GPA

Why wouldn’t anyone want to do equity research after an MBA? I certainly thought it was a path worth pursuing, even if I did equity research prior to graduate studies. On the other concern on moving laterally, my suggestion was to move from a boutique firm to a BB as it would essentially be a step up for this guy. This is one of the many ways to end up with the guy’s overarching goal, which is to land in a BB investment bank. I do appreciate there are other channels he can pursue, but I was merely suggesting one approach which worked in the past. I think the “overstay” in the equity research role will bear fruit afterwards, as this is essentially the guys dream role. The only factor he was missing was that he wanted to work for a BB, which is what I tried to address.

What did you major in? If math/science/engineering, then it isn’t a catastrophe. If it was something so ridiculously easy that a retard could do it - IE art, business administration, accounting, finance, etc - then you’re in trouble. However, your problems are much deeper than not being able to find a job at major firms. If you can’t obtain at least a 3.90 GPA in what I like to call “Retard Studies” (IE anything outside of math and the hard sciences) then you have to ask yourself if there’s anything you CAN succeed at. Is life even worth living? My answer would be no.

hi pixel, how’s your hedge fund doing - you guys dominating them markets? kewl…

Supreme111 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > What did you major in? > > If math/science/engineering, then it isn’t a > catastrophe. If it was something so ridiculously > easy that a retard could do it - IE art, business > administration, accounting, finance, etc - then > you’re in trouble. However, your problems are much > deeper than not being able to find a job at major > firms. If you can’t obtain at least a 3.90 GPA in > what I like to call “Retard Studies” (IE anything > outside of math and the hard sciences) then you > have to ask yourself if there’s anything you CAN > succeed at. Is life even worth living? > > My answer would be no. What do you consider so difficult about hard sciences? And who gets a 3.90 instead of a 4.00? You should definitely hang yourself, Mr. 3.9.

^@Supreme111, lol, that is too funny!

I actually found the hard sciences to be easier to understand than economic theory sometimes – I had actually started out my college career as a chemistry major – but found economics to be more interesting. I think there’s a certain notion that math or science represent more challenging fields, but everyone I knew that was exceptionally good at the fields told me they found the material coming to them pretty naturally… I imagine Supreme111 is being somewhat sarcastic (if not, then he’s being pretty arrogant and shortsighted)…but the other thing worth pointing out is that just because someone got good grades in college doesn’t point to professional success, particularly leadership and management in the business world. I can certainly understand how some “quants” out there will arrogantly assume that because of their mathematical rigor, they may be more “qualified” in some fields than others; however, just because you can solve complex math problems doesn’t necessarily imply that you’ll succeed in the business world. I can assure you that if you ever manage a team of individuals from a disparate background, nobody cares how smart you are – they’re more interested in whether you’re a likable person and you know how to lead.

I never said anything about math/hard science being difficult. It certainly is more intellectually rigorous than any business or social science program. But for those who are intellectually gifted individuals, succeeding in math/science shouldn’t be much of a problem. Also, Chemistry, along with biology, is a laughingstock among “hard scientists.” A smart dude once said: “Physics is the only real science - everything else is just stamp collecting.” Regarding economics, the reason you may have found it difficult to understand, was given its shaky foundation. Economists build up a collection of ridiculous and intellectually bankrupt theories from even more ridiculous and intellectually bankrupt axioms which make little to no sense in the real world. Any person with a grasp of how the world actually works would instantly reject the notion of rational consumer behavior, for example. Economics is a joke of a field, and I love to laugh at the pseudoscientists known as economists, every time their predictive power (or lackthereof) is exposed. I also love laughing at people who spent 4 years of their lives and thousands of dollars on worthless degrees.

@Supreme111, dude you’re harsh!

Supreme111, some people are probably sitting in their ivory towers and watching the world go by as they peruse their textbooks assiduously, there are others that are building a brand, reputation, and empire for themselves, and are developing the skills and networks to leave a lasting impact on the world. I certainly respect people that are dedicated to their academic pursuits – however, unless you’re a leader in your field and you know how to engage with other people (hint: they don’t teach the latter in physics textbooks), you probably aren’t making that much of a transformational contribution to your community at large. And frankly, if you’re not grabbing the attention or enhancing the lives of others around you, nobody really cares how smart or gifted you are. There’s that saying about a tree falling in the forest and nobody hears…you know?

