How did you discover TrendUp Now? What were you hoping to achieve with the program?
I was applying to buy-side finance jobs and a recruiter got in touch with me saying I’d been shortlisted for a position, so we discussed my resume and I decided to enrol with TrendUp Now. It took me from being a good candidate, to becoming a really good candidate.
I had seen other types of finance training programs but they all seemed very simple, textbook style, in comparison to TrendUp Now which offered a much more in-depth approach.
TrendUp’s options trading training definitely caught my eye at first. I was trading lots of options at the time, so I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to learn from hedge fund professionals. Also, coming out of college I was really intrigued to find out more about what goes on inside the buy-side industry, and what it would be like to work at a hedge fund or venture capital fund, for example.
How did you discover TrendUp Now? What were you hoping to achieve with the program?
Being able to pitch to a hedge fund manager was definitely the stand out experience for me. I was able to test my skills out during this experience and I certainly came to use them during interviews after graduating from TrendUp – I’ll always look back on it fondly.
I’m currently an investment analyst at an ETFs company, and I actually shared my pitch from TrendUp Now when I interviews for the role. Later on after I got the job I spoke to some analysts on the team and they told me the pitch was a big reason they ended up hiring me.
How did the SRP program set you up for a career in finance?
In addition to the pitch, I’d confidently say that the research experience and opportunity to develop my writing skills on the SRP set me up well.
You know part of my application process and interview to my current company was to write a paper, and I think having learned those skills from the SRP definitely put me above the other candidates.
During the program, I networked with my peers and we worked on our skills together and talked over our trades. I think that it was really helpful. We had one guy on our team who traded like a monster, and learning some of his ideas and how he looked at things was actually very helpful.
What advice would you give to someone hoping to enroll onto TrendUp Now?
Yeah, I would say, it’s really one of the programs that you get out of it as much as you put into it. You know, I know that’s kind of cliche, but if you’re willing to work hard and you do have a genuine interest in buy-side finance, then go for it.
Ultimately, just work hard for it. If you work hard, then you’ll make it through the L courses and into the SRP internship.
Any final comments?
I know, without a doubt, after talking to my other team members that I would not have secured a job as an investment analyst without TrendUp Now or the SRP program on my resume. So honestly I’m really grateful for the experience, and to be able to go through that experience. It definitely made a huge impact on my career and jump-started a few years of work.