Career choices

A career in Finance

A career in Finance is the one I am looking the most. Is probably the career I am looking the most. Besides the sales agent, asset manager or risk analyst, there has been a flourish demand on Quants. Quants are professionals that use highly-mathematical models to do trading. They are very common on the bank industry since many trading are now made by computers instead of being made by humans. The career usually requires a mathematical background, econometric tools, and high knowledge of software since you have to transform the mathematical analysis into algorithm that can be processed by the computers. It would mean to me to learn a lot more of mathematics, and use it to analyze reality, to measure it, and to be able to hold the most sophisticated knowledge in the most quantity. For me, knowledge is important, but also is the ability to make money and this career goes hand in hand with it.

A career in Economic Research

What is knowledge for knowledge? When an idea (a marketing product) does not generate money, it’s because is not valuable for the market. And being paid $182k as a senior economist at the IMF definitely shows how valuable you are for the world! Economic Research at the IMF focuses more than in economic comprehension. It may cover inequality in the world, woman and society, hunger, luck in career success, environmental externalities, global warming policies, and so on. However, the common denominator is big use of statistics data, mathematical models, lot of empiric reading, and doing advices. The IMF recruits people that have at least an M.B.A., but also have designed some programs for student who have just graduated, and looks for majors in economics, statistics, mathematics, finances or computer science. In short, a good career for someone who wants to save the world, mathematical models, developing its knowledge and who is very opinionated.

A career in Organization Development

I like to coach, to teach and to read. While coaching and reading drive me towards a manager position, or teaching and reading towards a teaching position, I think the qualities are better used as an organization development consultant.

“The change process supports improvement of the organization or group as a whole. The client and consultant work together to gather data, define issues and determine a suitable course of action. The organization is assessed to create an understanding of the current situation and to identify opportunities for change that will meet business objectives.”

Looking for change, seeing an organization in all points of view, meeting objectives, taking action. Doesn’t that sound so interesting? And also the education requirements. An Organization Development consultant comes from backgrounds like organization development, organization behavior, psychology, education, management and/or human resources.

A career as a Political Advisor

Is there something that is even more fascinating, that is Political Advisor. As one, you are 100% dedicated to the public. You are paid to do good, to change the world, to make rules that affects everybody, that affects a country. The power to change the country, what a dangerous weapon. Yet the title is not president but advisors. Political advisors generally advise to high political positions in diverse areas. Their background varies, but as Yehezkel Dror they must be people with a large framework selection, historical analysis, mathematical simulation, human behavior and organizational knowledge. But the difference with other is that public service is more rigid. Law usually shapes decision-making at times constraining it; media –which is intended to dumb people because smart people read magazines, journals and newspaper- usually boycotts because they don’t have enough knowledge to understand the whole decision and it is complemented by bad communication on behalf of the authorities. Also, you usually have different sublevels of power, and planning requires to be implemented and be done by others that may boycott or not know what to do, so you are not as powerful as you think. But is rewarding as you know that you are planning long-term, making policies (the most powerful way to use knowledge), influence people, and be admired but many people as having gone so far.