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Re: Zalo's Journey

Posted: Thu Jan 21, 2016 12:25 pm
by TopHatFox
Excellent news! Today I talked to a compassionate, experienced, and well-connected staff person at the career center! It was really exciting and offered lots of clarity. We went over the ~9 different sectors of business - private equity, hedge funds, commercial banking, financial planning, insurance, investment banking, asset management, and a few others. She suggested that the best fit for my INFP - ENFJ personality and skill set is in 1. financial planning, 2. asset management, or 3. insurance.

Of the three, I'm definitely most inclined to financial planning and asset management. I'll be applying to fancy financial planning places and asset management places, buy side (less fancy clothes, yay)! How exciting! Who would've thought, a potential career path that pays well, uses my NF skills, and that I would likely enjoy.

At the moment I've made it a new goal to begin working on the CFP designation.

Re: Zalo's Journey

Posted: Fri Feb 05, 2016 1:29 pm
by TopHatFox
Hurray! Zalo gets offered three interviews! Two with fancy consulting firms and one with an asset management firm.<3

Onward to purchasing the fancy suit today! And prepping for the interviews--and more apps!!

Re: Zalo's Journey

Posted: Fri Feb 05, 2016 1:52 pm
by GandK
Congratulations!

Re: Zalo's Journey

Posted: Fri Feb 05, 2016 2:17 pm
by Dragline
Yes, good for you!

Re: Zalo's Journey

Posted: Fri Feb 05, 2016 5:08 pm
by TopHatFox
The results for the fancy wear are in:

Total Cost: $840 at Men's Warehouse (Yikes! But I needed it now and I wanted nice, tailored things for years to come)

What I got:

1. Slim and Tailored 100% Wool Charcoal Grey Suit & Pants ($650 suit for $400)
2. Brown Leather Plain Dress Shoes ($145, Woah didn't know shoes can be that $)
3. 3 Black Dress Socks ($20)
4. 2 Fitted, no-iron, high-quality shirts (one white, one blue, $135)
5. 2 Slim plain ties (one black, one light blue, $45)
6. A Brown, 100% leather belt to match the shoes ($40)
7. Alterations ($49)
------------------------

It does feel weird to spend so much on clothing, but I do think that this suit is indeed an investment for a much higher income. Thoughts? I'm sure I could've met the need of a nice suit to wear using much less cash, but it is what it is.

Re: Zalo's Journey

Posted: Fri Feb 05, 2016 6:03 pm
by llorona
If you feel good wearing the suit and it's high quality/durable, I would call it a reasonable investment. Good luck with the interviews!

P.S. You were smart to get it tailored. Even a very expensive suit can look cheap if the fit isn't right.

Re: Zalo's Journey

Posted: Fri Feb 12, 2016 5:11 pm
by TopHatFox
4 interviews done! Now I wait. So far I know I'm not moving forward with 1 of the 4--c'mon other three!

I also was gifted a free high quality overcoat that someone left in the career center years ago. Score.

Re: Zalo's Journey

Posted: Wed Feb 17, 2016 5:28 am
by Ydobon
I have to say that I was shocked by how much good quality formal shoes could cost as well. My first attempt at a 'BIFL' pair came in at £160 (around $210). I'm currently alternating them with throwaway pairs of cheap leather shoes that cost £15 or so and only last 6 months, the difference is palpable!

Can you have them resoled if needed?

Re: Zalo's Journey

Posted: Sun Feb 21, 2016 10:39 am
by TopHatFox
Some more interviews lined up. I've broadened my career search to HR too, and Education Administration. Getting better at using the alumni network and at interviewing.

I've had some clarity in a few things recently. Long term, I value the time to myself afforded by foregoing children, getting married, or having any pets. I also value the flexibility of foregoing buying and owning a house or car. I want to focus on playing the career game until I am at least bare bones FI at 200k. I'll be starting out with 40k, so this shouldn't take more than a few years. Ideally I'd keep playing until 300-500k. I'll have more clarity if corporate is for me after a summer internship, at least I'd get paid a "real" wage. So far I'm enjoying business trainings and topics, and even meetings. Vagabonding around the world sounds fun after that. Full time adventuring is what gives me meaning, especially with partners.

Speaking of partners, relationship wise, I have been fairly frustrated recently. Being pansexual, kinky, and polyamorous means I can basically form an emotional connection or want sex with more people than most, but at the same time it means my chance of finding compatible people is, what, 1% of the population? I also need to work on pace. Many people seem to be frightened by any potential emotional or physical connection during a date, whereas I'm simply curious to explore where the connection might go throughout the night and beyond, and to nudge at comfort zones consensually. (:

Re: Zalo's Journey

Posted: Fri Apr 29, 2016 8:07 pm
by TopHatFox
ACADEMICS

I decided to get all A's in my classes this semester, and I did! Yay! My GPA is now a 3.7/4.0. Perfect to avoid having my resume dropped.

