The LinkedIn status update is your friend, whether you’re looking for clients or a job

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LinkedIn status updates are a low-key way of reminding your contacts that you exist. My status updates have directly resulted in an editor asking me to write an article and new subscribers signing up for my newsletter. 

A brief positive message 
A status update is a brief update on your activities. It’s designed to show off something positive about you. For example, an asset manager might say “Peter Portfoliomanager is sharing his latest Economic Update.” A job hunter who wants to show that she’s not moping around might post “Joan Jobhunter just completed a marketing plan for Her Favorite Charity.”

Include link to maximize your impact
Peter Portfoliomanager should provide a link to his Economic Update. This makes it easy for a reader to engage more deeply with him. He can use a site like TinyURL.com to shorten the link to his Economic Update. This is worth doing because long links are cumbersome and LinkedIn limits the length of status updates. Here’s one of my status updates as an example: “Susan blogged: Statistics to calm nervous investors: Research on dollar cost averaging http://bit.ly/qKf3p” 

Everything you need is on your LinkedIn home page 
When you go to your LinkedIn home page, you’ll see below your Inbox the Network Updates section. First comes the box where you can update your status. Below that, you’ll see status updates from your connections. Status updates are also emailed to your connections as part of their Network Updates. By the way, LinkedIn lets you exercise some control over who sees your updates.

LinkedIn provides instructions for how to update your status.

Have YOU benefited from LinkedIn status updates? I’d love to hear your story.

 

My top tips for LinkedIn newbies who want to attract financial clients, referrals, and jobs

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LinkedIn is gaining power as a source of clients, referrals, and jobs, just as websites have become essential for companies. If you don’t have a LinkedIn profile, it’s almost if you don’t exist. 

In its most basic form, LinkedIn can be a gentle, low-key way of reminding people that you exist. You can also use it to meet new people. These are my main goals for LinkedIn. It has generated some business for me, but NOT as the result of my aggressively asking for it.

In this post, I share my personal top tips for raising your profile using LinkedIn.

1. Put up a profile, any profile

Just list your name and geographic location and geographic location if you’re not sure what information you want to share. If a former client remembers you from your last job at a different investment management firm, LinkedIn provides an easy way for them to find you. 

2. Flesh out your profile and show your personality

After I filled in the basics, I gave my LinkedIn profile a makeover, following the advice in Guy Kawasaki’s “LinkedIn Profile Extreme Makeover.” The main idea is to give more of a sense of who you really are in your profile. If you’re a LinkedIn novice, you should also read Kawasaki’s “Ten Ways to Use LinkedIn.” 

3. Link with others to stay in touch

You must build your network on LinkedIn to get maximum benefit. If you’re comfortable with LinkedIn’s security, you can let it access your email address books so it can identify your contacts who are already on LinkedIn. Then you can send them an invitation to connect.

After you connect, your contacts will automatically see your very recent updates on their LinkedIn home page. This is a big advantage in keeping you “top of mind” as a potential service provider, referral recipient, or employee. 

4. Update your status

On your LinkedIn home page, have you noticed the box that says “Share an article, photo, video or idea”? Updating this box regularly is one of the most valuable steps you can take. I know because I’ve actually gotten work from a client who was inspired by my update to contact me.

If you’re a blogger, it’s a great idea to link to a blog post from this box. Are you an advisor? You could mention an interesting article you’re reading or a new white paper on your firm’s website (but check with Compliance first). If you’re a job hunter, be wary of sounding desperate. It’s better to mention some positive activity you’re engaged in rather than to say repeatedly “___ is looking for a job as a research analyst.”


Here’s one of my updates as a sample: 
Susan blogged: Statistics to calm nervous investors: Research on dollar cost averaging http://bit.ly/qKf3p 

5. Participate in LinkedIn Groups 
Participating in LinkedIn Groups and asking and answering questions on LinkedIn will also raise your profile.  Plus, what you learn from others can help you do your job. I’ve found data and people to interview through LinkedIn.

NOTE: This post was updated on 12/15/18 for changes in LinkedIn.

 

Recruiter Ted Chaloner on job interviews that get results

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Think of your job interview as a sales call, said recruiter Ted Chaloner, president of Chaloner Associates, a Boston-based executive search firm specializing in communications, in his March 11 presentation to Boston’s Marketing Professionals Network.

