Another eFinancialCareers reader has bravely put forward their CV for some (constructive) criticism in a bid to enhance their job-hunting potential. Below is their profile (with all personal details removed) and little about their search for new employment so far. Can you offer some tips about where they may have been going wrong and what, exactly, can be improved about their CV?

“I’ve been looking for a job for almost a year. I have been applying to VP level jobs in private equity or asset management in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Qatar, etc. I’ve targeted PE firms, SWFs, money managers and although I have some relevant financial experience from within the region – going back 4-5 years ago – one of the objections has been that I have not experienced first hand the recent boom in the industry in the region, nor have any known regional or blockbuster names on my deal sheet or much buy side track record. I have also moved around quite a bit during my career thus far, but nevertheless, gained tremendous exposure from the various roles I was involved in.”

PERSONAL STATEMENT

Investment professional with a diverse international exposure and experience in financial markets, private equity, corporate finance, economics and advisory services.

· + 11 years experience in private equity, project finance, consulting and capital markets

· Ability to lead and motivate a highly qualified team of professionals and advisors and capable of managing multiple projects simultaneously in deadline driven and result oriented environments

· Existing relationships with industry professionals, UHNWI, auditors, lawyers, placement agents and executives in Toronto (Canada), UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Jordan and Europe

· BSc. Accounting/Finance (’97 Canisius College, Buffalo, NY), CPA, CFA, FRM, MBA – Energy (oil, gas, electricity, emissions trading) and Economics (’07 HEC Montréal – Montréal, Quebec), Canadian Securities Course and Energy Markets Risk Management (CSI)

· Canadian/Jordanian and Bilingual (Arabic and English)

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Manager – Investment Banking – Investment Company – Amman

2009

· Spearheading the Investment Banking department, executed the strategy and developed and built the investment banking team

· Focused on the origination and execution of deals, managed a team of bankers/ MBAs/ CFAs on engagements ranging from valuations, capital raisings, M&A advisory, restructuring, private placements and sell-side advisory services in a variety of industries

· Oversaw the HR, budgetary, training and IT delivery aspects of activities including Research related to IB department activities

· Facilitated the promotion of a book of distressed assets, proposals and drafting agreements

Private Equity Portfolio Analyst – Finance – Healthcare focused investment firm – Toronto

2007 – 2008

· Reporting to the VP Finance and CEO, developed a simulated portfolio for a pharmaceutical royalty monetization fund

· Supported the management fee calculation, structural and legal decision making of the US$ 1.4B follow-up pharmaceutical RMF II fundraising effort

· Contributed to fund formation, tax rulings, legal structure set-up, coordination with underwriting agents, drafting the PPM and stress testing projected performance (IRR, NPV, PB) under varying hurdle, carry & claw back scenarios

· Conducted individual royalty asset and portfolio MTM valuations, warehouse and term loan facility cash flow stress testing, GP/LP performance analysis and investment return attribution

· Responsible for the asset and management company fiscal budgetary processes. Assisted in planning the operations and financial management reporting for USD 800M (committed capital)

Senior Consultant – Independent Contractor – Toronto

2005 – 2006

· Boutique securities company – Improved the daily regulatory capital calculation monitoring process, contributed to significant reduction in the reporting times and made improvements by automating the process

· International bank, Canadian division – Tested interest rate hedges for effectiveness in accordance with accounting requirements using complex models. Conducted swap and other fixed income securities valuations for impairment testing

· Regional retail bank – Documented financial process and procedures and provided recommendations to streamline the technical service agreements approval/cross-border recovery within the Technology & Solutions LOB

Senior Consultant – Investment Banking – Boutique investment bank – Dubai

2002 – 2005

· Strategic advisory – Advised on alternatives for mega projects. Sectors included district cooling, real estate and financial exchanges

· Project finance – Produced bank documentation for refinancing proposals

· Private equity – Conducted due diligence as an intermediary to transactions on behalf of buyers and sellers and managed drafting of PPMs and term sheets. Involved in deal negotiations, structuring and closing

· Project management – Successfully won a USD 1B 25-year Build Operate Transfer bid effort involving 40 reports for the privatization and modernization of Kuwait’s custom facilities

Investment Advisor – Asset Management & Private Banking – Large regional bank – Dubai
2000-2002

· Sales: Promoted in-house & third party private banking investment products including hedge funds, IPOs, structured notes and tailor-made portfolios

· Product development: Evaluated exotic capital guaranteed equity-linked derivative products and funds of hedge funds and recommended products for development based on client risk appetites

· Portfolio management: Co-managed a discretionary portfolio of USD 30M for an UHNWI

Auditor – Assurance & Business Advisory – Big Four accountancy firm – Dubai

1998 – 2000

· Participated in numerous engagements including statutory audits, fraud investigations, ethical and compliance audits, due diligence work and agreed upon procedures

Please feel free to comment on this candidate’s credentials below, or if you’d like to submit your CV for public scrutiny, e-mail: editor_gulf@efinancialcareers.com. Alternatively, if you’d like to get in touch with the owner of this resume about potential job opportunities, e-mail: nick19751975@yahoo.com.