I Answered a Classified Ad to Get My Start on Wall Street

I joined Robert W. Baird as junior analyst in 1995 by answering a classified in the Milwaukee Journal.

Baird, as they’re branded now, wanted a clerk. I wanted a job as an equity research analyst.

I got a telephone call from HR and after having looked at my resume, HR thought I’d be a better fit for their equity research department. WOW.

I was scheduled to drive to Milwaukee to Baird’s corporate offices to interview. I’d never been to downtown Milwaukee before. It was an hour and fifteen minute drive. HR instructed me where to park, so I could be reimbursed for my expense. My car at the time was a powder-blue SAAB 900.

In the interviews, I met with two senior analysts that I would work for if I got the job. I met with two directors of research, a senior analyst covering medical devices, and an institutional salesman.

I was grilled and I wish I could remember all the questions. I was sent home with a floppy disk with some data sets to analyze for a second interview.

I do remember that two of my interviewers smoked freely in their office. One particularly liked that I had developed a spreadsheet for handicapping football games. They all liked I took a risk on a real estate technology startup my first job out of college.

The toughest question came from the institutional salesman. “Who wrote the Scarlet Letter?,” he asked. In my cocky 22-year old manner, I said “Nate Hawthorne.” The rest of the interview with him went well.

In the end and after a second interview, I got the job. What luck, with my background.

Over the next 7 years I would learn about markets and business from some of the smartest people one could meet. I met life long friends. I learned “the power of the chair.” It’s a personal theory.

More stories about landing and staying in the investment business to come. Follow and DM me if you’d like to chat for 10 minutes. I’m happy to be helpful.