You should present the features and benefits of your product–yourself–and demonstrate their value to the buyer. So don’t meander in response to your interviewer’s request to “tell me about yourself.” Focus on your career as it relates to your potential employer’s needs. If you haven’t learned what the company needs, ask. For example, you can say “I’d be happy to go into detail, but first can you tell me what the three things that are most important to you?”

Don’t get rattled if your interviewer asks negative questions. Instead, acknowledge the legitimacy of the question, said Chaloner. Then give an example of how you’ve overcome the problem. In fact, interviews have moved beyond the classic “What are your biggest strengths and weaknesses” to specific examples of how you’ve demonstrated the characteristics that the employer seeks.

A job interview shouldn’t be a one-way flow of information. Ask probing closed- and open-ended questions, advised Chaloner.

For my friends in marketing or communications, here’s a link to the firm’s current searches. 

You can hear Ted interviewed in “Social networking sites help job hunting.”

Related links:
Three recruiters talk about hiring at investment management and mutual fund firms 
Who’s hiring CFA charterholders 
Top five types of freelance writing for CFA charterholders 

Top five types of freelance writing for CFA charterholders

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In tough times, CFA charterholders are getting creative about their job options. That’s undoubtedly why the January 2009 panel on “Alternative Careers for CFA Charterholders” that I organized for the Boston Security Analysts Society was well attended. Freelance writing is one non-traditional option. In this blog post I discuss five types of writing.

1. Investment performance commentary for institutional portfolios or mutual funds
Reporting and explaining a portfolio’s investment performance is an important component of client service. In the case of mutual funds, annual and semiannual reports are mandated by law.

In my experience, this is the freelance writing gig that requires the least writing skill because reports follow a strictly defined model. There’s no room for individual creativity. It’s more important that you understand attribution analysis and other components that feed into reports. You should also be accurate and detail-oriented.

2. Company reports for websites or newsletters
Lisa Springer, CFA (lisa AT beaconequityresearch.com), says

The great thing about writing for a newsletter or website is it’s steady, predictable work, typically involving weekly assignments. In most cases, they pick the stocks they want you to write up. Most jobs are free-lance and permit telecommuting. I think there are probably more opportunities out there writing for websites than for print newsletters since most newsletters are 1-2 person operations.

Here’s her advice on finding opportunities:

This is not the best time to be looking for this type of work since ad revenues are way down and the investment web sites are mostly ad-driven. There is also a trend towards smaller “sound bytes” (100 words or less) rather than 500-800 word articles. Still, sites like Motley Fool and Street Authority were recently hiring free-lance writers. I’ve also found opportunities on free-lance writer boards, contacting sites that interest me directly (just google investment web sites and you will find hundreds of sites) and even on Craigslist.

3. Market commentary
Market commentary requires a mix of writing skill and investment knowledge. Sometimes clients want you to write commentary from scratch, reporting your own opinions and statistics. Other times, they’ll want you to interview their investment professionals to reflect their take on the market.

4. White papers
The ability to identify the client’s problem and write persuasively about it is key to a successful white paper. White papers are a cross between an article and a brochure. They typically pose a problem faced by clients and tell how to solve the problem. While the solution is offered by the company commissioning the white paper, the most credible white papers don’t overtly flog their products.

Information for your white papers may come from different sources: your own research, materials provided by your client, and interviews with experts at your client’s firm.

5. Articles and books
Of the five kinds of writing discussed here, articles and books require the highest degree of writing skill. They may also expose you to clients who don’t understand your topics. Writer Annie Logue, CFA, author of Socially Responsible Investing for Dummies, says “editors don’t always understand finance. If you can make it understandable to the editor, you can make it understandable to anyone.”Writing for individual investors may force you to work hard to describe your topic in less sophisticated terms.

Writing articles and books also requires the ability to develop story ideas and pitch them to editors. That’s something you don’t typically do with corporate clients.

Resources for freelance writers
Freelance writing isn’t just about the mechanics of writing.  As Logue says, “You have to spend time on marketing, information technology, accounting, etc.”

A number of websites and blogs offer advice, classes, and other resources for freelance writers.

