The Road to Wealth (part 6 — €64k): Found My Dream Job

Previously: €62k (11 October 2021)
Savings: €0
Unrealized investment returns: €2k
Current wealth: €64k

It has been nearly two weeks since my last post. Here’s what I’ve been up to:

• I replied to ±50 separate job listings in public equity, M&A advisory, debt advisory, and similar finance-related fields, by sending my CV and (sometimes customised) cover letter. This was a shotgun-like approach to finding a job: just replying to whatever I could find that interested me and hoping for some responses.
• This resulted in four invitations to interviews, one of which at my #1 choice, a small long-only public equity fund.
• I had never properly worn a suit before, which I needed to do for my interviews, so I learned how to iron and how to tie a tie. (In terms of tie knots, I think I’m more of a four-in-hand type guy because I like the asymmetric appearance, but the Double Windsor is a close second.)
• Apparently, I did well during the interview with my #1 choice, because it is precisely at this first-choice firm that I landed a position as an equity research analyst — which is basically my dream job. I feel very lucky, because I know that the few positions that are available in this area are in extremely high demand. I start next month.
• This is one of those ‘you’ll earn the real money later in your career’ type jobs, so my earnings will be equal to the low (I mean, conservative) estimate that I described in part 3. I will earn €30k net p/a in my first year of working. Not awful, but not great either. Then again, I live cheaply (my expenses are around €20k p/a, see part 1), so it will comfortably cover my cost of living, and the experience I gain here is the most important part.

I presume I will be working very long days starting next month, and my life will probably look like ‘work, exercise, sleep, repeat’ for a while. I’m not sure if I will have anything to talk about, but whenever I do, I will do so here on Medium. Otherwise, I will just keep you all up to date with small progress reports on how my assets are growing (or shrinking) and why.

Thanks for reading!