From Engineering Student to Investment Research
Background
Michael Ganian enrolled in our 2020 Analyst Prep Program as a senior from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He was an applied mathematics major pursuing a career in investment research & analysis. Within 9 months of completing our program, Michael had secured an incredible opportunity.
The Results
- Michael received a full-time job offer as a research specialist at YipitData, a rapidly growing venture-backed firm in the FinTech space
- He is pursuing his CFA charter and has already passed the Level I exam
Michael’s Challenges
Having switched career paths from mechanical engineering to finance in his junior year, Michael had a late start professionally, when compared to his peers. This made recruiting for competitive roles that much more challenging, as most undergraduate students who pursue careers in finance begin building their skills and experiences in their freshman/sophomore years. After having lost a full-time offer at the onset of the 2020 pandemic, Michael took the opportunity to apply to the APP program to bridge the gap in his technical skills and to become a better financial professional.
The Process
Michael completed our structured 196-hour training, mentoring, internship, and career development program.
- He received essential training in Excel and PowerPoint and gained a solid foundational base in accounting, valuation, and financial modeling that ultimately set him up for success in his CFA studies and future interviews
- We also taught Michael our time-tested investment strategies rooted in fundamental analysis, to help make him a better investment analyst
- We also provided Michael with career training and an internship, where he was given a high level of responsibilities to prepare him for his future professional pursuits. For example, in an Apple Inc. stock analysis case, he prepared a three-statement model, a full-fledged valuation (including DCF and comparables), and an investment pitch slide deck detailing his analysis.
Michael gained the same on-the-job skills that professionals take years to develop, giving him a tremendous competitive advantage in the field.
Michael is now on the career express lane.