If you’re looking for a job in finance, there’s certainly room for optimism these days. Hiring levels have picked up significantly over the past few years and some experts suggest they’ll get stronger still as baby boomers leave the workforce.
That’s not to say that the job market isn’t still competitive, especially for roles requiring less experience. Candidates can get a major leg up, however, when they find the right tools to use for their search.
Here are six websites that could help you land a finance job.
Key Takeaways
- The job market in the financial sector is competitive, but hiring levels are stable if you are looking for a job.
- There are many websites, including Indeed and SimplyHired, that list jobs in finance, among other fields.
- While some websites offer a wide range of jobs, there are also sites like eFinancialCareers that focus solely on job openings in various areas of the finance industry.
- The Association for Financial Professionals or AFP has a "Career Center" webpage that posts jobs for mid-level to executive positions.
eFinancialCareers
There’s something to be said for job searching on sites that focus solely on your industry. In the finance industry, one of the best is eFinancialCareers, which posts finance jobs in North America, Europe, the Middle East, and the Asia-Pacific region. Job seekers will find openings for everything from investment bankers and asset managers to business analysts and actuaries.
eFinancialCareers offers useful commentaries on the state of hiring in various niche markets and advice on managing your career.
Financial Job Bank
Another place where you can narrow your search is FinancialJobBank. More U.S.-oriented than eFinancialCareers, the site lets you explore thousands of accounting and finance jobs, from entry-level vacancies to more advanced positions. Job hunters can also let employers come to them by building an online Career Portfolio.
The site also offers a blog with lots of practical tips for landing the right job, like drafting an effective cover letter and making the most out of a job fair visit.
One of the main challenges in any job search is to become more than just another résumé. The professional networking site,LinkedIn, manages to give your search a personal dimension that most other sites simply can’t offer.
Sure, you can look up job titles that interest you.But you can also tap your network to see if you know someone who works at the company. Or, for example, you can look up the recruiter or hiring manager to see if you went to the same university. By exploiting these features of the site, you may find a connection to the company that you wouldn’t otherwise have.
It also works the other way around. Managers can look to see what other people are saying about you, evaluate your network, browse your various skills, and so on.
Indeed and SimplyHired
When it comes to browsing the greatest number of jobs in the least amount of time, it’s hard to beat Indeedand SimplyHired. Both platforms work in essentially the same way, aggregating thousands of job posts from company websites and other job boards.
Are Indeed and SimplyHired the only websites you should use? Probably not. But they are a nice safety net of sorts, catching jobs that you may have not found through more industry-specific sources.
Association for Financial Professionals
Rather than looking at massive, one-size-fits-all job sites, sometimes it helps to investigate professional organizations in your field. One of the more prominent groups in the finance world is the Association for Financial Professionals or AFP. Its "Career Center" posts primarily mid-level to executive jobs, so it can be a good way to target your search if you’re some years into your career.
Once you log in (it’s free), you can start searching for jobs or post your résumé to the site so employers around the country can find you. One of the handier functions on the site is a job alert that sends you an email when a relevant position becomes available.
How Can I Break Into Finance With No Experience?
To get into finance with no experience it is important to be knowledgeable on financial topics. Finance is a broad field; having an understanding of the overall financial markets and the specified area you're interested in is crucial. Learning the lingo of the financial industry will also help. Obtaining certificates or taking courses on financial topics will help and show some credibility; furthermore, an internship will also boost your chances of landing a job.
Is It Easy to Find a Job in Finance?
Finance is a very diverse field with many different types of jobs, so the ability to land a job in finance is high. That being said, certain jobs may be easier to obtain than others. For example, investment banking is one of the most in-demand jobs in finance as well as one of the highest paying. As such, it is a competitive field where employers hire the best so it may be a difficult job to get. Other jobs in finance that may not be as competitive and that do not pay as well, may be easier to find.
Do Finance Majors Make Good Money?
Whether or not finance majors make good money depends on the type of career path they follow. Within finance, jobs pay differently. Investment banking pays significantly higher than a middle-office risk management job, for example. When choosing a career path within finance, it's important to research what the growth and salary potentials are.
The Bottom Line
Using the right job boards for your industry can dramatically reduce the time it takes to find employment. But keep in mind that keyword searches are only one part of the equation. It’s also important to build your professional network so you can find out about the many positions that never get posted online.
