What skills does an analyst need to become a portfolio manager?

Students in the AIM program manager three portfolios. While they learn the skills of how to become a solid fundamental analyst, they along have an opportunity to try their hands at being portfolio managers. The follow thoughts were taken from Larry Cao, CFA, who wrote in a recent CFA blog posting about the Seven Essential Steps in Portfolio Management.

These are seven steps that an aspiring portfolio manager must learn to master according to Cao:  

1. Originating ideas.

Where does a portfolio manager start in his quest to beat the market? Fresh ideas. There are more than 7,000 listed companies in the world, and a portfolio manager needs to know where to look. You need to look beyond the index and the obvious, especially the ones shopped around by sell-side analysts.  Adding value starts from idea generation, the first step in the investment process. This point is particularly important for value managers, who by default invest in companies that the market shies away from.

2. Conducting research.

Research is not the exclusive realm of research analysts — far from it. You need to be able to shorten the list from a few thousand companies to a few hundred. These companies are then ranked and analyzed. Focus on finding the right business run by the right people that can be bought at the right price. Consistent investment results depend on discipline and not on serendipity. How to rank the short-listed companies clearly reflects a manager’s investment philosophy.

3. Making decisions.

Decision making is tough. Investors are often better at investigating investment opportunities than making investment decisions because they are afraid of making mistakes that they’ll regret. It is critical, however, for a portfolio manager to be able to pull the trigger when presented with a killer opportunity.  Decision-making authority is the single most important distinction between an analyst and a portfolio manager. The talented are particularly good at pulling the trigger although the instinct does not come easy, even to them.

4. Structuring transactions.

There are many ways of investing in a company. Buying shares in the open market is only one of them. Portfolio managers need to invest in ways that benefit investors the most. A manager needs to be familiar with the intricacies of these transactions, including accounting, legal, and tax implications.  Portfolio managers need to have a total return perspective to investing. This is particularly important if they are managing an outsized portfolio or invest in alternatives.

5. Executing transactions.

A portfolio manager also needs to work with traders and ensure that ideas become investments. Traders are ultimately responsible for trading. Portfolio managers, however, need to have an appreciation for how their investment decision may affect the market. Trading remains an area that affects portfolio performance and cannot be ignored.

6. Maintaining investments.

Adding an investment to the portfolio is not the end of the story. Portfolio managers need to continue paying attention to portfolio companies once initial investments are made. This is a continuation of the research process. Maintain, not monitor, your investments.

7. Exiting investments.

Conventional wisdom seems to hold that exiting an investment is almost more important than entering one. And it could be right. If portfolio managers hesitate when they exit positions, they often run the risk of letting small losses balloon into major headaches. Similarly, if portfolio managers do not lock in profits when they should, it could be equally damaging to their performance. Don’t be afraid of selling too high or too low. Exit quickly once you’ve made the decision, especially when cutting losses.

Five Important Career Tips

These are from the New York Society of Security Analysts career web site. They have many useful articles and tips for individuals seeking to work in the investments field. Graduates of the AIM program has been successful because of good training, hard work, and avoiding silly mistakes.

Here are five career tips for you to follow at different stages of your career. They may be fairly obvious, but it’s surprising how often people overlook them.Im

1. Understand the industry. Different aptitudes and personalities are best suited to different specialties. What are you best at? What are you most interested in? Where are your weaknesses? Managers don’t expect everyone to be talented at everything. 
2. The best employees are the ones who come in every day and think about how they can add the most value to the rest of the team beyond their basic tasks.
3. Try to work with leaders who you respect for their skills and integrity, and don’t hesitate to let them know when you succeed and when you make a mistake. This makes their job easier. You will gain respect by acknowledging and working on fixing mistakes. Covering up loses trust. 
4. Don't be afraid to terminate or reassign an underperformer. Give clear feedback and a short opportunity to improve, but then move them on. Otherwise you're hurting yourself, your team, and ultimately the person themself.  
5. Finally, have “executive presence” every day. Your bearing, confidence, tone, and choice of conversation have a major impact on people's perception of you.