-------------------------------

SUMMER PLANS

Summer Plans have also solidified, hurrah! The verdict: $ work $. I feel like a real millennial patching all this together.

May 15 - May 30

Campus Center Manager, Communications Office, Alumni Office, Facilities

(40 hours total x 2 weeks x $10 + Y tips = $800-$1000)

June 1 - Aug 6

Amherst Chamber of Commerce + Campus Center Manager, Bicycle Share Manager/Mechanic, Annual Fund Fundraising Staff

($3500 stipend + (11 weeks x $10 x ~20 hours = $2200)) = $5700

Aug 6 - Sep 1

Campus Center Manager, Bicycle Share Manager/Mechanic, Misc jobs

(4 weeks x $10 x 20 hours = $800)

----------------------------

NET WORTH

Total expected Income: $7500
Expenses: About $1500 for rent & food (Could be only $200-300 w/o rent, I might consider camping at my friends homestead)

This would put me at $24421 + 6,000 = $30,421

Yay! That's about 6% of my 500k goal! :lol:

--------------------------

CAREER ADVANCEMENT

I'll be shadowing two financial advisers in the area, completing Harvard Business School's CORe program, and networking with AC alumni in asset management and financial planning firms in (ideally) low-cost, progressive cities.

--------------------------

RELATIONSHIPS & ADVENTURE

i've had the pleasure to enjoy the company of 3 loving polyamours and have been able to go on many (free for me) micro-adventures, like rafting, zip-lining, and caving. Tap dancing my way through life and all that!

Re: Zalo's Journey

Posted: Fri Apr 29, 2016 9:39 pm
by ether
Congrats on the shadowing and job opportunities!

Our lives are weirdly similar: I'm also a college student that is about to start working in financial advising industry (except not as an advisor but in IT for a megafirm)

You should check out "advisorheads" to learn more about the culture of being an advisor, it was very eye opening!

Re: Zalo's Journey

Posted: Mon Jun 06, 2016 9:43 pm
by daylen
Just read your journal. Looks like we will graduate at the same time. It will be interesting to see how you and I progress towards own financial independence goals. I will probably start my journal next year when I am actually making money. :P

Good luck!

Re: Zalo's Journey

Posted: Sat Jun 11, 2016 10:08 am
by TopHatFox
daylen wrote:Just read your journal. Looks like we will graduate at the same time. It will be interesting to see how you and I progress towards own financial independence goals. I will probably start my journal next year when I am actually making money. :P

Good luck!
Bring it on daylen! :D :P

Re: Zalo's Journey

Posted: Fri Jun 24, 2016 12:01 am
by TopHatFox
Arbitrary Update on 22 June 2016, I'll likely do these every year I suppose. So much for the J of my Myerrs Briggs!

Age: 22
Stage: College 4th Year
Net worth: 28k, all in VTSAX minus 3k 6 month buffer
Disposition: Excited yet pensive

Alright, here's the deal. Working at an office sucks. And, further, I think it's meant to suck. It seems physically and emotionally difficult for humans who have, for millions of years, been living in outdoor varied conditions, to sit for 8 hours a day and do repetitive levels of paperwork, management, etc. I don't like it, but capitalism likes it and will pay me accordingly.

This brings to light the question: are all jobs simply things to be okay with and merely save money from, or is there a token percentage that actually pay above 50k and are enjoyable and varied. If so, I'd like to know what they are so I can target them in the recruiting season next fall; I'm not sure I can handle 40-60 hour weeks in an office without losing part of my soul for the accumulation years (which would still be OK in the long run, I admit).

Anyway, I've been working on more potential adventure stuff, namely planning. Reading books by Allistair Humphrey, Leon McCar, Ray Jardin, etc. In particular, I am having some challenge processing the fact that I would be exposing myself to nasties such as lyme disease, giardia, broken limbs, and even death. While I think I'm more comfortable with death than disability, it is still something that concerns me at least in part. Honestly though, I want my goals to be worth DYING for, as much as that is certainly not the intent, haha.

I've also been thinking of my body as, well, not "mine." It is simply "a" body, which I am using...currently...to do my bidding. This helps me think of it as both a precious thing to be well maintained/developed, and a temporary and fleeting thing. Both useful ideas to keep in mind. Hopefully it also helps me come to terms with the potential for disease, dismemberment, nausea, death, and other nice things.

