So, I’ve been looking for a job for several months now in utter futility. I’ve got a pretty good background (top 25 undergrad in finance/MIS, top quant finance masters, passed CFA level 2, BB S&T internship, and several years of client-facing non-finance experience), but I’ve still no offers to show for it in recent months. I’ve sent out my resume well over 1000 times across the world, across the buy/sell side, and across departments, and I still can’t get shit. I’ve exhausted most of my network hearing the “hiring freeze” lines even though I’m willing to start from the absolute bottom just to get experience. In fact, I just got dinged for a middle office role at a non-BB where we spent almost the entire time just matching up my resume to the job description. I don’t claim to be an interviewing wizard, but I’ve gotten enough feedback and 2nd rounds to know that I’m not shooting myself in the foot every time I pick up the phone or walk through the door. Some people claim that they’re willing to work for free, but heck, I actually got enough money from personal investments that I’m willing to pay my employer to get some decent experience (does that even happen?). I could use some advice from any recent career switchers, cause this process is getting really discouraging and I know this gap in my resume is growing larger every day. I’m at a loss…
What exactly are you focusing on? Quant? Across departments? Across the buy/sell side? Or just anything? 1,000 resumes is a lot, are you sure there isn’t something wrong with your resume? Maybe you should post and AF can give you feedback. Nobody pays.
I’d be interested in seeing the resume, wondering where the non-finance job experience fits into the progression, etc
Non-finance experience was operations/IT consulting at a consulting firm and sales/operations as part of an e-commerce startup (~5 yrs combined). It fits as good professional experience, no gaps, no McDonalds or anything that would be outright negative. I did the masters program to get me out of that direction though. Was originally hoping for structuring at a BB (similar to my internship), but quickly broadened out to pretty much anything semi-quant or analytical related (risk management, structured finance/ABS/MBS, trading of all kinds, derivative sales, etc.), then into everything including back office stuff. I did get some interviews at first, but was met with lots of skepticism due to lack of relevant experience (and maybe age?).
Getting interviews is key. Like getting girls, you will eventually get a job. They may be skeptical, but they asked you in all the same. It’s yours to win. 1,000 sent CVs sounds like overkill. You have to figure out how to get them in front of the hiring manager, not blind shoot which is what you are doing. You’re probably using recruitment sites etc where the job might not even exist. If you know that there is a job going, ring the company and find out who the hiring manager is. Send it to his direct email address. There’s your challenge, show some initiative and you’ll get more interviews. You’ll be fine.
Have you tried recruiters?
Ok, if you want you can email me your resume (I won’t get you a job) and I can look at it and we can setup a call and I discuss interview strategy sometime next week. q.benjamin@gmail.com
ZeroBonus Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Have you tried recruiters? Is this a joke?
5 yrs of non-finance experience is a lot, your basically a career switcher with 5yrs of un-related experience. Maybe a MBA at this point.
Have you tried in third party consulting firms, they actually need people like you, these firms complete adhoc projects for IBanks (mostly BBs), many of such firms offer very good money, work and enviornment. But they are not banks, they are essientially consultants who sell third party products (like vol surfaces) to bank, or do adhoc project for them in risk management. And last but not the least, as you are trying in Quant/structuring, I assume you have VBA, SQL, MATLAB and probably Python & C++ (not required but helpful) in the skills section of your Resume.
Black Swan Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Ok, if you want you can email me your resume (I > won’t get you a job) and I can look at it and we > can setup a call and I discuss interview strategy > sometime next week. q.benjamin@gmail.com Can I piggyback on this opportunity?
Sure, can’t make any promises about effectiveness with the job search though.
BangBusDriver Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Have you tried in third party consulting firms, > they actually need people like you, these firms > complete adhoc projects for IBanks (mostly BBs), > many of such firms offer very good money, work and > enviornment. But they are not banks, they are > essientially consultants who sell third party > products (like vol surfaces) to bank, or do adhoc > project for them in risk management. > > And last but not the least, as you are trying in > Quant/structuring, I assume you have VBA, SQL, > MATLAB and probably Python & C++ (not required but > helpful) in the skills section of your Resume. Are you referring to the valuation divisions of the Big 4 Accounting firms and similar competitors? I could use some leads on those since many of those firms are small or under the radar for the most part compared to buy/sell side firms. Yes, have used and listed all those languages on the resume aside from Python (I feel like only computer science type guys ever covered that).