First AIM Equity Presentations of the new school year will be on Friday, August 29, 2014

The first AIM equity presentations of the fall semester are this Friday. Join us in person or online. A pdf file of the recommendations can be found on the AIM web site at: AIM presentations

Applied Investment Management (AIM) Program

AIM Class of 2015 Equity Fund Reports

Fall 2014

Date: August 29th | Time: 3:00 -4:30 p.m. (CST) | Location: AIM Research Room (488)

Join us in person, or considering joining us live at:

Connect here to the LIVE meeting via Blackboard web-based conferencing tool

During August and September the AIM students will be presenting current equity holdings that reside in the AIM Small Cap Equity and AIM International Equity Funds. The recommendations will be to sell, hold, or buy more shares. The presenters and their target companies are listed below.

How to Brand Yourself During an Interview and Networking

The following two articles about personal branding during the interview and network process come from the New York Security Analyst Society. These are useful to AIM students as they prepare for internships and entry level interviews.

Personal Branding: Interviewing

The interview process will ultimately determine if your efforts at personal branding have been successful.

There are two kinds of interviews: the informational/courtesy and the real interview (where there is a real job!).

Here are some interview rules of thumb:

• NEVER ask a question you should know the answer to
• Know everything you possibly can about the company; nothing will substitute for appropriate due diligence and research
• Interviewing is like dating—increasing amounts of information is exchanged in successive stages (DON’T VOLUNTEER TOO MUCH UP FRONT)

Don’t forget about the importance of cultural fit. Sometimes a good cultural fit can trump qualifications if the firm believes you can grow into the job quickly enough but make a contribution from the get go. 

The more senior you are, the more important the corporate culture is because you will be higher up in the food chain and more exposed to what is right or wrong about a company.

There is much more about the interview process we can discuss but if you get the job you can tell yourself you have satisfied the ultimate goal of personal branding—someone wants you for who you are!

Personal Branding: Networking

Once you have taken the first step in developing your personal brand—creating a resume—you need to test your brand in the marketplace.

Network to find out if people perceive you the way you see yourself.

There are two kinds of networking: online and in-person.

To start networking online, you need to create an online presence via social media on websites such as LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook. You can even create a blog using platforms such as WordPress or Tumblr.

There is no substitute, however, for face-to-face networking. Face-to-face networking involves participating in industry organizations either as a panelist or attendee.

Even more important when you are in real social settings—as opposed to the pseudo social setting of the internet—is to follow appropriate rules of behavior. You want to create a bond with those with whom you are networking. It takes time to cultivate these relationships.

Networking should be a part of your regular career management—not just when you need a job. You want to create networking relationships before you need to use them.

The last and most important part of developing a personal brand is finding out if it will get you a job through the interview process, which we’ll cover next. 

This article was written by Richard Lipstein, executive search consultant with Gilbert Tweed International, long-time NYSSA member and currently member of its board of directors. This is a very good source of information about career opportunities in the investments field.

The 25 Most Difficult Questions You'll Be Asked on a Job Interview (and their answers)

With the start of a new academic year, we know that finance interviews for internships and entry level jobs will be occurring over the next several months. On the AIM blog we will be publishing some of the most frequently asked technical finance interview questions and answers across a variety of topics.

A good starting point is with the CFA Institute. They have provided a variety of career resources for college students studying finance. The following link directs the reader to a PDF file that contains The 25 Most Difficult Questions You'll Be Asked on a Job Interview (and their answers).

Open House for Prospective AIM Students - Friday, August 29, 2014 2:00 pm in the AIM Room (4th Floor Straz Hall)

This message is directed toward any Marquette student (freshmen, sophomore, or junior) interested in learning more about the AIM program - specifically the new AIM track (Private Equity & Banking). For more information, go to the AIM web site.


Here is the agenda for Friday's open house:

2:00 – 2:20 Presentation and discussion of the new AIM track (Private Equity & Banking) with Dr. Krause and Mark Zellmer

2:20 – 2:40 Discussion of AIM application (due 2nd Friday of September)

2:40 – 2:50 Career Services presentation (resume and interviewing schedule)

2:50 – 3:00 Q & A session

Please note that the first AIM equity presentations of the semester will follow the open house in the AIM Room.  

3:00 – 4:30 AIM Equity presentations

Useful Advice for College Students from the CFA Institute's Career Guide

THE CFA INSTITUTE PUBLISHED AN ASIA-PACIFIC CAREER GUIDE: 2014 CAREER ADVICE. THERE IS A SPECIAL SECTION ON KICKSTARTING YOUR CAREER DEVELOPMENT WHILE STILL IN COLLEGE. IT OFFERS EXCELLENT ADVICE AND SHOULD BE CONSIDERED BY STUDENTS PREPARING FOR FIRST YEAR POSITIONS AND INTERNSHIPS.

