dragin

President & CEO

Edit: We're expanding! If you are a Python developer and are interested in a full time developer role, please reach out.

Exciting brand new start-up Dragin takes application automation to an entirely new level. We leverage machine learning, NLP, web scrapping, and more to streamline and speed up online application processing.

I manage a small but incredibly talented team of six developers. We run on AWS. We code in Python and React. ORM > DB. Docker is cool. Full stacks for life!

Chief Operating Officer & Chief Technology Officer

ScriptUni

If you are looking for an entry level job in finance or to get into a top tier masters program look no further. ScriptUni provides you not only with applicable coding skills, but teaches them in a way that presents you as someone with real work experience - even though you have never used these languages!

You will learn how to build and optimize portfolios, code ABS pricers, and more! 

Sign up today at ScriptUni.com

CEO / Founder

Numerix

A short but very rewarding stint at an amazing FinTech company.
If you're interested in this software, I strongly encourage you reach out to Saul Stepner.

Vice President

Morgan Stanley

Vice President | S&T Securities Lending Desk Strategist & Quantitative Developer

I have the coolest job in the world. I am a S7 certified sec lending sales/trader at the best bank in the world. My primary role is to make the desk more automated, smoother, and improve the reporting to clients.

2018 my job revolved around designing and automating Excel/VBA/SQL reports that go out to our clients. 

2019-2020 was all about data engineering. Building tables, views, SPs, and tons of other back-end processes that just make every run.

Senior Associate | S&T Securities Lending Desk Strategist & Quantitative Developer

Baruch College

Master's in Financial Engineering Program
Adjunct Professor for Python: 2015 to 2019
Workshop Instructor for VBA/SQL: 2013 to 2019

Adjunct Professor | Software Engineering for Finance

State Street

•	Daily reconciliation of client portfolios valuation and risk with previous days and market prices
•	Mapping of new client traded instruments to ensure all inputs flow nicely into our risk system
•	Solving client inquired related to portfolio/instrument risk and valuations
•	Investigate and repair issues causing instruments to misvalue. This can be attributed to: poor mapping, incorrect scaling from administrators, bad market data curves, etc.

Officer | Client Services Quantitative Analyst

•	January 2015 - December 2015: Market Risk Testing
Managed the testing of new traded products, new risk analytics tools, and all other items that would impact risk production. Project management and reconciliation of test results with VaR/Greeks from production
•	January 2014 -  January 2015: Market Risk iTeam
Built out new functionality for Market and Credit Risk including a Country CDS daily risk report Qlikview dashboard, Incremental Risk Charge Qlikview risk report, and project request automation via Sharepoint
•	April 2013 - January 2014: Risk IT Business Analyst
Primary job function was understanding risk manager's requests for IT, writing pseudocode/spec, and managing the projects for the IT team

Market Risk Analyst

•	Assisted clients in pricing instruments, conducting portfolio valuation, and calculating Greeks
•	Consistently solved client issues within the scope of Cross Asset, Liquid Asset, and Portfolio
•	Performed model review on Numerix Cross Asset pricing models

Intern | Quantitative Support Analyst

Take my free cover letter course and find my book on Sales & Trading at: www.MarkRoss.com

I've helped HUNDREDS of clients like you land amazing roles that pay well and have great exposure.
* Resume
* LinkedIn
* Interview
* Networking
* Career Planning
* etc.

Signup for a free 15 min consultation session at MarkRoss.com

Career Coaching newsletter: AbsoluteFintech.com

Finance Terminology List: https://absolutefintech.com/finance-jargon/

HUGE Issue from Microsoft Excel to SQL for Investment Banks and Hedge Funds. Firms spend HOURS on this single issue. 

Let's solve it in 5 minutes.

Thank you StratCamp for letting us use your video!
(You're very welcome Mark!)

Mark Ross

Stop feeling so sorry for yourself.

When I first started coaching, I was still giving music lessons every Sunday.

This gentleman brought his son over for lessons and we began talking.

"I used to work at JP Morgan and I was fired two years ago."

I asked: "How much were you making?"

"Roughly $130K all-in"

I replied: "I am a career coach, would you like me to help you get back into finance?"

His response: "Heck no! I couldn't be happier now!"

So what exactly was he doing?

He was making over $100K a year tutoring high school kids.

Three hours a day of work. Virtually no advertising. He called schools and offered his services.

Word of mouth after that.

No online presence.

Next time you look at influencers and think: "Ok, sheesh I can't do THAT so I guess I'm stuck doing the corporate grind" just remember in Queens New York, this dude was making $100K a year tutoring kids after school.

His entire day, from the morning under 4PM was being a stay-at-home-dad.

What a rockstar.

Here is the ONE THING that stands out across all Dragin internship applications that we look for: A passion project.

Not experience.
Not education.
Not academy awards.
Not a nobel prize.
Not that you were "CEO" of a company.