Of note, many of the so-called professional adventurers above all had or have problems with money. Saving up a nice buffered net worth will allow me to do many things they cannot; allow me opportunities they do not have access to. I'd like to develop a nice acumen to be able to join them and even be a world renown adventurer over my lifetime, though perhaps the actual intent is simply to follow what calling ails me; the fame and renown would only be secondary. The immediate goal would also be to not die early in the process, heh. I'd again like to combine it with climate justice so it leaves some meaningful impact in the world. Hopefully by then I'll have some other person updating my now non-existent facebook profile :lol:

Of further note, I'll be taking photography, french, and other relevant classes next semester--should be good. I might also try planning all this adventure stuff out in more detail. The problem seems to lie on how to make the next 5 years of my life "not suck" while saving enough to full-time adventure after that. Still on the lookout for the varied, interesting, and above 50k/yr job; please help me identify it if you like, I can probably get it if it's white collar-ish with my college's network.

Re: Zalo's Journey

Posted: Fri Jun 24, 2016 7:20 am
by cmonkey
If you want an office salary, but hate offices, look for a position where you can work remotely/work from home a lot. IT specifically. It helps tremendously when you have simply had enough of a sterile office environment. IT work also pays big bucks. You could also try to get into contracting work. There is a ton of 'work from home' stuff that pays 6 figures. I have a friend who does that. He work 100% remote. Takes 2 months of summer and goes to Spain while working too. From the beach.

FWIW, the more time you spend in an office, the faster your days go*. I remember back when I was an intern, having to suddenly spend 8 hours sitting....doing nothing....it was torture. Eventually I figured out to just do my own thing, as the org I work for is a lot of hurry up and wait. These days, time just flies. I get to the office at 7 each morning and before I know it I'm nibbling lunch at 11 and leaving at 3. Could be because I have more to do.


*I'm not sure if this is good or bad...

Re: Zalo's Journey

Posted: Fri Jun 24, 2016 7:37 am
by Ego
Zalo wrote:I'm not sure I can handle 40-60 hour weeks in an office without losing part of my soul for the accumulation years (which would still be OK in the long run, I admit).
I remember the moment this insight hit me. It was followed rather quickly by another more terrifying one. Coworkers who just months before were feeling the same way but then experienced changes at home and suddenly looked forward to their workday as respite from something worse.

Maybe rather than finding the job you could make it. Gain some experience like theanimal and put it to work for yourself.

Re: Zalo's Journey

Posted: Thu Aug 04, 2016 11:25 am
by daylen
Olaz wrote: The problem seems to lie on how to make the next 5 years of my life "not suck" while saving enough to full-time adventure after that.
I've been trying to figure this out for at least a year by now. No job would keep me interested for more than a week or two. :|

Re: Zalo's Journey

Posted: Thu Aug 18, 2016 8:39 pm
by TopHatFox
Lalala--updates!

I'm up to 38K from all the hard work this summer and some help from stipends.

I need to:

1. Update resume, CL, LinkedIn, and other job documentation ASAP
2. NETWORK. Like, yesterday. Like, a month ago.
3. Finish Harvard Business School's CORe (just need to take 3 finals in the next week....goodie)
4. Strategize and pick relatively easier Fall classes
5. Study for Geology comps
6. Figure out orthognathic surgery timetable, insurance, and cost
7. Complete application for US Citizenship
8. Re-connect with partners and polyamours that have been away for the summer

Let's see, in about 10 months, I'll be kicked out into the work world, if said job is obtained. I need to finish my last year of college while concurrently landing a job in most likely buy side of finance, finishing the interview process for US citizenship, and organizing, paying for, and undergoing orthodontics during the school year and orthognathic surgery early next summer (possibly for both upper and lower; but lower is likely enough to stop any medical issues in their tracks), all while loving the close people in my life.

Lots on ye olde plate at the moment, but progress is steady. I feel like I'm piloting the tall ship of my life hailing: "steady as she goes goddammit!" :lol:

Re: Zalo's Journey

Posted: Thu Aug 18, 2016 9:04 pm
by BRUTE
Olza is getting stuff done :) nice

Re: Zalo's Journey

Posted: Thu Oct 20, 2016 1:10 am
by TopHatFox
Okay! Things are happening. Seven months before I graduate college.

Affectionate friend break-ups, extensive surgery insurance research, classes, new people, partner break-up, information sessions, new asset allocation, close friend break-ups, new like-minded communities, weekly intra-state travel, 20 hour work week, primary partner break-up and re-connection, van living research, career ethical crises, financial planning job apps/networking. It's all happening in Zalo land, and somehow I'm still hanging on to the wheel with compassion and endurance in mind!

I joined a "village" of like-minded, goal oriented people for accountability, and used my school's mentoring program to be connected with an alumni mentor.

This guy's real cool: 60 ish retired oil man turned geologist. He's a business man, frugal, understands poly and alternative lifestyles, and likes aggressive savings rates and goals. Should be good.

Savings: 40K (80% US, 20% Int). Buying assets feels great!