UK
I’m a young and ambitious MBA graduate with over eight years of wide ranging experience in financial services. Unfortunately I joined investment banking at the wrong time and have been laid off twice in less than six months.
I’m keen to pursue a long term career in capital markets, but am getting nowhere fast. In a market, where senior bankers are struggling to find jobs, how can I, with little ‘relevant’ experience, find my way? Here’s my CV. Your constructive comments/suggestions are welcome.
EXPERIENCE
Nov.08 – Jan. 09 BULGE BRACKET FIRM
Contract assignment – Commodities, Client Relationship Management team
· Managed the post-trade client relationship with select group of high risk corporate and hedge fund clients. Analyzed MTM statements and addressed queries related to underlying products.
Jul. 08 – Sep. 08 BULGE BRACKET FIRM
Generalist Associate, Capital Markets Division
Jun. 07 – Aug. 07 BULGE BRACKET FIRM
Summer Associate, Capital Markets Division
·Structuring – RMBS; Trading – Interest Rate Products and Emerging Markets Equities
Aug. 05 – Jun. 06 FAMILY BROKERAGE BUSINESS
Manager, Business Development, Mid-size stock brokerage and portfolio advisory firm
·Led a team of five people in managing the in-house brokerage business. Achieved 20% increase in brokerage revenues in three months by utilizing extensive contacts and initiative.
Jul. 05 – Dec. 05 GLOBAL CONSUMER BANK
Part-time Consultant, Internet banking
·Coordinated the preparation of the 2006 strategic business plan for Internet Banking.
·Developed a decision-making model to assess the ongoing performance of the automated lending machine business. Reviewed capex proposals ($45 million) and presented cost saving ($2 million).
May 03 – Jun. 05 GLOBAL CONSUMER BANK
Assistant Manager, Strategic Planning, Credit Cards and Internet Banking
·Developed product offerings and built financial models that contributed to the growth of internet banking (new venture: 400% revenue growth) and credit cards business.
·Evaluated competitor positioning, assessed business models, and interacted extensively with other businesses (loans, banking, insurance and investments) to prioritize e-business initiatives.
·Built financial models that predicted growth rates in cards product, charges, balances, charge off rates, revenue and profits given different rewards and loyalty programs.
·Evaluated strategic and financial feasibility of white label card alliances with local banks.
·Managed the relationship with MasterCard.
·Enhanced online spend effectiveness by 15% by providing incisive and timely analytics.
Jun. 01 – Apr. 03 BIG FOUR ACCOUNTING FIRM
Executive, Global Tax Advisory Services
·Advised clients on tax optimization strategies, represented clients before regulatory authorities.
·Evaluated tax synergies, determined appropriate capital structure and supported the merger of two leading industrial companies. Investigated asset and liability valuation issues.
Aug. 99 – Jun. 01 BIG FOUR ACCOUNTING FIRM
Intern, Assurance Advisory Services
·Analyzed financial statements and performed controls based audits for automobile industry clients.
·Conducted on-site diligence on acquisition targets in auto industry. Primary responsibilities included the valuation of private entities utilizing comparables, discounted cash flow, and transaction multitples.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
·Co-president of the business school Finance Club. Awarded scholarship under the Bulge Bracket Firm MBA Fellowship program.
·Secured 4th and 9th Rank (out of 50,000 students) in the Intermediate and Foundation Chartered Accountancy examinations, respectively. Funded education expenses by interning full-time.
·Avid quizzer, volleyball player and trekking enthusiast (climbed Mountains Manimahesh-Himalayas, Fuji and Aneto-Pyrenees).
·Worked closely with a start-up real estate financial services company (funded by PE investors, Merrill Lynch) in Hungary and recommended new product initiatives (revenue potential $50 million) catering to the Eastern European market.
EDUCATION
2006 – 2008 XXX BUSINESS SCHOOL – Master of Business Administration
1998 – 2002 CHARTERED ACCOUNTANT
1998 – 2001 BACHELOR OF COMMERCE
[Note from the editor - To hire contact this anonymous banker, please email him at anonbnkr@googlemail.com. If you would like your CV similarly scrutinised, please contact us at <a href="editor@efinancialcareers.com"editor@eFinancialCareers.com]
Dude, you hit the nail right on the head. You are coming in at the wrong time. There probably hasn’t been a worse time to break into the business….and I’ve been around 22 years. Just bite the bullet and look to do something else for now.
Anonymous, you are clearly a failure in investment banking. You should be looking to be VP in Capital Markets by now. Stick to your family brokerage business.
The only thing I can think of is that you have worked at so many places throughout your career that you cannot be labeled as one guy i.e Great 5 year experience at X or Y which is why I would be a bit apprehensive in hiring you due to the high turnover in jobs you have experienced.
You need to get rid of some experiences and make your resume fit in one page, so pick and chose what you want highlighted. so for IB’s I would remove everything else you have done barring the CA qualification.
Good Luck
I second that. Combine your experience in similar places. I wouldn’t include the short term consulting gigs either. Perhaps as a onliner down below in the CV (something like Other: consultant to firm xx …)
I’m sorry but in this market you couldn’t possibly be more unemployable. Who on earth in this environment is going to hire someone laid off twice, both after 3-month stints?? No proof whatsoever that you’re even competent for banking, when as yesterday’s eFC article shows there are ex-VPs now fighting for Associate entry level positions. Go to teaching college or law school, the reality is in this market there’s no way of you getting employed, even in a non front-office role at a lower bank – even they’re saturated.
Real, that is terrible advice. Don’t listen to him Anonymous. If you eliminate your consumer finance experience it will look like a gap on your CV where you did nothing. Bad. Very Bad. Especially in this climate. It’s fine as it is. My advice – try some specialist boutiques and trading houses as well.
