The responses are usually, “cool” and they leave > it. If they think they know me pretty well, they > like to throw in, “so how much more do you make > than me?” HAHA I do that same exact thing. I’m a trader on the buy-side (which is different from broker and different from sales trader on the sell-side). But the media and general public has a general idea of what a “trader” is and when I tell people, they usually ask questions that’s not related to me in anyway and it becomes just me telling them exactly what I do, which is a pain. “I’m in finance.”
I just say I’m in sales. The word “finance” seems too high and mighty. If they ask questions I explain that we sell asset management services to pension plans.
I just say I am a bank teller. That’s finance right?
“I just say I am a bank teller. That’s finance right?” I always tell girls at bars that I’m unemployed…this doesn’t happen often, because girls rarely speak to me…but after I tell them that, they usually stick around, for 30 extra seconds.
Turkish Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > “I just say I am a bank teller. That’s finance > right?” > > I always tell girls at bars that I’m > unemployed…this doesn’t happen often, because > girls rarely speak to me…but after I tell them > that, they usually stick around, for 30 extra > seconds. I don’t get it. Why would they stick around after you tell them you’re unemployed/ What might work is if you tell them you’re a struggling actor/musician… or a producer.
They stick around because they feel badly…hence the 30 seconds. Come on homie, that was evident.
Turkish Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > They stick around because they feel badly…hence > the 30 seconds. > > Come on homie, that was evident. What city are you in? Here in LA, they laugh and point at you, and then take a picture of you in their camera phone before going back to their friends to laugh some more.
“Here in LA, they laugh and point at you, and then take a picture of you in their camera phone before going back to their friends to laugh some more.” I need to spend more time in LA.
While on vacation last year sitting by the pool… “What are you studying for?” Me: “I’m studying for the level II of the CFA exam” “Oh, I have my series 7.” How do you even respond?
I can tie my shoes.
“How do you even respond?” Congratulations!
Turkish Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > “Here in LA, they laugh and point at you, and then > take a picture of you in their camera phone before > going back to their friends to laugh some more.” > > I need to spend more time in LA. LOL…hilarious btw, it’s amazing how sarcasm goes undetected on AF sometimes…