I work in industry, not academia …

Linfone Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > > Eureka, so who do I call? (And please don’t say > Ghostbusters…) I had a sudden LOL at work. Colleagues were like:“what’s so funny ? send it to us”.

Supreme111 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I also love laughing at people who spent 4 years > of their lives and thousands of dollars on > worthless degrees. Physics!!! Our prophet has arrived. Physics > MBA > CFA ??

Wow. Supreme11. You have some pretty extreme views there. I disagree with you almost totally, but always interesting to read a different opinion. In my opinion, all academic subjects have their place. Physics is important within its own sphere, but there are limits to what it can tell us. Ultimately I want to lead a happy fulfilling life. The arts can help me deal with large issues such as the meaning of life, how to deal with bereavement, what it means to love, be happy etc in ways that Physics cannot. You should not dismiss these things out of hand. Ultimately they are what make us human. The arts contribute less to GDP absolutely but as anyone who has taken Economics 101 will know, GDP is a very imperfect measure of aggregate utility.

^^^^ I don’t think that Supreme11 has anything against arts. I think he just has something against pseudo-sciences posing as science. I think that to a certain extain, economy, management and any field which revolves around business is in fact pseudo-sciences posing at science. I wouldn’t discount them as agressively as him, but I totally get where he is coming from.

Viceroy Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Supreme111 Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > > I also love laughing at people who spent 4 > years > > of their lives and thousands of dollars on > > worthless degrees. > > Physics!!! Our prophet has arrived. > > Physics > MBA > CFA ?? LOL

Following up on Carson’s post, there are actually many economic benefits (in addition to the obvious creative and intellectual benefits) associated with art. Numerous studies have shown that artistic institutions help decrease crime, increase education, and generate positive economic externalities by stimulating local restaurants, shops, and other auxiliary services (like parking and other municipal revenue generators). Just google “economic benefits of art”; hundreds of useful links come up, including several studies from leading business schools/research institutions as well as major philanthropies. One study that’s pretty engaging and easy to read was published by Americans for the Arts; the document can be found here: http://www.artsusa.org/information_services/research/services/economic_impact/default.asp On a personal level, as an amateur artist, my experiences in the creative field since a young age have expanded my cultural awareness, open-mindedness, creativity, determination, and ability to perform under pressure – and these are all attributes that have helped me in the careers I’m in. I’ve jumped from equity research to private equity and will most likely make several more industry transitions before I retire, but I feel confident that I’ll be able to do well because of the personal qualities I developed through art at a very young age. Certainly, it’s not likely that I would have developed many of these skills in the classroom alone.

jackofalltrades – regarding your question about why most people that did equity research before going to MBA don’t end up in research, it’s because research folks going to business school tend to aspire to transition out of the field. Otherwise, business school wouldn’t be worth the opportunity costs; you’re actually setting yourself back if you take two years off from the markets, because so much of excelling in equity research is based on how well you know the industry and being able to recognize key trends. Certainly, there’s some merit to moving to a bulge bracket after 1-2 years at a smaller firm, but really the best thing to do is to try to get a buy-side role even before into business school. Most of the people getting good buy-side jobs out of business school had investing experience before business school, especially in a tough economy.

Thanks, Numi. I understand your point. Once you get your work experience honed in the buy-side, one will be able to take-up roles in the industry as part of the M&A team and/or pursue other investment related careers.

Do have any professional experience/internships? GPA’s are overrated…mine was crap and I used my professional experience to make up for it. My GPA was nowhere on my resume…if a question came up in an interview I’d say “uh…like a 3.3”. It wasn’t that I couldn’t do the work, it’s that I wanted to party…and boy I regret none of it, college was a blast. Some of the smaller firms are better places to work especially starting out. You’re more than likely to get a more well rounded experience and see a lot more. Starting out I was all about Prestige and the name of my bank…now I’m grateful I’m at a small bank…I’m learning a lot and get to get involved in a lot more things and also the give a bit more slack and a chance for you to learn/grow… A little less cutthroat than a BB.

numi Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > On a personal level, as an amateur artist, my > experiences in the creative field since a young > age are you still an amateur artist as you call it? what kind of art do you do?