Matt Carpenter '95 Talks Job-Hunting

As someone who has interviewed scores of MBA job applicants in the finance sector, Matt Carpenter ’95 had some job-hunting advice when he spoke at Yale SOM on February 20. Carpenter, senior portfolio manager at Moore Capital Management, encouraged students to invest time in research and preparation before interviews. “Take responsibility for the whole job process,” he said. “You’ve got to sell yourself.” Carpenter offered a few tips that he said no job applicant should overlook:

1. Learn all you can about a firm before the interview. Asking basic questions about a firm’s size or scope just shows you haven’t done your homework. Walk in ready for more substantive—and revealing—discussion.
2. Be ready to describe your background relative to the position you’re seeking. “You’ve got to know yourself and be able to succinctly say why your experience is unique,” Carpenter said.
3. For candidates looking to make a mid-career move, be sure you’ve first dug in at one place long enough to reach a position of some influence—that usually means several years. Too much job-hopping early on can signal little professional growth.