I love threads like this. I’ve known that I wanted to work in finance ever since I was 16 years old, and I wanted to be in New York working for the best. At that time, I was a dairy farmer spreading manure and milking cows and that was pretty much my skill set. Even at that age, I can remember recommending to my father that we should hedge out our corn exposure, or hedge out or petro exposure. After high school, the old man sold the farm, and I was free to go off and do what I wanted to. Needless to say, I spent a lot of time working on the farm and I didn’t have the best grades. I wasn’t going to a top 50 public, let alone the private schools that I wanted to go to. Besides, we were dirt poor. I mean, really poor. So I joined the Navy and I spent 6 years there. I did very well, worked hard and networked with the officers (I was enlisted) and positioned myself to move on towards finance eventually. But I also wanted a change and I still had a very limited budget (contrary to popular belief, the military doesn’t pay for much of your college). At this point in my life, I didn’t know a single person in finance and I probably had yet to hear the word “hedge fund”. I doubt I knew the difference between front office and back office. All Knew was I wanted to work for Bear Sterns, CSFB or Lehman Brothers. While I was in the Navy, some of my superiors did all they could to try and convince me, if I did decide to leave, to go off and get a “good job”. You know, become a manager at some technician’s shop, or a police detective, or something like that - or go the officer route in the military. Enlisted aren’t really deemed worthy of anything outside of bluecollar. I was accepted to a top 30 liberal arts school that would assist me with my tuition, and I can still remember saying to me “are you sure that school is acredited?” and “wouldn’t you be happier at XYZ community” or “have you thought about distance learning?” So I went to college, graduated and moved to the city about about 100 dollars left. After four months I got a job in compliance. I more or less followed what Goldenboy earlier said earlier. I worked hard and told them where I wanted to go. I still need to do compliance work, but I also work directly with the investors now. I construct the models that we use, and I’m now the only one at my firm who can do what it is I do - which is a pretty good position to be in. Sadly though, I’ve hit a wall and now I need to move on. Likely, I will need to take a middle office position and claw my way back again, but I don’t care. I’ll do it. So I’m sending out resumes left right and center. Notwithstanding the elitism of certain posters, the key is more than simply hard work, or being smarter, or having a good network. You need to have drive. I mean a real serious burning desire. You need to be able to suck up your pride, and do whatever it takes. You need to be able to do what the next guy isn’t willing to do. If there is a guy staying until 7 every day, you need to leave at 7:30. If your quality needs work, you need to improve. If your network is slim, you need to hit the streets. If you don’t have the desire, maybe BO work is what you were meant to do. My entire life I’ve been listening to people tell me how I can’t do something. It only makes me that much more determined. I consider a BO / MO >>> FO move to small jump compared to some of the jumps I’ve already made. Keep in mind, I haven’t “made it” but I’m on a pretty good path I feel.
good job Erie. Keep up the good work and thanks for your service to this country. My father is retired USMC
bromion Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > buddha, what sort of high finance job do you work > at? bb er assoc, boutique er assoc but with some coverage, currently bs analyst covering energy.
Good post Muddahudda. eire1130, best of luck with your search - I admire your tenacity and discipline. Keep us posted!
bs analyst?? bull sh*t analyst?
Eire-great post. You are an inspiration. Best of luck with everything.
Eire, you are the role model for the U.S. Film industry! And the winner of the CFOscar for the genre “from rags to riches” is Eery Eire! Haha, just kidding. Keep Fightin’ !
I am in the same boat. What makes it more challenging however, is that our firm’s BO is located in its own building so we don’t really get to have face time with people from FO, which drastically reduces any chances of moving. The only solution is probably to leave the company and move somewhere with an opportunity to do something more analytical. Easier said than done. In the meantime, the longer one stays here, the more likely it is to get stuck.