All we want to know is:
Did you have an idea related to our technology that you were crazy passionate about that you did research, developed on your own, and are actively hosting and updating your codebase?

Nearly every hire that had this going for them turned out to be awesome.

No, you don't need years of experience to smash the interviews.

You just need to be crazy passionate and be able to talk through your research, task management skills, and why/how you failed or succeeded.


HUGE StratCamp NEWS - Upgrading to Pro is getting a 50% cost reduction 🤯 

If you are a Finance Student or are working in Finance and want to add all of current relevant skills to your arsenal there is no better time to sign up than right now. This program assumes NO background in coding and will teach you everything!

* Python
* SQL
* VBA
* Data Engineering
* Data Visualization
* Topics in finance ranging from valuation, risk, portfolio analysis, and more!

The live program has tremendous add-ons - check it out today!!

I refuse to dance. But I'm officially on TikTok. HOLD ME ACCOUNTABLE!
💵 💵 💵 💵 💵 
If I don't post my first Tok by Sunday morning, I will give everyone who likes this post (and follows me on TT/IG) $5. And you can hold me to this!

Oh and I'm on Instagram too. And FB. I'm blowin up all over social media.

What's my plan?

Short form entertaining content with actual relevant advice on how to land and advance in a career in finance.

Not from a 20 year old who had a single internship and now gives career advice.

From someone who navigated from a no-name school to a back office role at a prestigious firm, to VP on a sales and trading desk. That guy.

Follow me and make me pay.

ktxbai.

TikTok: @markrosscoaching
IG: markrosscoaching

As barbaric as they may seem, ToDo lists in notepad are an absolutely awesome way to start your day!!

I have a few tools that I use to manage my time and projects, but when it boils down to it, every few hours I check my notepad file "ToDo.txt" to see how far I've come.

Anything I've completed moves down under the word "COMPLETED". Anything else, stays at the top.

Might seem ridiculous but it's incredibly effective as a motivation tool.

I love ending my day with a huge list of COMPLETED items!

I just saved myself $235!! I posted my first Tok!

Summary: You no longer need an Ivy League education to get into a top tier investment bank.

STOP BLAMING WHERE YOU CAME FROM!!

The only thing holding you back from getting into the firm you want is your planning and persistence.

Check me out on TikTok: markrosscoaching

P.S. To those who thought you were gonna make an easy $5 off me...HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA NOT TODAY!!!!

You all have been asking me to open up more about my personal life. And I agree, I've been pretty sheltered. 

So here it goes.... This is a direct view outside of where I work, right now. 

There, shared it. Now it's your turn.

Stop putting metrics on your resume!! (if you work in finance)

I had another consultation call last night where the resume was PACKED with metrics.

"Build system that resulted in ~68% increase in sales"

"Great" I said to him. "How do you know it was 68%"?

His answer? "I don't I made that up".

This has gone on far enough. STOP BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU READ ONLINE.

And, if you are going to put metrics on your resume, please, for the love of God, MAKE SURE THEY ARE REAL.

The truth is, unless you are in a revenue generating seat, your job is to BUILD TOOLS or MANAGE PROJECTS. So stop with the ridiculous metrics and instead focus on the tools you've built!

Oh, and once I'm raging: 
I put up another TikTok: @markrosscoaching please give it a heart thingy and let me know you love me.

Cheers.

Looking for an expert in Quickbooks migration.

I'm working with a company that has a huge amount of data over many years and needs to move from QB Desktop to Web. Too much data for a simple migration, and the data condensing isn't working well.

Looking to hire a pro who has done this before, preferably multiple times.

QuickBooks Company

#quickbooks #datamigration #quickbooksmigrations

Tuesday night is healthy night in the Ross house!

Menu: Tuna Deluxe

Ingredients:
Daves healthy whole grain bread
Tuna fish
Muenster Cheese
Tomato
Oregano


And the kids wash it down with chocolate milk and desert is ice cream cones with chocolate syrup, sprinkles, chocolate chips, and nuts.

Super important interview tip for finance that will make you STAND OUT:
Know the DEEPER purpose of the team.

For example:
If you are interviewing for a stock loan team, obviously you understand the stock loan process. But do you understand WHY the firm offers this service? 

Do you understand where the real money is made?
What the risks are?

Most interviewees, especially at the junior level, know their resume, the job requirements, and that's it.

But if you speak with people working in the role and take your understanding a level deeper, the interviewer will love you.

Check out my latest Tikity Tokity to learn more.
TT: markrosscoaching

Happy Wednesday. Just 3 days left!

Back in 2014, I was nearly FIRED from Morgan Stanley.
I was handed a double sided paper in a small font size with many paragraphs of feedback from my managers and teammates.

It was clear everyone thought I was a burden on the team.

It was also my first full-time job.

There was a fair bit of good in the note as well (which made me feel really nice) such as "Mark lifts the team's spirits. We're all happier when he's around". 

