Tips to Kickstart your Finance Career after University

Entering the finance industry might be a bit daunting, especially if you studied something a little different at university. Switching from Engineering to Finance? Transitioning into the world of Investment Banking from Biosciences? If you are fascinated by the world of corporate finance or curious about wealth management, a job in finance can be rewarding, diverse, and, best of all, it yields progression.

It’s easy to be overwhelmed by where to start, but a survey from the New College of Humanities found only 50% of students follow their degree career field. By adopting a positive mindset, honing your skills, and some extra finance learning on the side, you can create a path to kickstart your career in finance. To help you on your way, we have compiled our best tips to increase your success chance of landing a finance career.

Network, network, network

You can never build enough connections and it’s crucial for any industry, especially finance. My number one piece of advice is to start building your LinkedIn. Attending industry events, connecting with alumni and other professionals, and following professional organisations will also be a great base for building a finance career. Building relationships with those in the career field can offer future career opportunities, plus extra insight into the finance industry. It’s a win-win!

Build your skillset into your application

Applying to a finance graduate job? Many finance roles require strong analytical and problem-solving skills. You may find that many companies are not concerned by your degree discipline, however, look at how you use soft and hard skills from your degree. Did you lead a team project or collect data to analyse? How did you work around an issue or meet challenging deadlines? If you picked up a part-time role during your job search, note how this improves your communication or offers mentoring opportunities. When working on your goals and developing your CV, aim to highlight these achievements to display your attributes. Plus, make sure any application is tailored for a finance career.

Gain finance experience

You don’t need an MBA to land a finance job. An internship or work shadowing is the perfect way to find out whether an industry is right for you. Besides, employers are looking for passionate candidates and there is no better way than work experience, offering exposure to the market and paving the way into an entry-level finance job. Considering pursuing extra education? Professional certification is the perfect way to gain extra knowledge and enhance your current expertise, whilst highlighting your commitment to professional development.

Follow industry trends

Keeping up to date with the industry is essential when entering the field of finance interviews. The latest industry news can be seen in publications such as the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and Bloomberg Businessweek. Having awareness about current topics and the broader industry landscape makes you stand out as an impressive candidate and will give you the confidence to speak about industry-specific topics. Pick up a subscription to The Economist or even better, follow the LBA LinkedIn to see the weekly roundups of key headlines.

Join the London Banking Academy

Designed with you in mind, the London Banking Academy focuses on giving people the opportunity to enter the financial services industry, no matter their prior experiences. With the goals of broadening horizons and world-class training in Capital Markets, the LBA course focuses on ensuring individuals have the knowledge required to tackle those interviews and launch their financial careers. Plus, it is certified with CISI and CPD accreditation, proving you have the right skills for any potential employer.

Start your journey today

BECKY HART, ANALYST