I'm currently a business administrations student and my favorite courses are finance and investments ones. My professor did notice my strong interest in those subjects and introduced a finance summer training program to me.
I asked him why I would need such a program, for I am good at finance and investments already. He explained to me that there were certain aspects of the subject my school's academic departments couldn't teach me because in spite of having excellence in accounting and finance theories as well as many applications, the instruction was somewhat disconnected to how things may actually be done 'on the job', and potential employers would want to see those types of skills as well. Call it "insider knowledge" if you will. I really appreciated my professor's taking a personal interest in my development and career success.
After hearing his views, I got interested in the program because it would open me up to a new set of possibilities.
I ended up applying and actually was accepted as a student. I was positively surprised by the accommodations we were offered and the environment seemed to be too beautiful to spend most of the time studying. But I was intent on working hard because that's what I came to do. I was curious about the lectures which were not taught by university professors but by practitioners who had worked for years in finance and investments businesses.
It turned out that my professor had been right and I benefitted immensely. I got to hear about so many different real life cases and about difficult situations and challenges one would face during work and how to best cope with them to succeed that it gave me a new perspective. I even got to practice the applied skills during case studies and simulations with our instructors. At university I never got the chance to do so, because the courses are way too theoretical and the professors do not have the time to bring in new, cutting edge finance materials that is required for a job in high finance.
Because of my professors advice I was able to get a glimpse of the real world of finance and investments. On top of that I was even guided by instructors who were very passionate in teaching and sharing their insider knowledge with us.
My "summer vacation" at the Swiss Finance Academy's finance program has really broadened my horizons regarding finance and investments. I sincerely thank the instructors and staff of Swiss Finance Academy for creating this amazing experience for me and my classmates.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Studying And Having Fun At The Same Time
After graduation I did an internship at a company dealing with hedge funds. I did a decent job and my employer was rather satisfied with my work and with me in general.
However, I didn't want to work as just another employee in the backoffice who works but would never get an opportunity to develop the most desirable skills and to make relevant investment decisions. I wanted to reach higher levels.
That would mean a lot of work, I realized. I'd need to deepen my knowledge about hedge funds, both in theory and in practice. Additionally, I'd have to polish up my soft-skills.
Despite knowing this, I didn't want to spend even more years studying theoretical finance or investments, as that would not necessarily help me shine, and since I had just graduated, more schooling was out of the question, both personally and financially.
I was looking for something rigorous and to-the-point in terms of training. I had read a lot of books in my spare time, related to investments, trading and investment banking, but I needed more real world knowledge. I came across information related to a summer program where they taught the essentials of i-banking valuation, international investing, hegdge funds and wealth management in Switzerland, and did so in only three weeks. The school was called Swiss Finance Academy.
The courses was taught by professionals who had extensive experience in their professions. The instructors knew how to teach based upon what they had experienced themselves.
Besides learning a lot, during the weekends I got to enjoy the landscapes of Switzerland, France and Italy, and take a break from the challenging schedule.
I learned so much in only three weeks. I gained the knowledge; theoretical as well as practical; and many traits of a successful business person.
After this course I was offered a job at the very same hedge fund but in a position that I really desired so much to attain.
However, I didn't want to work as just another employee in the backoffice who works but would never get an opportunity to develop the most desirable skills and to make relevant investment decisions. I wanted to reach higher levels.
That would mean a lot of work, I realized. I'd need to deepen my knowledge about hedge funds, both in theory and in practice. Additionally, I'd have to polish up my soft-skills.
Despite knowing this, I didn't want to spend even more years studying theoretical finance or investments, as that would not necessarily help me shine, and since I had just graduated, more schooling was out of the question, both personally and financially.
I was looking for something rigorous and to-the-point in terms of training. I had read a lot of books in my spare time, related to investments, trading and investment banking, but I needed more real world knowledge. I came across information related to a summer program where they taught the essentials of i-banking valuation, international investing, hegdge funds and wealth management in Switzerland, and did so in only three weeks. The school was called Swiss Finance Academy.
