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Best places to find work in finance?

post #1 of 31
11/10/10 at 4:38pm
Thread Starter 
I'm two years out of undergrad with degree in finance. Graduated December 08, right when the economy tanked.

It's been a struggle finding work in the NYC area; Westchester, Manhattan, etc.

So I come here and ask, what are the best sites or methods to go about finding work?
Should I forget traditional job sites and just start calling up staffing agencies/headhunters?

Its pretty pathetic that I cant get a call from someone that isnt looking for a sales or financial planning position.

Thanks
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post #2 of 31
11/10/10 at 5:36pm
Just check job sites everyday. I got called today to interview for an internship/trainee program with NorthWestern Mutual one of the top 10 internship programs in the country. From what I've heard they usually hire you if you complete the program. It is mostly commission based and you make your own work, but it is a whole lot better than nothing.
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post #3 of 31
11/10/10 at 7:57pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Crazed98 View Post
Just check job sites everyday. I got called today to interview for an internship/trainee program with NorthWestern Mutual one of the top 10 internship programs in the country. From what I've heard they usually hire you if you complete the program. It is mostly commission based and you make your own work, but it is a whole lot better than nothing.
I've talked to reps from Northwestern before. It's a sales job. I don't remember exactly the details. It's either $2500/month flat or 100% unpaid or 100% commission-based. I assume it's the latter. It's not worth an internship experience but it will never be a "financial" career
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post #4 of 31
11/10/10 at 8:37pm
Thread Starter 
pretty much what i wanted to say but didnt want to be a dick.
i know my school offered internships to these sales programs, all claiming to be top internships in the country.

and norlan, do you have any suggestions for me?
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post #5 of 31
11/10/10 at 9:21pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Norlan View Post
I've talked to reps from Northwestern before. It's a sales job. I don't remember exactly the details. It's either $2500/month flat or 100% unpaid or 100% commission-based. I assume it's the latter. It's not worth an internship experience but it will never be a "financial" career
Are you sure you are thinking of the right place?

Quote:
The recognition from Bloomberg BusinessWeek is one of several recent announcements regarding Northwestern Mutual’s career opportunities.

Last week, Glassdoor.com named Northwestern Mutual the “Best Place to Work” in the insurance industry in 2010 and the 11th-best place to work in America overall.

In September, Bloomberg/BusinessWeek magazine named Northwestern Mutual one of the "Best Places to Launch a Career."

For 13 consecutive years, the Northwestern Mutual’s financial representative internship program has been ranked among America's "Top Ten Internships" by the Internship Informants in the 2009 Vault Guide to Top Internships.
It is a sales job mostly commission based from what I understood, but there are several areas within the company you can move to away from that stuff. I'm not saying it's my dream job, but it is better than nothing plus adding you went to a top ten internship program to your resume doesn't hurt.
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post #6 of 31
11/11/10 at 12:54am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Crazed98 View Post
Are you sure you are thinking of the right place?



It is a sales job mostly commission based from what I understood, but there are several areas within the company you can move to away from that stuff. I'm not saying it's my dream job, but it is better than nothing plus adding you went to a top ten internship program to your resume doesn't hurt.
Yes, I did network with the company back in Sept and read about that article. I guess I just naturally rejected it cuz' its a sales job.
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post #7 of 31
11/11/10 at 1:08am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Norlan View Post
Yes, I did network with the company back in Sept and read about that article. I guess I just naturally rejected it cuz' its a sales job.
It seems interesting, not like typical firms where you are limited to only sell the investment packages they provide. If I get it I'll let you guys now how it is.
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post #8 of 31
11/11/10 at 2:26am
Quote:
Originally Posted by MaX PL View Post
pretty much what i wanted to say but didnt want to be a dick.
i know my school offered internships to these sales programs, all claiming to be top internships in the country.

and norlan, do you have any suggestions for me?
it really depends on your situation. You say you grad in 2008, so what have you been doing in the past 2 years? im in the same boat as you, i was supposed to grad in 2008 but i stalled, i've had a financial internship but its nothing like investment banking and even when I applied to F500, companies dont even know about it cuz the firm i worked at is not that well known. I've stopped doing any more internships cuz' I really need a job now to make a living. So my suggestion to you is, if you cant find anything in finance, seek opportunities outside of finance. After all, cash is king and is what we all need. Whatever makes money is still money.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Crazed98 View Post
It seems interesting, not like typical firms where you are limited to only sell the investment packages they provide. If I get it I'll let you guys now how it is.
yea, fill us in, i mean i already could've imagined what it was gonna be like when I first spoke with the recruiter cuz' I've also encountered similar experiences when I spoke with the PWM managers from JPM and Merril Lynch, some lower tier ones include Edward Jones, Iron Stone Capital, Waddel & Reed. It wasn't a pleasant experience at all
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post #9 of 31
11/11/10 at 2:48am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Norlan View Post
it really depends on your situation. You say you grad in 2008, so what have you been doing in the past 2 years? im in the same boat as you, i was supposed to grad in 2008 but i stalled, i've had a financial internship but its nothing like investment banking and even when I applied to F500, companies dont even know about it cuz the firm i worked at is not that well known. I've stopped doing any more internships cuz' I really need a job now to make a living. So my suggestion to you is, if you cant find anything in finance, seek opportunities outside of finance. After all, cash is king and is what we all need. Whatever makes money is still money.
yeh i've been working a blue collar job for the past year. year before that i spent 6 months searching and then wasted a month at a sales job.