You don’t have to wait until you have completed your degree and received your diploma to prepare for your career. While still in school, there are several steps you can take to set the stage for a successful entry into the finance and investment industry.

NETWORK

Seize every opportunity to meet people who have experience in the finance and investment industry and learn from them. These opportunities may come in the form of career events, seminars, conferences, and lectures at your university. Networking is more than just exchanging name cards. It’s about striking a connection with the people you meet, and nurturing and leveraging those connections. Introducing yourself and asking questions to a school alumnus who’s now a senior banking executive may be intimidating. But think of it as practice for the real world.

Your ability to conduct yourself with ease in social and business settings shows your confidence and you can only build up that confidence through practice. Outside of school, don’t hesitate to reach out to relatives, family friends, or friends of friends who work in the industry. Even if you live well outside a financial center, you can hone your networking skills with your local business community.

DO SOME DUE DILIGENCE

So you have decided on a career in finance. But which area? There are many fields in the industry and myriad roles. Research these fields, find out as much as you can what professionals in those fields do, and the skills and qualifications required. If a CFA designation is typically required for the job you’re angling for, prepare for the CFA Program as early as possible.

Keep yourself up to date on industry developments so you know how to position yourself in the job market. Read the financial news — it’s always a good conversation starter in networking events.

BE ACTIVE IN CAMPUS ACTIVITIES

Employers not only judge you based on your grades or relative experience, they want to see a well-rounded person. Your extra-curricular activities can demonstrate your leadership abilities, time management skills, collaborative skills, resourcefulness, and other soft skills.

One way of showing employers your serious interest in the industry is to join the CFA Institute Research Challenge — an annual global competition that provides university students with hands-on mentoring and intensive training in financial analysis. Considered as the “investment Olympics,” the competition is held in three progressive levels — local, regional, and global. CFA charterholders mentor students as they assume the role of research analysts and are tested on their ability to value a stock, write an initiation-of-coverage report, and present their recommendations.

SEEK INTERNSHIPS

Fresh graduates are understandably short on work experience when they join the job market. But it doesn’t necessarily mean that you have zero work experience. One credible way of demonstrating your potential is by getting yourself an internship at a financial institution or company. Many of today’s leading global business leaders spent time learning the ropes as interns: Microsoft founder Bill Gates was a U.S. congressional page, Xerox CEO Ursula Burns was once a mechanical engineering summer intern at Xerox, and JP Morgan Chase Chairman and CEO Jamie Dimon interned at Goldman Sachs in the 1970s.

An internship in a prestigious bank would look good in your resume, but more important is what you learn in the process. What were your responsibilities and what business functions were you exposed to as an intern? Don’t just spend your internship photocopying or fetching coffee for the team; be proactive in finding meaningful assignments.

Large international banks have highly competitive internship programs, but you don’t have to limit yourself within this circle. There are many other banks and companies that can offer you a place. Oftentimes, you just have to take the initiative to look for these opportunities by contacting organizations directly, even if they are not advertising for interns. It’s a chance to hone your ability to market yourself to potential employers. Internships may lead to a full-time job offer.

FIND A MENTOR

“Mentors and sponsors are hugely important in careers. We know that people who have them do better,” says Sheryl Sandberg, chief operating officer of Facebook. Some people are lucky enough to stumble upon good mentors early in their careers, while others have to seek them out. Sheryl Sandberg’s own mentor was her Harvard University professor Larry Summers, who later became U.S. Treasury Secretary and her boss. If you did your networking homework well, you would have a good group of potential mentors to start with.

Mentors and sponsors are people who can offer you practical insights and advice, and can help open doors for you in the industry. They don’t have to be influential figures in the industry. A university professor, a family friend who has years of experience in the finance industry or your supervisor at your internship or summer job may be a potential mentor. It all depends on the kind of relationship that you are able to establish with them and the value that they can add to your career development.

10 Frequently Asked Finance Interview Questions

With the start of the new school year, finance interviews for AIM students (and others) interested in internships and entry level jobs will soon be taking place. On this blog we will be publishing some of the most frequently asked technical finance interview questions and answers across a variety of topics. Here are some of the most likely questions you’ll be asked. (Note: some of the questions relate to prior work experiences).

