For the avoidance of doubt, let me start of by saying that I'm an ex IB-er, with years of experience, a post graduate degree, a specialist credit qualification and a SC advisory license.

Now let me clear the air. Investment Banking jobs (CF, DCM etc) may SOUND glamorous, but it's actually countless hours of thankless back breaking, mind numbing work.

The money CAN be good (salary plus bonus) but when you think of the hours you put in (including weekends)...well one man's meat is another man's poison.

If I could sum up the traits needed to SURVIVE as an IB-er it would be the following:-

1) Passion - If you have no affinity for numbers, not hungry to know who, what, when, why and how about business, then forget it. You'll fail.
2) Research - You need to be always curious. Self learn. Ask questions. And remember the answers. Seniors/clients have little time nor patience to
teach you.
3) Social skills - Includes confidence, good language ability, manners, grooming - You need to look and sound polished, nor mutter, fumble and fidget when speaking or being spoken to.

Natural intelligence is compulsory. In my department, all are second uppers and above. Those holding professional degrees would usually have CFAs or MBAs (with 3.3/4.0 above) to complement their basic degree.

Now some of you may think IB work is like the movie Wall Street (Part 1 or 2). Sorry to burst your bubble, but it's not. If wall street is more your cup of tea, then join the Treasury or Financial Markets of banks. Be a trader.

On the most part, being an IB-er involves reading, writing and attending meetings and presentations. If you don't have the stamina to sit thru an 8 hour due diligence meeting, rush across town for a presentation when the material was just only completed minutes before or work late nights and weekends, then I humbly suggest you FORGET about having a career in IB.

Some IB-ers in the forum are harsh. But that is how it is. It's a cut throat business. Do your homework guys. And ask questions intelligently. Refer my trait #2.

Gotta go. Con-call in 5.

actually this just shows that u don't have a clear goal on what you want to do in the investment field. I really need to lol-ed at this "Any other investment related job in IB also I'm very happy".

No offense. Just remind me of a particular person that i know of. Ex-auditor, have CFA Level 2, and "being an analyst is a dream job". But if you ask him about any news related to the financial market or economy, he has no clue at all. So much for being "a dream job" but don't even bother to read the business or finance news section of daily newspapers at least

I had met a fellow through my friend. The fellow completed his CFA III and he wanted to be a fund manager. So I asked him what was his way on analysing stocks, and that fellow told me he personally did not invest any stock because he was afraid of investment risk. LOL, I was then laugh all the way because a stock analyst do not like to invest

A typical nerd to get through the academic study without knowing how to apply it. Getting a cert cannot guarantee a good job, without having the passion to the job you are doing then you will not go far .

Maybe he kiasu just dun wan to share leh.

---

Added on December 2, 2010, 7:02 am

FYI, Fund manager notnecessary stock. Maybe he prefers bonds (one lot 5m, how to invest?).

ape bond, itu fixed income edi la. lu pergi mana. totally different field, and much more quantitative.

glooberg, u read betul betul lar.
i was replying to somebody's post, do ur homework.

fixed income is not totally diff field, it's part of IB, in  fact more important part than CF. too much to explain, u got to go figure urself.
Quantitative?? my god, i give up here lar.
if i explain i can write a book!!

ermmm... ok. Let me call up a banker and ask him to tell u? LOL.
Ever heard of PIMCO? Never said u're wrong, but just mentioning that fixed income investment deals more with bonds that do fund managers. And yes, fixed income is highly quant, much more than equity, just for ur knowledge. Strategies include carry, curves, rolldown, etc etc.

more important than CF, hmmm... fixed income is investment wo, why relate to CF? If CF seek for funding expertise, they will go to DCM ppl and ask their opinion. Ok, i scare u liao, name also aloong. U are correct in every sense possible

=) somebody got offended pretty hard eh. IB freshie with the know it all attitude.

My fav quote:-

"Winning an argument on the Internet is like winning a contest at the Special Olympics you may have won but who did you beat?"

