Tell me what's wrong with my CV (1)

24 June 2009

3 minute read

Last week we asked you to submit your resumes to be reviewed by the kind, intelligent readers of eFinancialCareers in Asia. Today we present our first CV for your critique. Just use the comments box below to offer your insights into why this guy can't get a job.

"I recently moved from the UK to Hong Kong. Prior to shifting over here, I was working on a European Government bond trading desk. During my 18 months on the desk, I generated good PNL. I am looking for a similar linear-product, junior-to-mid-level-trading position in Hong Kong. I am fluent in English, Cantonese and Mandarin.

My job search in the last two months has not been successful. I haven't received any interview requests for the positions I applied for. I think it would be great that some opinions could be given about my CV." (See, he really does want your advice).

WORK EXPERIENCE

Major European investment bank, London: 2006 - 2009

European government bond trader: April 2007 - April 2009

· Day-to-day market-making of European Government bond products, both on voice and via electronic quoting platforms; specifically focusing on long-dated European Government bonds and STRIPS.

· Actively trading and risk-managing the desk's STRIPS book. The role involves taking spread and relative value risks, as well as FRA/EONIA and LIBOR basis risks in the STRIPS book, and closely monitoring the risks and optimizing the P&L.

· Working with sales force to push trading ideas, and developing tailored solutions for different client portfolio requirements.

· Optimizing the long-dated bond and STRIPS books' funding by trading in repo market, and participating in the ECB tender.

Derivatives specialist programme associate: August 2006 - April 2007

· Completed rotation in Equity Derivatives Structuring group. Designed and back-tested an equity trading strategy incorporating earning announcement surprises. The back-test result showed that the strategy significantly outperformed the market index with comparable volatility.

· Completed rotation in Fund Linked Derivatives group. Developed CFO rating model based on Fitch's and Moody's rating technologies. Communicated with both the CFO fund of fund manager and the potential investors regarding the detail of the structure.

· Developed trinomial tree and Monte Carlo simulation-based pricing sheet to value hybrid convertible securities for the Convertible Bonds Trading Desk.

The same major European investment bank, New York: 2000 - 2005:

Interest rate derivatives pricing & risk developer: 2002 - 2005

· Developed in-house system for real-time yield curve construction and calibration, utilizing the firm's Quantitative Analytics library tools.

· Developed in-house system for swaps and futures pricing. The prices are traded and quoted in real time on Bloomberg.

· Implemented in-house risk management system that valued the real-time risk exposure of traders' interest rate derivatives positions.

· Interacted directly with firm's interest rate derivatives traders on day-to-day pricing, risk and P&L support issues.

US Treasury trading systems developer: 2000 - 2002

· Created application with graphical user interfaces that allowed for real-time futures order executions on exchanges such as CBOT and CME.

· Designed spreadsheet-based pricing models that automated theoretical price calculation and market price monitoring for treasury traders.

EDUCATION

Major UK business school - Masters in Finance: 2005 - 2006

Major US university - Bachelor of Science: 1996 - 2000

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Languages: English (fluent); Mandarin (native); Cantonese (fluent)

Programming Languages: VBA, VB, C++

Nationality: USA

Want to get your CV onto eFC? Email the resume and a brief description of your career objectives to: apac.editor@efinancialcareers.com. You must have a financial services background and want work in Singapore or Hong Kong.

AUTHORSimon Mortlock

Content Manager

ni
nir_pan
30 June 2009
I think there is nothing wrong with CV, I agree with Hwee79, there are lots of senior guys available ready to take any junior positions so companies are neglecting juniors, but situation will improve.
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ta
tan_paula
27 June 2009
how do you quantify performance in a risk job?
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Iv
IvyLeagueGrad
27 June 2009
Although you have been working for some time 2000-current, you only have 2 years bond trading experience. Given that the first year is the learning phase, your real "contribution" experience is only 1 year.
As an employer, I'm not sure if you know what u are doing, or still need hand holding. For a junior / analyst kind of role with great supervision, I'm not sure if you want the pay and to be treated as an analyst. For a mid level role aka associate, I'm not sure if you know enough to supervise and to work independently.
If you are interested in going back to development/risk/support. Then maybe a mid level role.
Education qualifications. Major university... What does that mean. a university of Hull and a Oxbridge graduate are thousands of miles apart in terms of prestige. That could be a problem too. Since there are tons of super well qualified in terms of intellectual qualifications individuals who are out of a job. I will go for a smart guy anyday, instead of one who have experience. Because it is easier to teach smart guys anything, including brain surgery than the opposite.
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ga
garcy0706
26 June 2009
It is good that responsibilities are stated in the CV and it represents good experiences of the person. However, I think there is something wrong in the presentation e.i.:
1. Too much information, paragraph form. Employers want our CV to be straightforward and in one glance without reading thoroughly, this should be understandable, therefore, bullet point is enough.
2. Consistency of presentation. The responsibilities are presented as what you WERE capable of doing and what you ARE capable of doing (market-making, optimizing vs. developed, implemented). These two can be segregated as your responsibilities/abilities AND achievements.
Educational background should include also school achievements and recognitions.
Personal information should be included also in the CV (e.i.,age,address,contact etc).
Your skills should be emphazised also (e.i. programs you are familiar with etc.)
In general, your CV structure should have the ff:
-Work experience
-Educational background
-Achievements/projects handled
-Organizations/affiliations
-Skills/abilities
-Personal information
-Character references, if needed
Your CV is used to market your self. So make the best CV...goodluck! =)
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Me
Merton
26 June 2009
Many CVs are inflated with exaggerated claims and accomplishments. It is difficult to identify myth from reality, fiction from fact, real or unreal
Take one instance in the above CV. Just looking at his academic qualifications I do not believe this person, single handedly is able to develop theoretical models, build, code, calibrate, and test. What is his role in all this? Unless he is a full time university researcher, a keyboard operator can also make this claim. This CV is fantasy, not real.
Another example of private bankers. What is AUM? Are these assets brought in by the banker own efforts or did he inherit these from others who left the bank. How much is the new business is attributed to the institution resources? Can this person repeat the same performance in a different business and competitive environment? Most probably not.
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