1. Tell me about yourself.

This sounds like an easy question to answer. After all, what is so difficult about talking about yourself? But not preparing for a question like this could cause you to bring up points that might be irrelevant for your job candidacy.

Review the job requirements and see how your strengths and qualities can support the position. Write down your responses and rehearse your delivery so that it sounds natural. You will have done much of the groundwork in your self-review.

Be concise but informative in your response. Depending on your career stage, this answer should take two to four minutes and include the highlights, and sometimes lowlights (remembering to provide examples of how you overcame challenges), of your career background. Focus on your professional work but include significant personal events and experiences if they have affected your career.

Display your competence and interest in the position but do not start going into your personal history. If the interviewer wants more detail about a specific incident or phase of your life, he or she will probe further.

2. What is your greatest accomplishment in your career or personal life? Tell me why.

The interviewer is interested in the accomplishment you have chosen to share and its context in your personal and professional background. You should choose a significant event that demonstrates such personal qualities as persistence or ability to overcome adversity and, ideally, an event that displays something a little out of the ordinary.

You can broaden your answer to include a selection of accomplishments. For example, “I’ve been pleased with a few accomplishments, such as X, Y, and Z, but I would have to say that my proudest moment was Y because of reasons 1, 2, and 3.”

3. What value have you added to your company in your current role and what value has your company added to you?

This question enables you to demonstrate your expertise, but remember to answer both parts of the question. For the first part of your answer, outline your accomplishments in your current role and include measurable outcomes.

Be able to identify and quantify specific ways you have benefited your organization. Outline the challenges or issues you faced in your position or your desired outcomes for the role when you started.

Ideally, you want to be able to find similarities between the challenges faced in your current role and the challenges that could arise in your prospective role. This strategy can help convince the interviewer that you are the best choice for the position.

In the second part of your answer, identify how you have progressed and what skills and experiences you have gained. Employers like to meet people who are aware of key issues and perceptive of changing situations. Present yourself as having arrived at a situation in which you are now ready — and very able — to take on the new job.

4. Describe how your division/company is organized and how you fit into its structure.

This is a popular question because it gives the interviewer a better understanding of where you fit within the organization. Your answer also demonstrates your verbal skills in explaining your company’s structure and how clearly you understand your role and the chain of command.

Start with your job, its title, and a brief summary of your responsibilities. Then, describe your colleagues’ titles and responsibilities and whom you report to. Finally, identify people who report to you. This is a factual answer and doesn’t need to be a sales pitch; just ensure that you are succinct and confident in your answer.

5. What did your latest performance appraisal highlight about you?

Although you should portray the good points from your performance review, you should also be prepared to discuss some of the issues that were raised, if any, and how you are overcoming or improving on these limitations. Most interviewers will also be asking your references this question, so be careful about coming across as sugarcoating the facts.

6. (a) What are the qualities required for the position for which you are interviewing? Why?

Research is important for this question. Before the interview, study the top three qualities required for this position as per the job description, and be able to discuss why they are important to the job. In doing so, be aware of the next question that will be asked once you have completed your answer.

(b) Do you think you have these qualities? Can you give me examples of recent work situations that would suggest you do?

As long as the qualities you chose in the previous question (6a) correspond with the qualities that you possess, this answer should be easy.

7. If you were to stay with your current organization, what would your career path be?

You should be able to outline a potential career path (if one exists) within your organization and why this does and doesn’t appeal to you. You should have already gone through this thought process before commencing your job search. Your answer should be logical and sensible to the interviewer because any hint of an illogical approach may indicate to them that you are hiding something.

8. Putting this job aside for one moment, describe your ideal next move in terms of your career.

Since you have mapped your career plan and done self-analysis before your job search and this interview, this should be a relatively straightforward question. Nevertheless, it is an important question because the interviewer wants to understand whether you have thought carefully about your next move and whether your analysis and your plan sound logical and achievable. There needs to be some congruence between your career plan and this role.

9. Are there situations in which you have received instructions from your manager you believed to be morally or technically wrong? What did you do?

Answers to these questions can be interpreted in different ways. Do you display initiative, or do you flout authority? Are you loyal, or do you follow instructions blindly? What are your values, and how do they affect your work? With the recent emphasis on corporate governance, many more organizations want to discuss your ethical perspective and whether you would be the whistleblower if you observed impropriety in the organization.

