Introduction

Hi Everyone! My name is Danielle and I have been working as a fundamental research analyst for the past 5 years. But taking a step back, I grew up in South Korea, attended boarding school in the UK, and ultimately graduated from Princeton University with a Bachelor’s in Economics in 2019. During my free time, I enjoy visiting new art galleries, traveling, and Pilates.

To be frank, when I first started Princeton, I did not foresee myself being an equity research analyst – I loved solving math problems, so I always aspired to go into academia doing mathematical research. However, after exploring various career paths in consulting, investment banking, and private equity, I realized my passion lay in public markets. I started my full-time career at Lord Abbett as a generalist equity analyst covering various sectors, including software, internet, consumer, industrials and healthcare sectors. During my four years there, I learned to develop financial models, analyze alternative data sets, and enhance investment theses using predictive modeling and machine learning tools. My diverse sector coverage as well as the experience of working with multiple portfolio managers allowed me to develop skills to think flexibly and pitch ideas across multiple investment mandates.

I later joined Honeycomb Asset Management, a long/short equity hedge fund, as I realized I love technology investing. My role involved conducting deep fundamental research, attending industry conferences, generating organic ideas with a focus on the transformative AI investment theme. Then this fall, I joined Analog Century Management as an analyst covering semiconductors and hardware. In my current role and throughout my career, my day-to-day involves a mix of deep-dive company research, financial modeling, and collaborating closely with portfolio managers to generate actionable insights.

I love public investing and especially technology investing, because it allows me to constantly learn about new ideas and innovations. The process of uncovering unique insights and ideas that others may have overlooked is endlessly exciting and intellectually rewarding. To me, the market feels like solving a hard math problem and watching a high-stakes sports game at the same time—alive, dynamic, and unpredictable. The market movements, driven by sentiment, fundamentals, and macroeconomics, create an ever-evolving puzzle to solve. I’m drawn to the market's cyclical nature, where the best opportunities often arise when everyone else is in despair, and its peaks serve as a humbling reminder to stay disciplined and grounded. This combination of learning, creativity, and resilience makes public investing not just a career but a way of life for me.

Finance Fellow

career options

The public investing industry is broadly divided into buy-side and sell-side roles, with both paths offering rewarding opportunities for those passionate about analyzing markets and companies. The industry often operates within a flat organizational structure, where analysts and portfolio managers work as a group, sharing insights, research, and ideas to identify attractive investments and achieve strong performance outcomes

1
Sell side research analyst
2
Mutual Fund Equity analyst
3
L/S Equity analyst
4
Portfolio manager
5
6

Finance Fellow

 skills

What are the main hard skills you use on a daily basis in your current job?

1
Financial analysis

Financial analysis involves assessing a company's financial statements, creating models, and performing ratio analysis to evaluate performance, profitability, and risks. I use this skill to build detailed financial models, forecast earnings, and analyze key financial metrics. I developed this skill through coursework in financial accounting, corporate finance, and hands-on experience during internships and full-time roles.

2
Microsoft Excel and Power point

Excel is essential for building financial models, analyzing large data sets, and performing sensitivity analysis, while PowerPoint is used to present findings, investment theses, and recommendations. I use Excel daily for financial modeling and valuation work, while PowerPoint is critical for preparing presentations to communicate insights to portfolio managers and team members.

3
Fundamental business analysis

This skill involves evaluating a company’s business model, competitive advantages, industry positioning, and management quality to understand long-term growth potential and risks. I use fundamental analysis when conducting stock pitches, especially when I start to get to know about new businesses.

4
Bloomberg

Bloomberg is a vital tool for accessing real-time financial data, company filings, and market insights. It is essential for monitoring news, building comparables, and analyzing market trends. I became familiar with Bloomberg during my early roles as an analyst through hands-on training and practice, learning to use its key functions (e.g., FA and MODL for financial analysis, DS RES and CN for research and news, and COMPS for peer comparisons).

5

What are the main soft skills you use on a daily basis in your current job?

1
Intellectual honesty

Investors must evaluate new information daily, and objectively assess their investment theses even when the data challenges their views. Intellectual honesty allows investors to recognize when they are wrong, cut losses early, and reallocate capital to better opportunities.

2
Perseverance

Public markets can be stressful, given they are inherently uncertain and subject to short-term volatility. Perseverance helps investors weather drawdowns, maintain conviction in well-researched positions, and continually refine their approach.


3
Communication

Effective communication in a timely manner is critical for gaining buy-in on investment ideas. Analysts must distill detailed research into actionable insights and convey the rationale behind their recommendations to their portfolio managers in a compelling, concise manner. Strong communication also helps foster collaboration and build credibility within investment teams.

4
Time management

Public market investing requires handling multiple responsibilities—researching companies, monitoring earnings, reacting to breaking news, and updating financial models—often simultaneously. Effective time management ensures analysts focus on critical opportunities and deliver timely insights, enabling swift decision-making in fast-moving markets.

