Recruiting Journeys | Finance: Max Yamamoto ’24, Dimensional Fund Advisors
Max Yamamoto ’24, a joint-degree student in the MBA and Master’s in Asset Management programs, drew on the SOM curriculum to land a job in investment management.
What was your recruiting journey like?
In the first year of my MBA, I applied to internship positions at investment management firms. Unlike consulting or investment banking, the process is not very structured. I found a bunch of firms by doing research on the internet, utilizing a list of employers created by the Career Development Office (CDO), and making cold calls to alumni or people inside the company. I applied to about 50 internships, and eventually landed one at Dimensional Fund Advisors.
I didn’t immediately get a return offer at the end of my summer internship. When I returned to SOM in the fall, I started to re-recruit for full-time jobs, but ultimately a position opened up at Dimensional Fund Advisors, and I accepted a full-time offer.
Which SOM classes prepared you for your current role?
Quantitative Investment, a core class for the Master’s in Asset Management program taught by Professor Toby Moskowitz, teaches you to research financial markets with a quantitative review. It’s directly related to what I’m doing right now, and has been very helpful. Another important core course was Asset Pricing Theory, taught by Professors Saman Majd and Jeffrey Rosenbluth; we learned how the market works and how you should view the market based on mathematical or financial theory. A third course is Employer, which is now called Workforce. What I learned in that class helped me understand how a company works, and prepared me to navigate professional culture in my internship and current role.
How did the SOM network help you in your job search?
I think I’m one of the students who got the most from CDO resources. Before starting at SOM, I used the résumé templates and scoring system; I also read about how to recruit in the United States, because I’m from Japan and I wasn’t familiar with local customs. The CDO staff were also incredibly helpful. Valerie Fred was a huge supporter—she gave me so much information, and helped me prepare for interviews with a specific eye for the kinds of positions I was applying for. I also used the CDO database to construct a list of firms to target, and ultimately to research salaries and learn how competitive my job offer was.
And when I was cold-calling employees at different firms, SOM alums always got back to me. They might not have been able to get me an offer right away, but they helped so much with information and connections to other people.
Learn more about the Yale SOM Finance Club and visit our finance information hub.
What advice would you give to current students recruiting in investment management?
Take your courses seriously! When I was interviewing, some questions were exactly the same as my final exams.
Help each other out. When I was recruiting, my peers helped me gather information, and I did the same. For example, another student let me know about a quantitative investing pitch competition; we joined it together, and we both got to network through the event.
Finally, work hard until it works. If you’re not doing consulting or investment banking, recruiting can feel very lonely. Students should believe in themselves and keep applying until it goes well.
