Week 3 blog.

Finance and business in general is a very broad field of study. There are so many business journals out there and they tend to talk about similar current event or issue in hand. I was able to pick out a couple. These discussions were popular at my hedge fund that I work in and I was able to locate articles that support them. Here they are.
                                                                                         

Technology promises a better informed society, but information must flow freely
This article discusses the new trend in all businesses. New generation of technology such as computers, laptops, smartphones and tablets continues to have a great impact on overall operations of a business. In fact, this is only going to get faster and better. I would like to dig deeper into how fast the digital age has taken over our generation and what to look out for next. I would love to find out the new trend or the next big thing that will be upon us in the 3rd and 4th quarter of this fiscal year.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/economy/technology-offers-promise-of-a-better-informed-society-but-information-must-flow-freely/article7727789/ 
                                                                                       

Kyle Bass: Japanese Yen Versus Dollar Will Hit 200 To One Ratio

This issue has been talk about pretty heavily in the last couple of weeks. As I deal with currency swaps and foreign currency exchange rates at my hedge fund, this issue seems very relevant and appropriate to discuss about. The Japanese Yen has been declining in value significantly. Currently it's less than 90 to the dollar. If the Japanese Yen does collapse, it will have a major impact to the nation. Both economically and emotionally because Japan has never faced such a destruction in their economy. I think it will also have a great impact in the global markets since Japan is a very global marketplace. It will be interesting to see how this entails and I would love to be heads up on what happens. This class will definately help me be ahead on this matter.

http://www.valuewalk.com/2013/01/kyle-bass-japanese-yen-versus-dollar-will-hit-200-to-one-ratio/

Week 2 blog.

Alexandra Samuel, who wrote this article on Harvard Business Review, sounded like she was amazed by the fact that people will still walk in a business meeting with a paper notebook in their hands. "A paper notebook!" she says with a exclamation point. I personally was struck by her statement because I remembered myself walking into my morning meeting with a paper notebook and a pen in my hand. In her blog post called, "Dear Colleague, Put the Notebook Down", she stresses the importance of creating or writing notes in digital form. When I went to my daily meeting this morning, I carried with me a think notebook that I have which has all the notes that I took from my meetings and my training from day one. Sometimes, I have a hard time reading my own hand writing but I often benefit from the context of the notes that I have written in that notebook. However, Alexandra explains that transcribing the hand written notes from every meeting will take to long and it will essentially lessen productivity of one's working time. In this perspective she is right, I often have a hard time trying to look for certain notes that I took on a prior day and I spend several hours a week looking for things. If I were to archive all those notes digitally, I would have been easier off finding those notes, either by a look up function or by key words from the context of the notes. However, in some cases, hand written notes can be more convenient. I work in a hedge fund, thus there several tasks that require me to do calculations or reconciliations. For occasions like this, I found it more helpful to get a scrap piece of paper to quickly write notes or reminders for myself, or make a quick calculation. The scrap paper can be easier discarded once the task on hand is done. Thus, if the notes or writing is not needed to be referred to in a future date or if it's temporary, I feel that a hand written note is more appropriate. I feel like though that Alexandra is talking to this generation as a whole that it's time to slowly get rid of all the papers and pens, and transition into a technologically savvy generation, where everything is mobile and electronically stored. Thus, I felt that she was speaking to the community and the outsiders at the same time. I think she did a very good job doing that. She often sounded like she was bragging about all the mobile devices she has and uses. But she did sound like she knew what she was talking about and I was awfully persuaded by her recommendations.
Because this article was is a blog format, it was more casual and flexible in terms of how she approached her audience. And, she was very consistent in her style of writing through out her post.
Here is it, take a look yourself: http://blogs.hbr.org/samuel/2013/01/dear-colleague-put-the-noteboo.html 

Week 1 blog.

Hi,

My name is Young Choi. I am a middler. I am a finance and accounting major with a music minor, I know it's a funny combination. I am from Tenafly, NJ which is 25 minute drive from Manhattan. Currently I am on my second co-op. I actually started working 3 days ago, so I am still getting the gist of things. I work for Highfields Capital, which in on the top floor of The Hankock Tower so the view from my office is unreal. I am a operations associate for the portfolio management team and the last 3 days that I was there, I absolutely loved it. I love the people, the work, office, indoor gym, free lunch, free coffee and etc. Yea, I know. I sound like I really like my co-op and yes I do love it!
 

This is me going to work!
Another day another dollar!

  

In the future, I want to involve myself more in the finance world. Right now I work at a hedge fund so the tasks that are done are very challenging and demanding. But love training for it and learning about it. Thus, in my future career, I want to continue this career path that I have started. I would love to work for a financial fund in New York City and my co-op experience will equip me to be more qualified to get chosen to work for a good firm. I am awfully excited for my future endeavors!