Men's Wearhouse does not like the way I look

George Zimmer, CEO of Men's Wearhouse says "You're gonna like the way you look," Well if you are not too tall!

On a lovely Sunday afternoon, I voyaged to a Men's Wearhouse to find a shirt and tie for an interview I had the next day. Like his slogan, I do believe looking good and feeling good are just as important knowing the company's operations front and back.

I chose Men's Wearhouse because unlike going to a department store with a large variety of different designs and brands, the warehouse offers well organized shelves by neck size and arm length so you are not searching through piles of shirts on the tables at JCPennys, Macy's, or Nordstroms.

As I walked into the store, I was greeted in a timely manner by a wardrobe specialist. Looking for a couple dress shirts is what I told him. He took my measurements, 16" neck and 38/39'' arm. Took about 30 seconds to look through the merchandise and came back with an underwhelming attitude of I can't help you.

This was a very quick diagnosis. While I was in need of something nice by tomorrow, I suggested maybe I try on a 36/37. With surprise he says "No, it wont look good. Try next door," and walks away. With a bad taste in my mouth, I walk out to look what is next door.

Next door is Casual Male XL. I may be 6'4", but I weigh approximately 175lbs. I will fly away if winds pick up much over 50mph.

Very confused and frustrated by the lack of customer service I received, I will not be going back to Men's Wearhouse again. As my job hunt heats up and considering I am a good candidate for a career in business, I plan on making some serious investments in suits in the near future. Men's Wearhouse will not be a place where I will shop again because of this.

The Hardest Interview Question

What are your hobbies?

Okay, so maybe not the toughest question, and this should probably be the easiest one for you to answer. Well, in my case, it was the question that I stumbled over more than any other question during my second interview for a commercial real estate investment company in Arizona. Did I get the job? ...

Nope. But why did I have such a difficult time with this simple question? Over the past year, I have been spending the majority of my time neglecting my hobbies such as golfing, spontaneous road trips, visiting family, cycling. All the things I used to do but have set aside to do everything I could that would amp my resume.

But the thing is, employers want well rounded individuals to work for them. Not only do they want you to have good writing, communication, internship, leadership, academic achievement, and community involvement, they want you to have hobbies.

Employers look at hobbies in a few different ways:

1. It gives them a hint to what kind of person you are. i.e. If you like to skydive on the weekends, it shows that you are spontaneous and adventurous. Or it might show that you are more likely to die.

2. It creates a bond with the employer. When interviewing applicants, it can seem that there is no differentiation between candidates, and something that sticks out such as running marathons may be a commonality between the two. The interviewer might even be looking for someone to train with! Running marathons also shows that you can endure long strenuous activity and are highly motivated.

(The most important reason to have hobbies is so you don't say "Uuhhh..." when they ask you that question!)

Hunt on the Hunt

My senior year of college is rapidly coming to a close. With a major in business and concentrations in finance and real estate, my hunt for the perfect job is proving to be a daunting task. Coming from a "non-core" business school, my exposure to high finance has been difficult when it comes getting internships that showcase the road I would like to travel.

Don't count me as a pessimist, or someone who has a negative attitude about how I will never be good enough. Besides the first few blurry years of my college life as a fraternity man, I have worked very on average of 3 part time jobs ranging from picking up golf balls on the driving range, serving tables at a restaurant, and valeting cars. All of this hard work to pay off my bills and finance my trips as many financial districts I can.

So with that said, my real core experience in the professional world comes from interning with the Department of Insurance, working as an Analyst for CSU-Sacramento's Student Investment Fund, and competing in the CFA Institute Research Challenge. All of which are free labor.

But even with that, I have only received 3 phone calls back from the over 100 resumes I have already sent out to employers (Currently waiting to hear back from a phone interview)... crossing fingers.

So the question I ask: With the finance industry contracting, and the many new graduates entering the work force, how can one differentiate themselves from the rest of the pack?

I break it down into a few key components every student should keep in mind:

1. Get a internship: Even if it is filing papers at your local state investment office. Employers will see that you were willing to endure the unpaid/or underpaid work, and hopefully get some great recommendations out of it.

Also, work as many internships as you can. Having a summer internship every summer is a great resume booster and you will typically be hired on full time if you do a great job.