Investment Writing blog posts:

 

Advice from a hiring manager for CFAs who want to freelance

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If you’re a CFA charterholder considering a switch to freelance writing, read on for advice from the perspective of the corporate manager who may hire you.  The manager asked to remain anonymous. Thank you, generous manager, you know who you are! 

1. What type of writing assignments best match the freelancer’s skills?  Is he or she a strong technical writer with a bent toward white-paper research, or does he/she lean toward less technical writing such as newsletters, brochure text, Web site communication? 

2. Does he/she have a strong background in either retail or institutional investment management?  I am frequently contacted by freelancers with good retail communication skills, who aren’t familiar with the more technical needs of our institutional audience.

3. What is a realistic client/workload?  Most freelance needs relate to quarter- or year-end crunches.  How will a writer fill the ‘tween time? And how many of those quarter cruncher assignments can he/she expect to fulfill? 

4. Does the writer have the most state-of-the-art communication systems at home/office?  He/she will be dealing with a variety of systems at the client level while on tight deadlines.  Incompatible systems can be a deal-killer. 

5. Is the writer’s style compatible with that of the client?  We ensure that our writers receive our internal newsletters, opinion pieces, Web updates to provide continuity of “voice” as well as keep them apprised of activities at the firm.

6. Corollary to point 5, a freelancer needs a strong point person at the client firm to ensure he/she receives attribution reports, performance numbers, background literature, etc. in a timely manner to complete the assignment.

7. Join a local business-writing association (or work through your CFA society!) to keep abreast of current freelancing rates and to learn of independent contractors who may be able to subcontract your skills. 

8.  NEVER MISS A DEADLINE!!   Deliver the written assignment with sufficient time for compliance, proofing, portfolio manager review, etc. at the client, before the material must go to print. We look for material one-two days before the “actual” deadline. 

This article complements an earlier list of tips by freelance writer Omar Bassal, CFA. Note that both Omar and this corporate manager stress the importance of making deadlines.

Top 10 tips for CFA charterholders considering freelance writing

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If you’re a CFA charterholder considering a freelance writing career, here’s advice from Omar Bassal, CFA. Omar is the head of asset management at NBK Capital, a freelance writer, and the author of Swing Trading for Dummies. 

I’m posting Omar’s article as part of my preparation for a panel on “Alternative Careers for CFA Charterholders” to be presented to the Boston Security Analysts Society on January 14, 2009.

Here’s Omar’s advice.


1. Choose your work carefully: Part of being a good writer is choosing the right businesses and people to work with. There are a lot of fly-by-night operations that want text to fill space. While they might pay the bills, they won’t further your professional development.

2. Get a proofreader: No one is perfect—not even CFA charterholders. Having a second pair of eyes before you submit your work is always smart. Find a reasonably priced person via Craigslist.

3. Know your audience: Be able to differentiate between unsophisticated audiences (where “standard deviation” is too technical a term to use), semi-sophisticated audiences (where “standard deviation” needs no further explanation) and sophisticated audiences (where “standard deviation” is an incomplete view of risk).

4. Get paid by work, not by hour: Firms will want to pay you by the hour. But you should push to be paid a flat rate for your work. This doesn’t always mean you’ll get more. But over time, you’ll be more efficient and productive as a result. Plus, you won’t need to keep tabs on every minute you’re working versus checking e-mail.

5. Seek contracts: Monthly and quarterly newsletters and reviews are an excellent way to get your hands on steady income.

6. Network with other writers: There are many fish in the sea and writing as a CFA charterholder doesn’t mean you’re taking away business from a fellow CFA charterholder. Sometimes clients will come to you with requests that you’re unwilling or unable to do. Being able to pass that work onto other contacts means your client feels his/her needs are being met by you. Do it often and others will return the favor.

7. A CFA charter does not mean you know everything: If you’re an expert in equities, you may find navigating fixed income waters tough. Make sure you thoroughly understand what you’re getting into before you agree to do a job.

8. Have a contract: Approach writing as you would any other business. Have a contract in place for every writing job which explains  your responsibilities, your contractor’s expectations, delivery schedules, terms of cancellation and prohibition of passing your work on to other parties. Besides protecting your interests, a contract will flash a signal that you’re a professional writer.