But the "constructive" feedback...OUCH.

Kudos to Morgan Stanley for actually giving me 30 days to turn myself around, and to honor that! They kept me after I showed improvement and then REHIRED me at 3x the salary only a few years later (after I had left).

But now, I'm running my own company and I'm finding that those very items listed on that paper still plague me today.

I'm finding it IMPOSSIBLE to rid myself of my weaknesses.

The best I can do is be aware of them and arm myself with the best possible tools to combat them.

Such is life.

The hidden job market...IS A SCAM. 
Recruiters and Coaches LOVE talking about it because it confirms your worst fears: That you are missing out on thousands of job opportunities!!

And then you hire them and find out it's all nonsense.

I mean, sure, networking is AWESOME and can help you get a job, but they blow it WAAAY out of proportion.

But you know what's hidden in the job requirements? Skills that can actually make a difference. Check out my latest TikTokity to learn more.

https://lnkd.in/eQvsKXBG

TikTok: @markrosscoaching

#finance #careers #hiddenjobmarket

Why are you not maxing out your daily connection requests?? It's FREE GOLD.
This isn't Facebook! You're not here to make friends, YOU'RE HERE TO FIND A JOB.

DO THIS: 
Connect with everyone you can that works in your field of interest.

Here's why:
1. You'll see more relevant job posts, and general posts that mention that teams are hiring
2. You'll likely see content more relevant to you
3. Recruiters in that field will become closer connections to you and will find you more easily
4. Networking is the fishiznik
5. Those who accept your connection request are likely to speak with you as well

WARNING: Don't abuse the connect button. If you connect with more than 20 people a day LinkedIn will block your account...I've seen cases where they blocked for over a month!

Good luck!

P.S. If you're interested in a career in finance, or are looking for a pivot in finance I strongly suggest you try out my StratCamp program as well. It's ridiculously good...developed based on my experiences at Morgan Stanley and State Street.

I have onboarded more coaching clients this past month than ever before, and with no click-baity viral posts.

If you are looking for a career coach, look out for these red flags:

1. A career coach for a specific industry where the highest position the coach worked was "intern" or "analyst". I always blown away how people with almost no relevant experience can advise people who need honest advice from experts.

2. Guarantee for a job. Even if it comes with a money back offer; this is ridiculous. A coach isn't someone who finds you a job. It's someone who trains you to be a better you...the BEST you when it comes to job searching. And here's a tip for you: You WILL find a job, whether you hire a coach or not. It's just a matter of when.

3. Viral drivel instead of posting value. See Woninsulting for a great example of awful value but good marketing. They harp on the emotions of job seekers making them feel "validated" at how horrible the system is...and then make them pay. No, the system isn't BROKEN. Not all managers are EVIL. And even if they were, the best thing YOU can do for YOURSELF is to improve. Simple as that.

tldr;
Find a coach who isn't an influencer. Someone who you could just as easily call a mentor. Someone who started from nothing, built themselves up, and succeeded.

Just starting college and have NO IDEA what you want to do with your life??
Step 1: DO NOT take the advice of educators, especially those who don't practice.

Step 2: DO NOT take the advice of ANYONE who isn't a close friend or mentor. There is no "generally correct" answer, it is always based on what motivates YOU.

Step 3: You should be able to make some obvious conclusions right off the bat. For example, I get queasy at the sight of blood, so even though I love studying, medicine was immediately off the table for me. If you love data and/or reporting, finance or tech might be great for you.

Step 4: ALWAYS make sure you spend at least ONE FULL DAY in the office or workplace of a professional before dedicating years of your life to studying.

It always blows my mind that people will study finance for four years only to realize that spreadsheets bore them.

This is another reason why I love trade professions.

Act as an apprentice for a plumber or electrician for a week and you'll know 100% whether or not you want to dedicate your life to the field!

Any other advice for young college students?

We took a 4 hour car ride yesterday.
Were the kids complaining the whole ride? NOPE.
They were rotting their braincells playing video games - AND IT WAS AWESOME!!!

Why?

Because my 15, 12, and 9 year old were all playing Brawl Stars together for a few hours, until they moved on to Hearthstone.

I was SO NICE to watch them all playing together. I absolutely loved every minute of it. They were shouting, yelling, laughing, etc...

Boding experiences are the best. Sorry, it doesn't have to be baseball.

Once they are old enough, we'll go five-player into League of Legends and reach Iron 4 EASY.

This week's STRATCAMP SQL topics:
1. Subqueries
2. CTEs
3. Temp Tables
4. Windows Functions
5. Sum-Case Whens
6. Order of Execution

We're gearing up for the season finale!!

Next week we'll be building some EPIC stored procedures!

Once you have powerful SPs, you can call them from Python or Excel and have the most automated reporting system out there. I did this at Morgan Stanley and it made a HUGE difference in report execution time!

Check out StratCamp on my website!!

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