For those looking to advance or establish their careers, it’s important to understand how the employment process works. It’s not hard, but a lot of people overlook it, and then wonder why they can’t secure roles that they feel they’re perfectly qualified for.
The trick is to start at the beginning. The first thing that you’ll do when you see your dream finance job being advertised is to apply for it, and this means sending across a CV. Irrespective of whether you’re looking for your first big break in the City, or are already an established professional, you need to wow on paper or you’ll never get further than this first crucial stage.
This means that your CV has to stand out from the crowd, and that within two sides of A4, you’ll need to have convinced your potential employers that you’re the man (or woman) for the job. That’s why we’ve created this brief guide to help you…
Qualifications and Experience
One of the first things that employers like ETX Capital are going to be looking for is the qualifications and experience to tick their boxes, so make sure that these are included in your curriculum vitae.
At entry-level, this typically means that you need a university degree, usually a 2:1 or above, and internship or placement experience. In some cases, the latter alone will suffice, but those with both are always going to have an advantage.
Even if the experience you have is in a different field, you can use this to sell yourself. Provided that you can show transferable skills, you will still be ticking boxes, and most firms are willing to open their doors to talent whatever the guise it comes in.
As you proceed up the career ladder, employers’ requirements will become more specific and stringent, and in these instances, it’s important to look at the exact hiring criteria, and tailor your CV towards demonstrating how you fulfil these.
Soft Skills
It’s not all about the qualifications and experience you can boast, and if you don’t feel that these do a very good job of selling you, then it’s important to flesh out your CV with relevant soft skills. These will help to differentiate between you and other candidates, and could be the deciding factor when it comes to making a final decision. Indeed, they can turn a good applicant into a great one, and are often an ideal way to garner employer interest.
Here are some of the most important soft skills for you to include:
Commercial Skills
When it comes to applying for financial services positions, you need to show that you understand the job, so try to succinctly demonstrate your appreciation of the nature of the business and its aims, and your knowledge of the sector. Technical jargon is often handy in this regard, so be sure to include some in the CV that you send, as well as examples of how you have applied this learning in your previous roles.
Communication Skills
Potential employers are also going to want to see evidence of strong communicational abilities, because although you will be working alongside finance specialists, you’ll also have to engage with those who have limited financial knowledge, such as amateur investors. This requires you to be able to convey complex information in a simple and informative manner, so any evidence of having managed similar scenarios in the past should be included, even if this is call centre work, for example.
Organisational Skills
Next up, emphasise your organisational abilities. The financial services sector is fast-paced, high pressure, and stressful, and if you can’t organise yourself, you really aren’t suited to it. If, however, you can demonstrate evidence of having juggled commitments in previous roles, as well as an ability to manage your time and meet deadlines, you will appear to be a strong contender for the position.
There are many other useful skills aside from the ones above, but these offer a solid starting point for those looking to craft a CV that will stand out from the crowd.
Follow our tips today and take your future in the financial sector into your own hands.
What’s next?
Once you’ve perfected your CV, be sure to upload it to CV-Library so that employers can get in touch with you about relevant jobs!
