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Yes, I received a CS degree. In the past 15 years I read a lot, analyzed companies/special situations, and created financial models in order to invest my savin

Yes, I received a CS degree. In the past 15 years I read a lot, analyzed companies/special situations, and created financial models in order to invest my savings. Plus I learned a few languages, primarily for reading purposes. And I've been active in a depression/suicide channel, trying to "help" people.

beforeolives 6y ago
So you haven't held a full-time job for around 20 years (since you got fired during the dotcom bubble burst)?
- backtoswdev15 6y ago
  Yes, I never held a traditional full-time job during this time.
  - wrycoder 6y ago
    Congratulations!! Don’t change that.
junippor 6y ago
> analyzed companies/special situations, and created financial models in order to invest my savings You say you "analyzed" and "created financial models". But did you actually put money into it? And if so, did you make money?
- backtoswdev15 6y ago
  Yes, I made my investment decisions based on that work, though not from the beginning. My first "investments" were of the kind: ah, stock XY dropped by 50% in a day, it must be cheap now. I made some money, otherwise my savings wouldn't have lasted so long. But I failed to make enough to make it sustainable.
  - junippor 6y ago
    That's reasonably impressive.
blablabla123 6y ago
Maybe you can frame that as "self-employed day trader" or something. Actually this is really remarkable to be able to do that for 15 years. Most people who try that fail far earlier or don't even start. How did you create the financial models? Pen & paper/Excel/Scripts/...? With the help channel it might be possible put it in the CV under social engagement, like "Online Crisis hotline".
- Bedon292 6y ago
  Definitely this. The fact that you have managed to keep yourself going investing for 15 years is impressive. Put some of what you did on the resume / CV and it will be much less empty. What types of models? Did you you data analysis? Those are things that might get you into a Data Science role of some sort somewhere. Something like Kaggle might be a good way to hone some of those skills and make it to someone's radar.
  - backtoswdev15 6y ago
    As I mentioned in another comment, a frugal lifestyle also played an important role. I create models of income statements, it's nothing fancy. And no, I don't use data analysis.
- backtoswdev15 6y ago
  I use "self-employed portfolio manager" in my CV. There was a lot of luck involved that allowed me to do it for so long, and a frugal lifestyle also played an important role. I have no car and I live in a ~16sqm "tiny home", so there is not much space to have stuff and the rent is low. I create the financial models with Google sheets.
  - blablabla123 6y ago
    Ah ok, I could imagine "self-employed day-trader" or "self-employed trader" to be more catchy/on point. But this is of course your decision what you see fits better. Yeah but still, in many places, Berlin for instance it's quite normal for people to not have a car and exception to have one. I guess the modeling part proves that you are really good at that. So far I met 10 people (including myself) who at some point planned to do (day) trading for a living. Most never left the conceptual/preparation phase, a friend of mine started, lost some money and halted it. Of them I know 2 people who did this for a longer time (years).

beforeolives 6y ago

So you haven't held a full-time job for around 20 years (since you got fired during the dotcom bubble burst)?

backtoswdev15 6y ago
Yes, I never held a traditional full-time job during this time.
- wrycoder 6y ago
  Congratulations!! Don’t change that.

junippor 6y ago

> analyzed companies/special situations, and created financial models in order to invest my savings You say you "analyzed" and "created financial models". But did you actually put money into it? And if so, did you make money?

backtoswdev15 6y ago
Yes, I made my investment decisions based on that work, though not from the beginning. My first "investments" were of the kind: ah, stock XY dropped by 50% in a day, it must be cheap now. I made some money, otherwise my savings wouldn't have lasted so long. But I failed to make enough to make it sustainable.
- junippor 6y ago
  That's reasonably impressive.

blablabla123 6y ago

Maybe you can frame that as "self-employed day trader" or something. Actually this is really remarkable to be able to do that for 15 years. Most people who try that fail far earlier or don't even start. How did you create the financial models? Pen & paper/Excel/Scripts/...? With the help channel it might be possible put it in the CV under social engagement, like "Online Crisis hotline".

Bedon292 6y ago
Definitely this. The fact that you have managed to keep yourself going investing for 15 years is impressive. Put some of what you did on the resume / CV and it will be much less empty. What types of models? Did you you data analysis? Those are things that might get you into a Data Science role of some sort somewhere. Something like Kaggle might be a good way to hone some of those skills and make it to someone's radar.
- backtoswdev15 6y ago
  As I mentioned in another comment, a frugal lifestyle also played an important role. I create models of income statements, it's nothing fancy. And no, I don't use data analysis.
backtoswdev15 6y ago
I use "self-employed portfolio manager" in my CV. There was a lot of luck involved that allowed me to do it for so long, and a frugal lifestyle also played an important role. I have no car and I live in a ~16sqm "tiny home", so there is not much space to have stuff and the rent is low. I create the financial models with Google sheets.
- blablabla123 6y ago
  Ah ok, I could imagine "self-employed day-trader" or "self-employed trader" to be more catchy/on point. But this is of course your decision what you see fits better. Yeah but still, in many places, Berlin for instance it's quite normal for people to not have a car and exception to have one. I guess the modeling part proves that you are really good at that. So far I met 10 people (including myself) who at some point planned to do (day) trading for a living. Most never left the conceptual/preparation phase, a friend of mine started, lost some money and halted it. Of them I know 2 people who did this for a longer time (years).