What Type Of Person Thrives In The Investment Industry, According To A Senior Investment Manager
To thrive in the investment management industry, individuals must possess "intellectual curiosity, critical thinking, and numeracy skills" to analyze company operations and make informed investment decisions. Furthermore, success hinges on the ability to formulate "contrary views" and stand by "convictions," even when differing from market consensus, demonstrating independent thinking and a willingness to challenge established opinions.
Intellectual Curiosity, Critical Thinking, Numeracy Skills, Independent Thinking, Contrarian Viewpoint
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Vasant Mehta
Senior Investment Manager
Global Investment Management Company
U.C. Berkeley
Johns Hopkins University : M.A. International Economics and European Studies
Political Science, American Studies
Finance (Banking, Fintech, Investing)
Finance
Honors Student
Video Highlights
1. Intellectual curiosity, critical thinking, and numeracy skills are crucial for success.
2. The ability to formulate an investment thesis and be contrarian is vital; successful investments often stem from differing views.
3. Comfort in standing by one's convictions, even if they differ from others, is key to thriving in the industry.
Transcript
How would you describe people who typically thrive in this industry?
The people who thrive in this industry are those who have the skills I mentioned earlier. There are three key skills, and I think it's worth recapping them.
You need intellectual curiosity, critical thinking, and numeracy skills. All of these together allow you to understand the world a company operates in. You also need to understand how those operations are going forward and what that means for an investment decision concerning that company's securities.
The only way to do this is if you have the intellectual curiosity to constantly learn. You also need critical thinking skills to assess the information coming at you. Basic numeracy skills or a comfort level with financial statements and numbers are essential.
Beyond those skills, you also need to be willing to formulate an investment thesis and be willing to be contrarian. This means being an independent thinker and taking a view that is different from what peers or even colleagues might think.
Some of the most successful investment decisions I've seen, both personally and from others, have been based on contrarian views. When you take a view that's very different from the rest of the market, that's where you can have a very successful investment thesis.
You have to be willing to do that, which isn't something that comes naturally to most people. But if you have that mentality and the comfort level to stand by your convictions, even if they're different from others, then I think you'll thrive in this industry.