Regards,

A mere spectator in the paralympic game. ROFL

no la, where got know it all. Just commenting only la bro, if i know it all, u know how long more the comments would be? =p
see my other nonsense post if u don't believe. Haihzz... U know being in the financial mkts, once u missed one day of news and report, u'll actually miss a lot! Being updated daily is very essential... hard to find holidays which is why /k/ is a great place to chui sui.

For the avoidance of doubt, let me start of by saying that I'm an ex IB-er, with years of experience, a post graduate degree, a specialist credit qualification and a SC advisory license.

Now let me clear the air. Investment Banking jobs (CF, DCM etc) may SOUND glamorous, but it's actually countless hours of thankless back breaking, mind numbing work.

The money CAN be good (salary plus bonus) but when you think of the hours you put in (including weekends)...well one man's meat is another man's poison.

If I could sum up the traits needed to SURVIVE as an IB-er it would be the following:-

1) Passion - If you have no affinity for numbers, not hungry to know who, what, when, why and how about business, then forget it. You'll fail.
2) Research - You need to be always curious. Self learn. Ask questions. And remember the answers. Seniors/clients have little time nor patience to
teach you.
3) Social skills - Includes confidence, good language ability, manners, grooming - You need to look and sound polished, nor mutter, fumble and fidget when speaking or being spoken to.

Natural intelligence is compulsory. In my department, all are second uppers and above. Those holding professional degrees would usually have CFAs or MBAs (with 3.3/4.0 above) to complement their basic degree.

Now some of you may think IB work is like the movie Wall Street (Part 1 or 2). Sorry to burst your bubble, but it's not. If wall street is more your cup of tea, then join the Treasury or Financial Markets of banks. Be a trader.

On the most part, being an IB-er involves reading, writing and attending meetings and presentations. If you don't have the stamina to sit thru an 8 hour due diligence meeting, rush across town for a presentation when the material was just only completed minutes before or work late nights and weekends, then I humbly suggest you FORGET about having a career in IB.

Some IB-ers in the forum are harsh. But that is how it is. It's a cut throat business. Do your homework guys. And ask questions intelligently. Refer my trait #2.

Gotta go. Con-call in 5.

did anyone mentioned due diligence meeting?????? and i'm sure you have sit through verification meeting, that thing is nasty.

So far the best answer I've seen.
Liked the part on wall street.

I dont know why is it such that one <insert name> needs to be cocky in this field.
The fact of the matter is that we are all still in Malaysia.
If so damn good, already out of here (generally speaking).

Btw, not personally investing in stocks does not mean that the person is not suitable to be a fund manager.
I know a person who has vast experience and does not invest in the market at all.

Also, education background prob gives you a boost into the industry. Maybe you'd start a little late (eg hang around in audit for 2 years) but its the person's own character and attitude that brings him to his destination. My colleague sitting next to me (which I highly respect) comes from UTAR.

yeah, page by page, line by line. but the worst part is done by the lawyers. lol....

Knowing a person with vast experience but no invest record show us no hints where he is experience of? Experience of what? Experience of nerding?

Just like a case that an insurance agent trying to hard sell the insurance product but he himself not buying insurance, how pursuasive is this? I have no confidence to the so-called "experienced investment expert" who do not invest. Nowadays the word "experience" is abused way out to the roof. My 2 cents.

wow wow wow..... no need for that sarcasm.
There are some people (to your surprise) who work not mainly for the money but for the interest/passion/challenge of it.

Btw, are you working in the industry? If yes, then I'm very sure your should know of rules and guidelines concerning practices of personal trading. I'm not saying one totally cannot trade on a personal basis, but rather there are limitations.

oh, and FYI experience?
i think the portfolio size would speak for itself. ~RM1.5b

Btw, are you working in the industry? If yes, then I'm very sure your should know of rules and guidelines concerning practices of personal trading. I'm not saying one totally cannot trade on a personal basis, but rather there are limitations.

It is not an issue about working for money or interst. It's the issue that a person who studied so hard to achieve an investment professional, but he personally does not invest because he is afraid of investment risk, and he wanted to manage fund for others, and this was the fellow I met as I mentioned in the previous thread. Just like a person who get his driving licence, but he is afraid of car accident so he does not drive, and he advises other people how do drive, do you think we should take his advice?

I'm not going to make an argument here, just let other forumers to judge.