Whether you have had such an experience may depend on your career stage, but the interviewer wants what your approach has been or would be. Ideally, you want to explain that you would want to further discuss the issue with your manager to better understand why he or she made such a decision. The interviewer wants to hear that you know it’s a complex and delicate issue and that you have the ability and experience to read the situation and act accordingly.

10. If you could change one thing about your personality, what would it be?

The interviewer is seeking more information about how self-analytical you are and is trying to see what negative personality traits you may be prepared to reveal. You want to be able to identify one characteristic that you would like to change or develop and this should be significant but not fundamental to the role. Depending on your rapport with the interviewer, an appropriately light-hearted and/or self-effacing comment might be appropriate.

A Life in Private Wealth Management (An article from the New York Society of Securitiy Analysts)

This article for the NYSSA was written by Janet J. Mangano, Co-Chair, Private Wealth Management Committee. It offers good insights into the career path offered in the area of private wealth management. We have had several AIM graduates each year begin their careers in private wealth management or private banking.

Do you enjoy working with individuals helping them with their most challenging investment issues? Do you have expertise managing money for yourself and others during the most volatile times in the market? Perhaps you want to put your skills in asset allocation to work for individuals and their families. Private wealth management contrasts with institutional asset management in that its focus is strictly on individuals, families, and non-person entities such as trusts. Yet, the common ground for both rests in one’s ability and interest in analyzing macroeconomic forecasts (especially as related to defining associated risks to principal) and applying comprehensive analysis to individual investment circumstances.

Private wealth management begins with an inventory of an individual’s investable assets. You may not be called upon to invest all of the assets, but ideally, you should know what they are. Knowing what is owned and stating current and future needs of the funds will assist you in stating an investment objective for all liquid assets as well as accounts under consideration for management. This is especially important as it relates to one’s retirement savings in annuities, 401(k) accounts, 403(b) accounts, and similar investments. When the investment objective is determined, along with special considerations for the account (such as managing low tax costs, concentrated positions, less liquid securities, high exit cost mutual funds), the asset allocation can be determined considering the investor’s requirements for returns and the tolerance for risk.

Some wealth managers/financial advisors conduct asset allocation and inaugural structuring of investments. Investments are automatically rebalanced unless the investor’s objective changes. Portfolio managers monitor all investments on an ongoing basis, whether they are managed accounts, mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) or individual securities. They typically work within a range of weightings for securities, asset classes, and sub-asset classes. In fully discretionary accounts, they implement changes to optimize returns while mitigating risks and maintain high sensitivity to income and capital gains taxes in non-qualified accounts.

I always wanted to work on the buy-side, and realized about fifteen years into my career that I would love advising individuals and help them do what they could not accomplish on their own with their money. I started my career as a financial intern at a huge corporate pension investment management office at a time when defined benefit plans still dominated the retirement fund landscape. After my internship, I began working as a fundamental research analyst on the sell-side because demand was so strong—and also because I could not find a buy-side position. It took quite some time to make the switch to the buy-side because hiring managers considered me to be best-qualified on the sell-side—with an institutional focus. When I had an offer to work as a research analyst at a regional bank, I leaped at the opportunity!

As I look back at my own career path, I realize that it has always been difficult to find a position as an institutional or private portfolio manager. I recommend that if private portfolio and wealth management is your ideal career, look for work at well-regarded firms such as Fidelity Investments, The Vanguard Group, or BlackRock. They work on the behalf of individual and institutional investors, and have remained leading-edge with their research, managerial, and technological capabilities. Remember to earn your credentials, too, such as the CFA® (Charter Financial Analyst) and CFP® (Certified Financial Planner) designations.

Writing – A vital skill to success as a student and on the job

Much of this material is from Walter Chen from a recent LinkedIn blog. He focuses on written communication and calls it a vital skill to success in business. 

We do a lot of writing in the AIM program - and within the investments discipline. Students need to understand early that most of their communication will take the form of written reports (both internally and externally. Here is a link to all of the AIM write-ups since the fall of 2005, when the program began.

The ideal manager is often shown delivering a rousing speech that inspires his or her troops to achieve ever greater heights. But the truth is a lot less exciting than that. To highly effective and successful executives, a boring, often-overlooked ability is one of the most vital skills you can have as a manager — the ability to write.