9. Seek out non-traditional clients: Realize that your easiest business may come from non-traditional clients. “Traditional clients” may be mutual funds, financial advisors and institutional asset management firms. Non-traditional clients include trade groups with pension plans, foundations, endowments and other less sought after institutions.

10. Punctuality is everything: Don’t view your text as the finish line for your contractor. Your work will likely be checked by senior staff or formatted for e-mailing or printing—all things based on firm schedules. Treat your work as a business. Being late means being unreliable—no matter how great the final text may be.

Access 342 hiring investment research analysts, says Integrity Research

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Access 342, a new kind of investment research firm, is hiring research analysts, according to Integrity Research’s “Who is Hiring in the Current Environment?“

That’s the good news.

The bad news: not many analysts will fit the Access 342 mold. The bar to entry is high. You must be “identified as highly valuable by the buy-side themselves.” 

Also, you’ve got to be willing to risk working for a relatively young firm.

"Female Fund Managers Make Strides," according to Morningstar

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Today women make up 12% of the managers of the 200 largest mutual funds, according to “Female Fund Managers Make Strides,” a Dec. 1 Morningstar article.

Twelve percent may not sound like much, but that’s up 50% from 1998. 

On the other hand, as the article notes, women make up 19% of active CFA charterholders. “it seems reasonable to think that the percent at the biggest funds should lag the CFA charterholders figure by a few years.” Do you agree? 

Related post: “The Testosterone Factor in Mutual Funds“

"Alternative Careers for CFA Charterholders" on Jan. 14

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I’m one of four panelists presenting to the Boston Security Analysts Society (BSAS) on “Alternative Careers for CFA Charterholders” on January 14.

Among the four of us, we have experience as a due diligence analyst, treasurer, investment technology salesperson, consultant, and writer. We’ll help you understand what each job involves and how you can target your job hunt.

In addition to my role as panelist, I’m a member of the group planning career development events for the BSAS. So, I’m interested in your ideas for other career-related events for CFA charterholders.

Please join us on January 14 if you’d like to learn more about alternative careers.

Three recruiters talk about hiring at investment management and mutual fund firms

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Hiring is down, but not out, at investment management and mutual fund firms.

That’s according to three Boston-area recruiters I queried recently.

“Overall, hiring in the mutual fund industry is down sharply from where it was 3 years ago,” said Charles O’Neill, principal, Diversified Management Resources. His firm’s Mutual Fund Careers website scans openings from online sources and offers an online job search tool.

Michael Kulesza, managing director of Horton International‘s Boston office, emailed me that “Despite the turmoil in the stock market, hiring does continue, but at a slower rate.  What is interesting is the hiring is most vibrant at smaller asset management firms vs. the largest firms.  We are working with several Asset Managers whose focus is Endowments, Foundations and Family Offices.”

O’Neill said the roughly 7,000 online job openings in the mutual fund industry include nearly 4,000 in sales and relationship management and 1,500 in compliance and operations. “About 500 postings require or prefer candidates who are Chartered Financial Analysts,” he added.

Marketing professionals face a tough environment. “The count for marketing-related positions is down very sharply—perhaps because many companies continue to view marketing as an expense rather than as a revenue-generator,” said O’Neill.

Jerry Grady of the Ward Group, an executive search firm specializing in marketing and communications professionals, agrees that demand for mutual fund marketers is soft. However, firms are showing interest in marketers who can think strategically—for example, segmenting a channel and creating different value propositions—as they target intermediaries.

Grady also sees a shrinking of the divide between mutual fund product management and marketing. Some firms seek product managers who can think like marketers—and vice versa. At these firms, it is not enough for product managers simply to be able to communicate with portfolio managers. If this trend continues, mutual funds will become more like consumer packaged goods, where product management and marketing are combined.

Looking forward, here’s what O’Neill predicts. 

Most employers seem to be in a wait and see mode for now. But further, sharp declines in the equity markets will require a total recasting of money managers’ budgets—and at that point, all bets are off. It is not inconceivable that industry employment levels—through attrition as well as potential layoffs on a large scale—could result in a much smaller, more compact business than we’ve seen in many years. 

What’s YOUR take on investment management hiring trends? Please leave a comment.

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