what really annoys me is that due to the current state of job market, i'm unable to tell if i and my credentials are the problem or if its just the market itself.
meaning, i hope the market doesnt recover and i still dont get any calls.

my plan B is to go back to school for a year and get my accounting degree. lame job but people are always hiring and its pays well.
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post #10 of 31
11/11/10 at 2:51am
Quote:
Originally Posted by MaX PL View Post
yeh i've been working a blue collar job for the past year. year before that i spent 6 months searching and then wasted a month at a sales job.

what really annoys me is that due to the current state of job market, i'm unable to tell if i and my credentials are the problem or if its just the market itself.
meaning, i hope the market doesnt recover and i still dont get any calls.

my plan B is to go back to school for a year and get my accounting degree. lame job but people are always hiring and its pays well.
btw, what kind of finance job were you looking for? can you be more specific about that?

Another good tip is to network with your school alumni, or just random profiles you can find on Linkedin. Networking can go a long way. Feel free to pm me so we can network together on Linkedin
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post #11 of 31
11/11/10 at 4:11am
Thread Starter 
my expectations coming out of school was to find an analyst position at a small firm. nothing too big, not one of the BB's, just something where i'd learn things i hadnt learned in school and be able to network. my expectations werent high since i didnt come from a top school nor had the best grades.
realistically though, i'll take anything not dealing with sales. any finance related office position that has me working in the field so that i begin to gain experience.

and as for networking with alumni, yeh its stupid that i havent done so. i contacted an alumnus that heads Aijilon staffing, which is a pretty big staffing firm i believe, yet never followed up because it was around the time i started the sales job. how F'n stupid of me...
never really spoke to any others but have seen alumni post jobs i'm unqualified for on linkedin.

i should definitely begin to fill out my profile on linkedin and get in touch with some people, including you. my school's linkedin page does not seem to have much activity which is why i never got involved there.
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post #12 of 31
11/11/10 at 4:46am
Quote:
Originally Posted by MaX PL View Post
my plan B is to go back to school for a year and get my accounting degree. lame job but people are always hiring and its pays well.
Don't bother with the degree just get your CPA. I forget the exact requirements, but they are not too much and some can be completed after you take the test.
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post #13 of 31
11/11/10 at 6:45am
norlan, since your so experienced and i dont remember, what do u do for work?
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post #14 of 31
11/12/10 at 6:34am
Quote:
Originally Posted by mjoke View Post
norlan, since your so experienced and i dont remember, what do u do for work?
I'm still struggling with breaking into the finance industry as well. I may have a lot to say but all that was through personal encounters, talking to people, and researching a lot online.
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post #15 of 31
11/12/10 at 6:41am
ya well it seems you need to know someone.

I dont have any background in finance, but my cousin said he would vouch for me at a firm, but i have to move to Switzerland
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post #16 of 31
11/12/10 at 9:10am
Quote:
Originally Posted by mjoke View Post
ya well it seems you need to know someone.

I dont have any background in finance, but my cousin said he would vouch for me at a firm, but i have to move to Switzerland
yeah, 1 is your education, 2 is network, you gotta have either one of trump cards in hand otherwise you're screwed

I'd relocate for a good finance job, what and where does your cousin work? pm me if necessary
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post #17 of 31
11/12/10 at 10:58pm
Thread Starter 
honestly, i feel like your network is even more important than education in some cases.

its why you have these investment banks who hire kids from liberal arts schools. meaning rich kids who went to these liberal schools to become "enlightened" yet when its time to find a job they run to their parents and friends in finance.

i also hate how certain jobs still require you to provide your SAT scores to be eligible. why on earth do SAT scores still matter when you just went through 4 years of school?
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post #18 of 31
11/13/10 at 12:44am
Quote:
Originally Posted by MaX PL View Post
honestly, i feel like your network is even more important than education in some cases.

its why you have these investment banks who hire kids from liberal arts schools. meaning rich kids who went to these liberal schools to become "enlightened" yet when its time to find a job they run to their parents and friends in finance.

i also hate how certain jobs still require you to provide your SAT scores to be eligible. why on earth do SAT scores still matter when you just went through 4 years of school?
yes, networking is definitely > than education in the business world, I should've re-ranked that unfortunately only a few groups of people have tha kind of killer connections

i never had to put my SAT on my resume, but I highly doubt companies ever require your score. Research more for finance resume samples on wallstreetoasis & mergerinquisition
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post #19 of 31
11/13/10 at 3:15am
Thread Starter 
oh yeh i definitely dont have my SAT score on my resume and most companies definitely dont ask for it.
ive just noticed that some hedge funds and boutique firms do request it here and there, and i thought i should mention how stupid it is.
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post #20 of 31
11/13/10 at 4:17am
Unless your were super smart(cream of the crop) in your class, your F*cked in this economy


Whats so bad about putting your SAT/ACT score down? There were pretty easy as I remember them.
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