Written communication is often better than verbal communication because it is more consistent - it is more lasting and it raises accountability. Written communication creates lasting consistency across an entire team because a piece of writing is leveragable collateral from which everyone, from marketing to sales to finance, can work and consult.

Accountability spreads as a manager’s written work product — product requirement documents, FAQs, presentations, white papers — holds the manager responsible for what happens when the rest of the team executes on the clearly articulated, unambiguous vision described by the documents.

The distinction between written and verbal communication is stark and in fact is what separates the wheat from the chaff. Good managers want to be held accountable and aren’t looking for ways to weasel out of responsibility. And so, good managers write, while bad managers voice their opinion verbally (maybe through e-mail) and complain about the ‘powers above’.

“There is no way to write a six-page, narratively structured memo and not have clear thinking,” according to Jeff Bezos, Amazon founder. He values writing over talking to such an extreme that in Amazon senior executive meetings, “before any conversation or discussion begins, everyone sits for 30 minutes in total silence, carefully reading six-page printed memos.”

Writing out full sentences enforces clear thinking, but more than that, it’s a compelling method to drive memo authors to write in a narrative structure that reinforces a distinctly Amazon way of thinking—its obsession with the customer. In every memo that could potentially address any issue in the company, the memo author must answer the question: “What’s in it for the customer, the company, and how does the answer to the question enable innovation on behalf of the customer?”

“Reports are more a medium of self-discipline than a way to communicate information,” according to Intel’s  Andy Grove. Like Bezos, Grove finds value in the process of writing. The surprising thing, then, is that reading what’s written isn’t important to Grove. The main point of this self-disciplinary process is to force yourself “to be more precise than [you] might be verbally”, creating “an archive of data” that can “help to validate ad hoc inputs” and to reflect with precision on your thought and approach.

Writing, according to Grove, is a “safety-net” for your thought process that you should always be doing to “catch … anything you may have missed.” Accountability, coherence of thought and planning, and commitment to vision and mission are amazing benefits of what too many consider a ho-hum, even old-fashioned, tool.

CFA Survey - How to deal with excessive e-mails

Here are the results of a recent survey conducted by the readers of the CFA NewsBrief which deals with a growing problem in modern business --- too many e-mails. These steal time and attention away from professionals who need to focus on their tasks (i.e. research and analysis). Before sending an email, think about whether it is necessary and if this is the best form of communication... you might realize that you are contributing to excessive e-mailing and could be negatively impacting your organization. Interesting results that also apply to college students when dealing with professors and fellow students! CFA Reader Survey

Many professionals are challenged by excessive e-mails. Which method is most effective for you in managing your e-mails?

I use tight filters and rules to screen out unwanted e-mails	30%
I avoid checking e-mail too frequently during the day	30%
Other	16%
I write as few e-mails as possible myself	12%
I ignore e-mails on which I am copied, but not addressed	7%
I substitute e-mails with more video/audio and in-person communication	5%

Poll analysis
Excessive e-mailing is a corporate epidemic. E-mails may seem deceptively inexpensive and useful, but they devour the most precious resources of modern businesses: staff time and concentration. What measures are effective against excessive e-mailing? When we asked readers of the CFA Institute Financial NewsBrief, we found that there is no dominant method, but tight filters and rules and avoiding checking our own e-mail too often each secured about 30% of votes by 588 respondents. Our first line of defense is often filters and rules, saving us from e-mails that are obviously unwanted. But the challenge of excessive e-mailing has much to do with those sent by colleagues and external contacts. Filters and rules are less effective with such e-mails because it is often only after reading them that we can determine whether they were indeed unnecessary. What may work better is controlling our own behavior by avoiding checking our e-mail too often and writing as few e-mails as possible. There are perhaps many other methods being used by our readers, as indicated by 16% of votes going to other options. For now, it seems that excessive e-mailing is a corporate epidemic that can be managed to varying degrees but, alas, cannot be overcome.

More information about the AIM program's new PE & Banking track

The following is based upon information that is also contained on the AIM web site and throughout this blog.

Q) What is the Private Equity & Banking Track?

Beginning with the Class of 2016, the AIM program is expanding and will include two tracks: Investments and Private Equity & Banking. The Investments track will continue to focus on asset management, while the Private Equity & Banking track concentrates on private or transactional finance.