2. Extracurricular Activities: Get involved on campus. Join your local Financial Management Association (FMA) or school investment club. If you don't have one, start one! It's a great way to network with students, faculty and professionals. Also the school loves to hand out money to clubs! How do you think I went to New York last week on them?

3. Differentiate Yourself: Figure out what it is that you are good at or really enjoy. For example, if you are fascinated by trends in automobiles, such as electric vehicles, specialize in it. Start researching, follow the auto shows and magazines. Go to investors conferences to see what the new trends are.

It is amazing how many people I have met from doing just that. Also, when people in the industry notice that you are a student with a passion for what ever it is that they do, they are immediately intrigued and are more than willing to speak with you about it.

Once again, just another way to network and differentiate yourself.

4. Take the Bloomberg Assessment Test (BAT): The BAT is a standardized financial aptitude exam that was created by Bloomberg Institute. It is a online 3 hour multiple choice exam that tests individuals on the finance and career skills. Scores are released into a database where thousands of employers look to find candidates to hire into internships and full time positions in the financial service industry.

It is free to take and is offered around the globe to undergraduate and graduate students. Test locations are at Bloomberg LP offices and most universities. To find a location near you, register online at www.bloomberginstitute.com

I took this exam last month at my university and did not score near the highest, but it broke it down into 11 categories and was a great self assessment tool to see what my weaknesses were and how I ranked against over 30,000 students around the globe.

5. Find a mentor: When you decide what you want to specialize in, start looking for a mentor. Mentors provide a wealth of knowledge and experience that is unlike classroom experience.

Start emailing them weekly and meet them once or twice a month for coffee if they are willing to do it. Always have lots of questions ready for them and make sure to thank them for their time.



I am not an expert by any means, but from my time in college, this has been the advice I was given and lessons I've learned. I would recommend this path to new students looking to pursue a future career in finance.

As for now I am signing off so I can stop procrastinating on my business ethics paper that is due in less that 24 hours now.

From Main Street to Wall Street

Last week I headed to New York City to the G.A.M.E. II Forum Conference with 9 of my finance undergraduate colleagues. For those of you not acronym savvy, it is the Global Asset Management Education Forum conference hosted by Qunnipiac University.

With over 1,000 finance students attending from over 38 countries, there was no shortage knowledge or monkey suits. With the conference spanning three days, we were exposed to the brightest minds on Wall Street that covered topics from China's questionable growth reporting, U.S. treasuries interest rates eminent increase, and the concerns of gas prices reaching a national average of $4.00.

Moving into our panel discussions, we chose topics that were most relevant and interesting to us. My day consisted of equity analysis, risk mitigation, future of Quant investing, volatility in options, and social media. Wait... hold on a second, social media? Yes, it may be skewed from the mean of the technical distribution, but after sitting in on how social media plays a part in financial markets, it plays a significant role in the way we stay informed.

I had the opportunity to speak one on one with some of the proprietary minds in media. The moderator for the panel Jim Binder, Director of Public Relations at The Options Industry Council, and the four other panelists:

Josh Brown, VP of Investments at Fusion Analytics, and author of Reformed Broker blog,
Dorothy Friedman, Vice President of Marketing at Fidessa,
Ray Pellecchia, VP of Corporate Communications at NYSE Euronext, and
Scott Peterson, Co-Founder of Relay Station Social Media.

The most used social media platforms that these professionals leveraged most were Twitter, LinkedIn and their blogs. The ability to receive information within moments rather than wait until the news arrive on your porch at 5am is changing the way we consume our daily news digest.

Facebook remains a relation based website that is used more as a background check for recruiters than anything else while Twitter remains content-driven. When I asked the pannel where they were positioning themselves with the new fast moving social media companies such as Pinterest? Responses varied, but the overwhelming response was that it is a matter of where their time is greatest utilized, and that being on the more developed platforms.

In my opinion, I believe that every social media platform gives you exposure to a different audience. The more audiences you are exposed to, the more likely you are to recieve referrals and new clients. As in my case, more recruiters looking at me as a potential candidate for their company.

Overall, first trip to New York City was a great experience. Learned a lot and met some extrordinary minds.