The Job Hunt

      For any student just receiving their degree in Finance, finding a job can seem like a struggle. In the current state of our economy employers are looking for candidates with experience and knowledge of the field outside of the classroom. That is why it's very important to make sure and intern at a company in the field you'd like to work in as a professional. By working as an intern you will learn more about the field and what this career will take to become successful. It will also help clear the fog on what you actually may want to do in the field as well. Interning will broaden your horizon of knowledge in the way you need to communicate with others, this is very important in the finance field because if a client thinks that you are saying something negatively or rub them the wrong way it can lead straight to a dead deal.
      Its also very important to have a fresh and up to date resume. Your resume should be professional and ascetically pleasing. Make sure to read over and edit your resume to steer clear of any typos or mistakes. Something else I learned is that your resume shouldn't be longer than one page. I know this because a was talking to a recruiter about how resumes and she told me when she is sorting through potentials, anyone who has a resume longer than one page she immediately tosses. Also stick to the main points do not over explain anything, just keep it short and sweet. Since I am a student I do not have an experience yet in the field. Therefor, instead of a work experience field I can create a related course work field. In this area I can explain any relevant course work I have taken in college to establish myself as a knowledgeable candidate. Another cool tip the recruiter gave me was to use key words that they are looking for in their potential employees. So if the employer is looking for a punctual  employee, you can go to Thesaurus.com type in punctual in the search box and it will come up with a number of similar words. I usually choose the word that stands out and relates to myself so I could use the word "prompt" in my resume. another way to make the resume ascetically pleasing is using a good template. The template should be clutter free, easy to read and have a good flow of information. A good place my teacher told me to find cool templates is on Pinterest.com. Its supper simple to make an account and after you do so just type "resume" in the search bar and it shall give you an abundance of templates to look through and use.
      Checking out the school employment center, ad's on Craigslist.com and making a profile on Linkedin.com are all great places to look for potential jobs. A recent article I read said Linkedin.com has over 160 million members worldwide! They are also have said to be growing at a rate of 2 per second, which makes it one of the fastest growing online place to meet people. The great thing about Linkedin is that it basically gives you an idea of the person before you even meet them and it can connect you to professionals worldwide. It is also very simple to use as well, all you need to do is create an account and then upload your resume. Super simple! And you are connected to tons of other professionals worldwide who can view your profile and maybe even offer you a job!
       Who you know is a significant factor in the job search as well. Think about who you know that can help you professionally. "Sixty to 90 percent of jobs are found informally- mainly through friends, relatives, and direct contacts. The U.S. Deparment of Labor reports that 63.4 percent of all workers use informal job finding methods," (CareerPlaybook). Networking is very important in the hunt for your dream job as well. "Current employees are among the best sources of referrals. Many firms reported 40 to 50 percent of their openings are filled by candidates referred to by staff members," (CareerPlaybook).  So think really hard you can help you get further in your career and start your networking there.