The Private Equity & Banking track is dedicated to forging closer ties with the private equity and investment banking sector. Like the Investments track, it reinforces our commitment to linking theory with practice and by engaging alumni and leading industry experts.

Q) How does the curriculum differ between the Investments and Private Equity & Banking tracks?

The AIM program operates within the Department of Finance which means that students in the program must be declared as finance majors. In addition to fulfilling all of the courses required by the College of Business (i.e. FINA 3001: Introduction to Financial Management), an AIM student must complete the following:

AIM Program Requirements (Investments Track):

Students accepted in the AIM program must earn a BC or better in the following required courses:

ACCO 3001:   Intermediate Accounting

ACCO 4080:   Analysis of Corporate Financial Statements

FINA 3986:    Internship Work Period 

FINA 4001:    Advanced Financial Management

FINA 4011:    Investment Analysis

FINA 4065:    Fixed Income Securities        

FINA 4310:    Introduction to Applied Investment Management

FINA 4320:    Research and Financial Analysis

FINA 4330:    Valuation and Portfolio Management

FINA 4370:    Advanced Investment Management, Ethics and Society

One of the following:

ACCO 4020:   Advanced Accounting

ECON 4060:   Introduction to Econometrics

FINA 4060:    Introduction to Financial Derivatives

FINA 4081:    Investment Banking   

FINA 4082:    Alternative Investments         

FINA 4112:    Investment Management       

One of the following:

ACCO 4040:   International Accounting       

ECON 4044:   International Currency Markets         

FINA 4040:    International Finance 

           

AIM Program Requirements (Private Equity & Banking Track):

Students accepted in the AIM program must earn a BC or better in the following required courses:

ACCO 3001:   Intermediate Accounting

ACCO 4080:   Analysis of Corporate Financial Statements

FINA 3986:    Internship Work Period 

FINA 4001:    Advanced Financial Management

FINA 4310:    Introduction to Applied Investment Management

FINA 4011:    Investment Analysis

FINA 4340:    Private Equity, Society and Ethics

FINA 4350:    Applied Financial Modeling

FINA 4381:    Investment Banking

Two of the following:

ACCO 4020:   Advanced Accounting

ECON 4060:   Introduction to Econometrics

FINA 4060:    Introduction to Financial Derivatives

FINA 4065:    Fixed Income Securities

FINA 4080:    Entrepreneurial Finance         

FINA 4082:    Alternative Investments         

FINA 4112:    Investment Management       

One of the following:

ACCO 4040:   International Accounting       

ECON 4044:   International Currency Markets         

FINA 4040:    International Finance 

Q) What are some of the applied learning elements of the Private Equity & Banking track?

In addition to providing an academically rigorous set of private equity and investment banking courses (listed above), the Private Equity & Banking track also will add a strong element of applied learning including:

·         Summer internships within investment banks, private equity firms, and other financial service providers
·         Opportunities for students to learn from experienced professionals,
·         Incorporation of financial modeling and case studies into the curriculum
·         Interaction with Marquette’s growing finance alumni network who will continue to provide valuable assistance in preparing students for internships and entry level positions
·         Management of a micro-cap equity fund
·         Use of “in the trenches” guest speakers in the classroom to allow students to learn about real private equity and banking experiences,
·         Creation of a Private Equity & Banking Club which will provide opportunities for coaching and nurturing that are important in helping students accelerate their careers
·         Opportunities for students to assist in the monitoring and evaluation of the performance of private equity investments within various investment portfolios (i.e. university endowments, local and state public pension funds, family offices, etc.).

Q) When does a student accepted into the AIM program declare the track they wish to pursue?

During the enrollment process students will indicate whether they have a preference for the Investments or Private Equity & Banking track. Their response will not be a part of the decision process as to whether the student is accepted into the AIM program. The information is useful in determining future course offerings.

All students accepted into the AIM program will take a similar set of courses throughout their junior year. The curricular differences in the two tracks appear during the students’ senior year. Therefore, before a student chooses their courses for the fall semester of their senior year (usually during the month of March), they will be designated as either in the Investments or Private Equity & Banking track. The program director (Dr. David Krause) and co-director (Mark Zellmer) will advise the student as to the best track based on the student’s background and area of interest. Best efforts will be make to assign students to their desired track, while at the same time attempting to seek a working balance. Factors taken into consideration will be the students’ career interests, internship offers, and cumulative grade point.

