Practical Hacks To Land An Investment Banking Job
Here’s the thing, landing a job is rarely an easy task. Since there are a lot of parameters that impact your chances, it can oftentimes seem like you don’t know where you should even begin. Don’t worry too much though. Even those that are the most successful in investment banking have been in your shoes before. Instead of worrying – plan, do your research. And clicking on this article is a good way to start.
Now, luckily for you, a lot of people have experience with finding an investment banking job. From their experience, we can draw conclusions on various patterns. What works, what doesn’t, how to tweak your skillset to land a job, those things. Also, the places and events that you should visit to boost your chances.
Before we start, you should know that it can safely be said that no one answer fits everyone’s situation here. Every job landing story is different. But, having that in mind, there are some things that you can do to boost your chances. Here, we will talk about those exact things to help you land an investment banking job.
Never overlook the power of networking
When it comes to finding a job in any branch out there, few things are as important as your network. This is especially true for investment banking, as it is one of the most effective ways for you to ensure that you will get your first job. Why so? Well, simply put, all the large investment banks are oversaturated with new resumes at almost all times.
So, if you are starting from scratch and have no one of relevance looking at your resume, there are several issues with your situation. First, you need to have in mind that big investment banks receive more than ten thousand resumes every year. Secondly, the lack of face-to-face interaction when you first apply makes it easy to get lost in a crowd. The most prominent points where this affects your chances are all the resume scanning programs and the HR department. Most resumes get discarded even before anyone relevant even looks at them.
So, how does this tie in with networking? Well, as this step-by-step guide on how to become an investment banker explains, it all boils down to having someone that can push your resume and influence whether you’ll be hired. This is why you must start working on your connections as soon as possible. Internships are a great way to start, as well as volunteer work. LinkedIn is a must as well. In general, what you need to do is to take every possible opportunity to meet someone relevant. Now, this doesn’t mean that you need to ensure that someone hires you from the get-go. But when it comes to landing an investment banking job, just having someone to ensure that your resume isn’t overlooked is a big deal.
Work on your resume
Okay, all of us know that resumes are important. The thing is, your resume needs work both on-site and off-site. This means that it’s not only important that you have relevant business experience and a good background in general. How you present all these parameters is, especially in the stage of selection, even more important. As we’ve mentioned already, the probability is low that someone will spend a lot of time deciphering your experiences.
This means that you need to present yourself in the best way possible. There are a lot of things that go into creating a perfect resume. Be concise, be aware of how you’re placing certain variables in your resume. Think chronologically. Don’t make your resume just a list of what you’ve done. Making a resume that’s oversaturated and chaotic is something that happens more than you think. Prioritize relevant experiences, and present them in a way that’s relevant to the position you’re applying for.
The email with your application is more important than you think
The major problem with people not being able to get noticed by the company lies in general statements. This is why you need to make sure that you show that you’re a good candidate right from the get-go.
You probably aren’t aware that a lot of bankers strictly filter who they respond to. The reason for this is that they get a ton of the same emails over and over. Boring and repetitive emails are something that you must avoid. So, write your email in such a way that you give them the reason to respond. In this aspect, your email is as important as the actual application. Make sure that the person reading can see how serious you are about landing this job. This is what makes candidates stand out from the crowd.
Applied for a job and got a response? Here’s what you should do
So, you have gotten a response after applying for a job? That’s great, and the probability of you landing the job is already way higher than when you first applied. That being said, there’s still a lot of work to do and things to think about. Having all that in mind, let’s talk about how you should prepare for your interview.
Show that you know what you’re getting yourself into
You must prove that you have either working experience or extensive knowledge. It would be best if you could show both. The point here is, it’s not only important to have these – you must be able to show it. So, don’t be afraid to mention your previous experiences when a relevant topic comes up. The same goes for your knowledge on a certain topic.
Make sure that you understand the company in question
You must do your research on the company in question. This will help you understand what you need to emphasize to show that you’re the candidate they’re looking for. The only way for you to approach this is by understanding the vision of the company. So, go on their website, read about their policies, strategies, and goals, Make sure that you know their important achievements as well.
If you do all this, you can easily incorporate the company’s vision into your answers to the interviewers’ questions. And that’s the goal here. Making sure that your experiences, education, and goals are aligned with what the company is looking for.
In the end, it all boils down to vigilance, research, and understanding where to look. After reading this article, you have learned more about each of those aspects. Don’t let yourself get discouraged if you don’t get to land a job for a while. Even though some people get lucky, these things take time. Keep pushing, apply the things that we’ve been talking about, and you’ll get there. Good luck!
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