5
Networking

Networking enhances an investor’s ability to source unique investment ideas and understand industry trends better. Strong relationships with management teams, industry experts, and buyside contacts can provide critical context around a company’s operations, strategic priorities, and competitive positioning, which is invaluable for investment analysis.

Danielle

’s personal path

Tell us about your personal journey in

Finance Fellow

:

I always felt I was behind others when I first started. When I first joined high school in the UK, I barely spoke any English, and I still remember how my college consultants told me I wouldn’t have much of a chance to get into an Ivy League school or Oxford/Cambridge. Years later, I found myself at Princeton University, but the challenges didn’t stop there. When I was looking for a job in college, most firms didn’t even bother to interview me because public market roles directly out of undergrad were rare, and the fact that I did not have permanent work authorization made the process even more difficult. I knew I had to take a different approach to stand out. I spent countless hours cold-calling firms, sending follow-up emails that often went unanswered. To demonstrate my passion for investing, I built detailed stock pitch decks and analyzed companies to prove I could think like an analyst. Not being a naturally eloquent speaker, I practiced interviews relentlessly—whether with friends or in front of a mirror—until I felt confident. I repeated this same process years later when breaking into the hedge fund industry, pushing through the challenges with persistence and preparation.

Throughout my career, Covid and my personal problems have further exacerbated the hardships. Both mentally and physically challenged, there are countless times where I just wanted to give up. However, ultimately I found myself the right opportunities as I persevered through and realized that’s what makes my everyday job more meaningful.

What would you tell your younger you regarding building your current career?

I’d tell my younger self to remember that your career is a two-way street. While it’s important to deliver value to your employer, it’s just as critical to evaluate what they can offer you in terms of career development and opportunities. Instead of sitting back and waiting for the perfect project, the best team, or the ideal role, actively put yourself in situations that stretch your skills and knowledge. When you take control of your career path and demand challenges that align with your long-term goals, you increase the likelihood of being in the right place at the right time.

Final thoughts & tips

One of the most important lessons I’ve learned is that career paths are rarely linear. Early on at Lord Abbett, I was frustrated that I had to cover so many different sectors instead of focusing solely on technology stocks, which was my true passion. At the time, it felt like a distraction, but in hindsight, it became one of my greatest strengths. Having exposure to such a broad range of industries taught me to quickly analyze any type of business—an ability that many sector specialists struggle to develop. What initially seemed like a setback ended up giving me a critical edge in my investing career.

I’ve also had my fair share of rejections. There were funds I desperately wanted to join but didn’t even get interviews for, and some of those firms eventually went out of business. Looking back, I realize I was better off not having joined them. These experiences taught me that as long as you give your best in every moment, things often work out in ways you never expected. What feels like bad luck in the moment can sometimes turn into better luck in hindsight.

The key is to embrace challenges and stay resilient. It’s okay to stumble or fall, as every obstacle—whether you overcome it or not—will help you grow, not just as a professional but as a stronger, more resilient person. Keep pushing forward, stay curious, and seize every opportunity to learn. You might not see the results immediately, but over time, your perseverance will shape a career that is uniquely yours.

Resources to dig in more

Market Wizards, Updated: Interviews with top traders

This is one of my favorite investing books that is easy to follow. This resource is highly valuable for anyone looking to deepen their understanding of what drives success in investing and trading, making it a must-read for aspiring public market investors. Through a series of in-depth interviews, Schwager explores the strategies and principles that have enabled these traders to achieve extraordinary success. Each chapter provides unique insights into how these individuals approach risk management, decision-making, and market dynamics.

Wall Street Oasis financial courses

Wall Street Oasis (WSO) offers a comprehensive suite of financial courses, covering essential topics such as financial modeling, valuation techniques, accounting fundamentals, Excel proficiency, and advanced concepts like M&A, private equity, and hedge fund strategies. These courses are known for their practical, real-world applications, providing step-by-step instruction, case studies, and exercises that help you well-equipped for job interviews.

Linkedin Learning

LinkedIn Learning offers a wide range of courses on industry technicals, if you are looking to specialize your research career in a specific sector. For example, Artificial Intelligence (AI) course at LinkedIn Learning is tailored for professionals at all levels, from beginners to advanced learners. These courses cover key AI concepts such as machine learning, deep learning, natural language processing (NLP), and neural networks, as well as practical applications of AI in industries like finance, healthcare, and technology.

Danielle Kim

Danielle Kim

Finance Fellow
DREAM Venture Labs
DREAM Venture Labs

Danielle Kim is a Build Fellow at Dream Ventures Lab, where she works with students leading projects in finance.

Danielle is an analyst at Analog Century Management, where she focuses on fundamental equity research for long short equity strategies.

Danielle has over 5 years of experience in the public equities investment field. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Princeton University.

A fun fact about Danielle is that she has travelled to more countries than provinces in my home country.  

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