Bank On That Job

No industry has been hit harder during these rough economic times than the finance sector. We've witnessed significant loss in banking jobs from all over the globe.

It would be entirely fair to say that the job seekers market for the banking and finance industry just got a whole lot narrower. Not to say of course that there are not jobs out there, of course there are, but many large firms have a recruitment freeze in place, with some roles being displaced,. Job seekers now have to compete with a smaller job pool and internal candidates also.

With everything a little tougher for those seeking a new role in banking and finance or a step up the career ladder, it pays to be a little more vigilant with that resume and interview preparation.

Preparation really is the key for this industry that thrives on experience and compliant vigilance. Your expert qualifications may speak for themselves, but your personal demeanour will play a big part in your success at this level, where man management skills are a must.

PROOF OF THE PUDDING

When professional qualifications are necessary for particular roles, people will lie about their achievements in order to gain an interview with the belief that personality alone will over ride formal requirements. This would include your adviser status and details of when you achieved it, dates, printouts and even certificates to back up that resume. A large financial institution will not implement any job offer without this proof, so save time, and look efficient too!

‘IT WAS THIS BIG’ – HONEST

Sales figures and success stories are valuable things to have, especially in this climate. Again, you will need to demonstrate your achieved targets and figures to the interviewers. Collate your own file of testimonials, references, attendance at key conferences etc and make a summary to keep at the front of the file. Blow your own trumpet, and don’t feel bad about it.

FRIENDLY NOT FIERCE

You might have aspired to this job since you left college, or it might be your 10th interview this month. If so, you know better than to show the latter. There is no bigger turn off to an interview than the knowledge that the interviewee is on a job search treadmill and has neither real knowledge nor interest in your firm. Do your research, quote recent news or key statistics, ideally industry related rather than facts from the company website you can quote verbatim.

DO YOUR HOMEWORK

You might have aspired to this job since you left college, or it might be your 10th interview this month. If so, you know better than to show the latter. There is no bigger turn off to an interview than the knowledge that the interviewee is on a job search treadmill and has neither real knowledge nor interest in your firm. Do your research, quote recent news or key statistics, ideally industry related rather than facts from the company website you can quote verbatim.

It might seem patronising to wish you luck with your executive job search, but it may also be a while since you’ve actually been in the interview arena – don’t worry – you’ll ace it.