The new job

So..

I got this new job and currently I’ve been here for almost a month. Gotta say I hardly feel it cause I’ve been busy with meetings, daily reportings and whatnots. Literally there have been daily meetings (up to 2-3 times a day) and conference calls with the portfolio managers. Draining, but all is well though. Still coping and learning the ropes around here.

I used to be on sell-side (the dark side of the investment banks, they say) but now I’m on the buy-side, specifically focusing on fixed income investments (bond and sukuk).

Apart from the awesome perks and benefits, there are some other things that I like about this new job. Am writing it here as part of my gratitude project (one thing that I promise to myself to constantly do).

– Opportunities to travel / attachment programs with the fund managers abroad

– Super nice bosses & colleagues. One has to experience dealing with harrowing bosses to appreciate these new superiors.

– New like minded friends. I think I made friends quite easily here, thank God for that.

– Messy but awesome trading desk with Bloomberg terminals just few steps away.

– Plenty of new things and areas to learn. Areas such as Emerging Market debt and Asian debt to look at with the differing geo-political situations, country ratings, potential rates and currencies strategies, etc.

– New phone 🙂

– Trading room is quite after market hours, thus I’m able to study after work

– There are 3 people in the trading room who are currently undertaking CFA. So yeah, glad to have these people to study with.

All in all, I am grateful to land this job. Of course there are few hiccups here and there (to mention a few; the slow bureaucratic process, yikes! and the attendance monitoring system – I have to be present at the office latest at 8.29am, imagine the traffic horror I have to face every morning), I am beyond grateful, nonetheless.

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The Ring Around the Sun

Assalamualaikum..

Been busy with life that I couldn’t be arsed to write anything for the past couple of months. And suddenly its nearing the end of July. How did the past 6 months just disappear?

 

Sold my car and got a supposedly fuel efficient and environmentally friendly new machine.

Went to Jakarta in February

Went to Japan (again) with the colleagues in early May

 

Enrolled for CFA programme. One of the toughest exams in the world, the hell was I’m thinking? Library visits, weekend classes and tests are part of life (foresee that I wont be enjoying much life for the next 3 years). Enjoying the company of my brilliant classmates though, bless them.

 

On a job hunt. thus been to interviews. Got an offer. Resigned from current job. But still going for interviews in other companies. Still have 2 months to serve the notice period.

 

Bought a studio apartment. Actually this was done on impulse. The construction of the condo is supposedly finish this coming year end. We shall see.

 

Til then.

dog days aint over

I just got back from Pulau Redang. Last been there a couple of years back. It was very pretty back then..not so much now, maybe cause its nearing monsoon season. Anyway it was a nice break from work and also managed to add more entries to the dive log book. Last beach escapade was in June..having that into mind, it called upon for the next beach trip. And the current timing is right. I’m done with the masters programme and (hopefully) will soon graduate. So that called up for some sort of gateway for me.

Pictures and dive stories will be updated in the next entry lah.

Now that I’m graduating soon, I’ve starting to hatch the plan for future. Not yet satisfied with my masters, I’m thinking of pursuing the back breaking nerve wrecking CFA. BUT with my love for everything fun and laid back  this could be hard for me. The earliest intake is for June 2014 exam, we’ll see.