The courses was taught by professionals who had extensive experience in their professions. The instructors knew how to teach based upon what they had experienced themselves.
Besides learning a lot, during the weekends I got to enjoy the landscapes of Switzerland, France and Italy, and take a break from the challenging schedule.
I learned so much in only three weeks. I gained the knowledge; theoretical as well as practical; and many traits of a successful business person.
After this course I was offered a job at the very same hedge fund but in a position that I really desired so much to attain.
Monday, April 26, 2010
I Wanna Be a Pro!
How do you learn to trade like a hedge fund or an investments professional?
If you ask me, I'd probably say, "Not by confining myself to books about finance or to professors who have a lot of knowledge on the subject but unfortunately barely have any practical experience in the field of investing, taking losses, doing international deals or building a business from ground up." There are a few good professors who have excellent corporate experience, but most of it is confined to seasonal consulting, and rarely does it involve having worked as a successful trader at an investment bank, or having built a $10 million dollar company, starting with almost nothing.
Take swimming as an example if you will. A person might learn about the different styles of swimming, its mechanics and models, its physics and biology, from breathing techniques to butterfly bounces, by reading books and watching films. However he would most likely drown if jumps into deep water unless he has had proper coaching and practical training.
The same applies to dealing with investments, money and start-ups. You need coaches and mentors. You need trainers. You need to supplement your theory with the real world sessions inside the swimming pool.
But how are you suppsed to meet such coaches and pros? It's difficult to even get a chance to talk to or meet such people. I attended an ivy league school and can therefore easily call some alumni who work on the Street. They are nice and try to be very helpful. But they wouldn't coach me about the real world, about what they really do, how they make money (really make money), and what I can do to learn to invest or trade. Those skills are hard to get. Most of those I call may themselves be struggling to acquire those skills, quite frankly. And it's not their job to teach others. I am thankful enough I can call them to ask their help with an information interview or other such things.
There are some opportunities, however. Such an opportunity for me was a summer program I took in Switzerland, called Swiss Finance Academy. During the lectures the instructors, who were seasoned executives, traders or investors, shared their practical know-how and insider knowledge which they had gathered through many years of work. I benefitted from thousands of pages of customized materials and models.
The summer program by Swiss Finance Academy was a very insightful and rewarding experience that simply stands out in my professional development as an investor. I now work in a front office job at a major investments firm.
If you ask me, I'd probably say, "Not by confining myself to books about finance or to professors who have a lot of knowledge on the subject but unfortunately barely have any practical experience in the field of investing, taking losses, doing international deals or building a business from ground up." There are a few good professors who have excellent corporate experience, but most of it is confined to seasonal consulting, and rarely does it involve having worked as a successful trader at an investment bank, or having built a $10 million dollar company, starting with almost nothing.
Take swimming as an example if you will. A person might learn about the different styles of swimming, its mechanics and models, its physics and biology, from breathing techniques to butterfly bounces, by reading books and watching films. However he would most likely drown if jumps into deep water unless he has had proper coaching and practical training.
The same applies to dealing with investments, money and start-ups. You need coaches and mentors. You need trainers. You need to supplement your theory with the real world sessions inside the swimming pool.
But how are you suppsed to meet such coaches and pros? It's difficult to even get a chance to talk to or meet such people. I attended an ivy league school and can therefore easily call some alumni who work on the Street. They are nice and try to be very helpful. But they wouldn't coach me about the real world, about what they really do, how they make money (really make money), and what I can do to learn to invest or trade. Those skills are hard to get. Most of those I call may themselves be struggling to acquire those skills, quite frankly. And it's not their job to teach others. I am thankful enough I can call them to ask their help with an information interview or other such things.
There are some opportunities, however. Such an opportunity for me was a summer program I took in Switzerland, called Swiss Finance Academy. During the lectures the instructors, who were seasoned executives, traders or investors, shared their practical know-how and insider knowledge which they had gathered through many years of work. I benefitted from thousands of pages of customized materials and models.
The summer program by Swiss Finance Academy was a very insightful and rewarding experience that simply stands out in my professional development as an investor. I now work in a front office job at a major investments firm.
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