In my post “Follow The Financial Whiz: The Countdown Begins Going from College to Career,” I set a goal to obtain a job offer by my graduation date of December 16, 2007. I am proud to say that I have achieved that goal.

I was offered positions with two very respectable firms, and both opportunities would have allowed me to continue dealing with investments. I have decided to join the Pennsylvania State Employees’ Retirement System as a Junior Investment Analyst specializing in private equity and venture capital investments. I feel that this position will allow me to continue to expand my knowledge into some of the most fascinating areas of investing. The position has me moving to the Harrisburg, PA area where I will be looking to continue to grow as an individual and as a professional.

The job opportunity was the direct result of the successful 8-month internship that I completed with the retirement system back in 2006. I felt that this opportunity would provide me with a workplace where I feel comfortable as I already know a lot of the expectations and procedures.

The decision was not an easy one to make, and anyone who has been around me the past two weeks can attest to this. The next couple of weeks will consist of me transitioning from my home here in Indiana, PA to my new home in Harrisburg, PA where I hope to settle in after the New Year.

I hope to post some updates from time to time as to my progress in the transition period, along with some new trading ideas that I have been cooking up in my head over the past couple months.

Thanks for all of the support that you, the readers, have shown me over the past 4 months to get to this point.

Bryan

The first week of my final semester is complete, and the job search is now in full swing. For those of you following me in my journey to the job market, updates have definitely been lacking; however, that doesn’t mean I haven’t been busy.

Over the past few weeks, I have focused on talking with as many of my prior contacts and employers as possible. I provided those contacts with an update on my progress as a student, and asked them to keep me in mind should they come across any positions that might suit my skills. I feel that keeping relationships strong following the completion of an internship is especially important since these are the people who might introduce me to a firm or contact within a firm that may interest me as a prospective employer. Previous contacts from internships are also a great source of information in that they can provide feedback and advice based upon their own experiences as well as defining what employers are actually looking for when they fill a position. Thus, I again stress the importance of seeking out internships as an undergraduate—they are more than resume builders.

I have been lucky in that I traveled around the state before school began, giving me the opportunity to see my former employer in person. If you are unable to meet with your internship contacts, send them an email with a short update about yourself and attach a copy of your resume. Ask them to keep you in mind and welcome any advice they may have for you; every little bit counts and you never know if an opportunity may present itself to you.

On a slightly different note, I was approached by a fellow classmate the other day in regard to starting a finance-related blog. Several other finance students have contacted me about their blog sites. The number of students currently trying to gain exposure through the Internet surprised me, but also encouraged me in that my blog is a good idea. I have since added my experience with this site to my resume, and included my contributor position with SeekingAlpha.com as well.

From what I have heard through talking with individuals at different levels of the hiring process, the writing ability of a potential employee is extremely important. Having a professional website that posts ideas and views in a way that spurs discussion is a definite pro to employers. My advice is to invite potential employers to your site to read over your articles and allow them to decide for themselves, regardless of your individual viewpoints or conclusions, the overall strength of your writing ability and research capabilities.

As for my actual job search, I am currently looking at a few jobs that would be complimentary to my skills as well as provide a challenge for me to exceed overall expectations. I am setting the bar high on my job search because I am confident that I could be an ideal candidate for an investment related job and would like to start at that level. Although this may limit the possibilities and require a lot more work on my behalf, I feel that it will be a rewarding adventure should I achieve this goal. I will be sending out my resume to a few employers this week, and I hope to provide an update next week as to the progress with additional details such as a job application scorecard.

I plan to keep readers posted as the search increases in intensity. I would also like to thank all readers for their support so far in the process; I hope to have a positive outcome to write about in the near future!

Time Remaining: 3 Months, 13 Days or 104 Days as of September 3, 2007

These past two weeks have been hectic, but the job hunt is well underway. As of 5 p.m. Friday, my internship with Bank of New York Mellon has come to completion. For those of you who are entering into your junior and senior years of college, keep in mind that an internship provides an invaluable experience that will help jump-start you on your future career.

While my internship with BNY Mellon was not in my primary field of interest, it did allow me to build my network by giving me the opportunity to meet with employees in areas that are closer to what I ultimately envision for my career. I had the opportunity to meet with an analyst, a vice president and a portfolio manager of the two Mellon stock mutual funds. During my meetings, I also inquired as to how they got where they are today and what advice they might be able to provide me in my search for the ultimate job. Here is a compilation of their thoughts with my comments in italics:

• Always be looking one-step ahead, that way you know what you have to do to get to the point where you want to be.
  Use a big organization to your advantage; if you take a position in one area but have your eyes set on other, keep a look out and always know where you want to go.
  
  
• Seek out opportunities; don’t expect them to fall in your lap.
  If you have a serious passion for investments and you are working in an unrelated field, talk to people in that department and see if you can assist the department in some way.
  
  
• You must demonstrate a passion for what you do; it is your best marketing tool, especially if you are coming right out of school.
  If you show passion for the field, then a company is more likely to offer you a position than someone who is just after the dollar signs.
  
  
• Network, network, network. You probably hear this all the time, but “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know.”
  From my experiences with applying for internships, this advice goes the furthest. If you have someone to back you up, you actually become a resume in front of someone instead of being one in a stack of many.
  
  
• A CFA designation will go a lot further than any other degree in the field of investment management.
  If you pass your CFA, you will gain a great deal more credibility and it will show current or potential employers that you have a serious enthusiasm for the field.
  
  
• A strong, decisive opinion is preferred.
  Anyone can provide a basic view—a stock could do this or it could do that; what a portfolio manager is looking for is a clear decision to buy or sell, and an explanation why an investment did not go as planned if the analysis is wrong.

While the above advice is geared more towards an individual looking for a finance-related or investment career, a lot of the guidance can be applicable to everyone.

Good luck, and happy hunting!

Time Remaining: 4 Months, 12 Days or 134 Days as of August 4, 2007

I decided that I would document my search for employment as I prepare for my graduation from the Indiana University of Pennsylvania with a Bachelor of Science in Business with a major in finance and a minor in economics.

I have a few goals in creating this series. The first goal is to gain more recognition in the finance world through my website. The second is to educate others who seek to follow in a similar career path. Several fellow finance majors have contacted me since this site’s inception, and I thought they might like to share in my journey into the “real world.” The third and final goal, and possibly the most important, is to secure a definitive job offer by December 16, 2007 in the field that has been my passion for over seven years.

My job search focuses on specific jobs because, ideally, I would like my job to be something I truly enjoy. Investing is my passion, and I would be thrilled with doing it full-time if I didn’t have to worry about personal finances. Thus, I would like to incorporate it into my full-time job after I graduate, if possible.

The specific field of interest in which I am looking to obtain employment in is investment analysis. Such a job could come in the form of a stock research analyst or a financial portfolio strategist. I want a career that will challenge me to think creatively and will drive me to exceed all expectations. On a more general level, I would enjoy employment opportunities that deal with stocks, options, and/or foreign exchange.

I would appreciate any help that the readers could provide me in my search for a job. Any bits of wisdom that you have found helpful in your prior experiences or a suggestion on a potential employer (or even an introduction) are welcomed. If you would like to leave advice or a suggestion, I would encourage you to use to comment field so that there can be a discussion available to other job hunters, but you may contact me through email as well.

You can obtain a copy of my resume by clicking here.

Thank you,

Bryan W. Moore

Time Remaining: 4 Months, 23 Days or 146 Days as of July 23, 2007