The course catalog for the 2015-2016 academic year will contain the specifics on the AIM program application and the process of assigning students into one of the two tracks.

Q) How relevant is what I learn in AIM to the real investment and private equity world?

As the name implies, AIM is an applied program. The instructors who teach in the program have solid academic track records and have extensive real world experience. In short, they know both financial theory and business practice. One of the major benefits of the AIM program is that students are also able to learn in their internships and in the classroom from finance professionals that also help link theory to application.

Q) Can I double-major while being enrolled in the AIM program?

Yes.  Many students have successfully sought an additional major in addition to studying the AIM curriculum (and obtaining a finance major). You will need to discuss double-majoring with Dr. Krause and advisors in the other department you see a second major.

Q) How can I juggle working on my degree, interning at a finance firm, spending time with my friends, studying for the CFA exam, and still meet the obligations of the AIM program?

There is no denying that the AIM program requires a serious commitment. In addition to actual class time, you should expect to spend at least 15 hours a week researching investments and studying for the CFA exam (Investment track). This is intended to be a rigorous program and there may well be some activities you will need to postpone while pursuing your degree. On the other hand, you are not alone in the AIM program – you will be enrolled in many of the same classes as your program colleagues and will have an opportunity to travel through the AIM program as a cohort.  In addition, the comparatively short duration of the AIM program means the rewards for all the hard work involved are never too far from sight.

Q)  What types of job will AIM prepare me for?

It is clearly very difficult to predict the path that a person's career will take. However, the thread that unites students in the AIM program is their interest in investments, private equity and investment banking. Some students may be more interested in equity or fixed income investment research, while others will have a greater interest in the transactions side of the investment banking and private equity industry. Quite a few students have stated their their goal is to work for an investment firm, obtain their CFA charter, and then attend a top tier graduate school. Others are interested in working at a bulge bracket or middle market investment bank and someday becoming a partner in a private equity firm. Others are interested in working in hedge funds or working as a financial consultant. Starting positions in the finance industry are naturally dependent on previous work experience - and may range from an associate analyst position to a management trainee program to a mid-office credit analyst position (also see the see internships and careers section).

Q) How do I know if the AIM program is right for me?

That’s a decision you’ll have to arrive at independently. From our perspective we view the successful applicant to the AIM program as having a strong intellect, an active curiosity about the investment banking and asset management industry, a demonstrated record of academic achievement, a well-conceived plan for their future, and good communication and analytical skills. Candidates will have the opportunity to demonstrate these traits through their academic record, resume, letters of recommendation, personal application essay, and a program interview.

Q) Who is eligible for admission to the AIM program?

Students applying to the AIM program are finance majors; however, some are also majoring in other business areas, such as accounting and international business. What the students accepted into the AIM program share is a sincere desire to succeed in finance, graduate from Marquette, and obtain their CFA charter or MBA degree. All of the students display a willingness to work hard toward achieving that goal. Most students enter the AIM program with a proven academic record and a passion for a career in the industry. Students submit their applications during the fall semester of their junior year – and if accepted into AIM, take their first AIM course in the spring semester of their junior year. To learn more, please visit the application information area of the AIM web site.

Q) How do I access application materials or more information?

You can access application material on the AIM web site. For specific inquiries regarding the application process, please contact: Lee Hovorka at 414-288-8024 or AIM@marquette.edu.

Q)  When can I apply for admission to the AIM program?

Students may apply to the AIM program during the first semester of their junior year. The AIM program is a three semester, junior-senior program. Students interested in the AIM program must submit their application to the AIM Director in September.

Q) What are the AIM program admission requirements?

Students interested in the AIM program will be required to submit a formal application to the Director of the AIM Program near the beginning of the fall semester of their junior year. Unlike other offerings in the College of Business Administration, the selection process will be competitive due to the limited capacity of the program. Applicants will be evaluated by the AIM Admissions Committee, which is composed of the Director of the program, investment company representatives, and members of the Finance faculty. The selection of students for the program will be made by the Committee based upon the following: 1) overall academic performance (3.00 GPA minimum); 2) performance in courses relevant to investment management (e.g. finance, accounting, economics, statistics) ; 3) an application essay that articulates why you want to be in the AIM program and why you should be selected; and 4) experience and career objectives as demonstrated in your resume, letters of recommendation and interview.