Henry you are an absolute ass – im sure you just joined as an Analyst this year, go get my coffee NOW!
The only advice I can give is keep persevering, keep networking, you need to lay as many seeds as possible, and you never know what may happen.
GOOD LUCK, and a good CV.
I think you should listen to Henry. I know he sounds incredibly stupid but he isnt. I have met him and, sadly, he looks stupid too. Again dont jump to conclusions, his words have wisdom
My CV was not too different from yours when I entered the market in the last down turn early 2002. I just took a low paying job (not with a bank) but obtained further “relevant” experience and persisted. I got back into a front office role in Sales and Trading role just as the market started to turn in mid 03… be patient and keep at it.
There is a balance between the points made Real (seconded by Headhunter), and then MJCole. Its a catch 22 situation. From your CV, only on a single occasion have you been in a particular job for more than 2 years. There is a good and bad side to this. The bad side is – that wouldn’t appeal to me as an employer. On the brighter side, it appears that this might be the role you’ve enjoyed the most – you should probably pursue this type of role.
On the other side, your CV looks quite cluttered and disorganised, even though the roles are presented chronologically. You shouldn’t resort to leaving gaps on your CV. Its an error you can’t afford. You should consider categorising these roles sensibly. The roles you held between Aug. 99 and Jun. 05, I would group those as employment/full time roles/ etc. There are a few 3 month/2 month short term roles. I’ll group and categorise those as internships or short term roles under a separate heading.
You need to find some efficient means to present yourself as a concise, efficient and organised individual. This should be reflected in your CV…. and in two pages please.
What did you do between Aug 07 – Jul 08?
I see a big 1 year, un-explained gap.
@BODude, check the heading labelled ‘education’. Thank God, you’re not a headhunter!
Vote: Is Henry the most repugnant individual here?
Please pay no heed to Henry – keep chasing the dream and it will happen. Your CV seems rather ‘hoppy’ i would tone it down a little and remove some of your previous work…
good luck!
There is so, so much wrong with this CV I don’t know where to start.
Even if you completely tweaked / spun it round, you have no hope of hell of getting employed in anything decent finance-related in this market.
To the people saying keep the faith / keep trying, do you have any idea how hard it is to get a job in this market? Who’s going to hire a ~30yo who’s been laid off from their last 2 jobs and never managed to keep something down for more than 2yrs in their life???
I take it that few of you have ever read CV’S.
This reads pretty normally for an MBA Grad with a small number of real jobs but i am guessing at a number of internships.
However..the actual style needs some reviewing…condense the internships to 1 short paragraph
play down the “Importance” of the MBA…If the Employer is interested he will “see” the MBA
And dont give up .the CV is fine tho needing attention re format
“My CV was not too different from yours when I entered the market in the last down turn early 2002.”
This is not just yet another “downturn”. This is a global catastrophe which we will never get out of. No stimulus for economic growth for years to come. Only firing, no hiring. This guy is screwed.
You’re not very anonymous are you?
Your ex B-school colleagues currently employed by banks are laughing at you. A lot.
how about reading the CV BOD (MBA)
still@ms -
I don’t think they will be laughing at him. They will unemployed just like him but too gutless to take a risk like he has and put himself up for a no holds barred, objective assesment by his (future) peers. Good for you anonymous.
Sarah
I and many other understand the importance of these social threads and the use of this forum to discuss related issues with professionals from the industry – does the constant/inevitable and very petty verbal abuse/kid school name calling seem as tiring to you as it does to the majority of us genuinely contributing and constructively furthering this debate. Is there a way to block/ban certain users cough henry cough headhunter etc?
I would rather not participate in any forum with the likes of those inbreds.
A gap in a downturn like this is not necessarily bad if you make good use of it (eg went to Africa to help starving children or whatever…)
In fact, there is a fine line between a gap and filling it with a crappy job. A good solution is to put crappy jobs as consulting gigs, and highlight your most relevant experience upfront.
Why you guys so hang up with this Henry dude? The reason he posts so often is that just like many of you here, he’s unemployed, or in a crappy job. Any person who’s worked in a FO capacity knows for a fact that there is no way in the world you would be able to post on an internet forum during business hours.
“Please pay no heed to Henry – keep chasing the dream and it will happen.”
Good Lord. Go on if you like, go live in some fairy bubble where if you persevere you will get somewhere. Alternatively welcome to the new world, where there are so very few limited jobs available, literally next to none, and for the very few places going, you are absolutely the least appropriate profile to have any chance.
no comment am in the same position! luck you got job b4 I even strugle to get job sice i graduated
You have the typical CV of the City parasite. A mercenary who almost dares to tell his interviewer he should get a top job in his FO without proving he really deserves it for more than 3 months. You’re trying too hard to look perfect and it’s very suspicious. Given your age and the actual market you’d better realize now that you won’t get your dream job. Please give up looking for a job in finance, for the sake of this industry and humanity.
a mill a milli: Sorry for the delay in responding. I appreciate that a lot of the comments are caustic and may cause offence to some people. On the whole, however, we have a policy of posting most of what comes in (some of it toned down) and allowing members of the community to remonstrate users who are behaving inappropriately. However, if you still feel that something or someone is offensive, keep hitting the moderator button whenever they post and we will see what we can do.
Henry sounds like an ass. Everytime I read something he has written on eFC I want to give him a proper slap. The number of posts he seems to manage on here suggests he doesnt have very much work on. It seems like he just makes alot of coffees. You know the Henry “types” that joined with me years ago all get sacked because although alot of the general public like to think we are all like Henry, AKA, arrogant, would be gods, most of us are not. I’m telling Henry, from someone in the position of hiring and firing, he certainly would’nt be on tmy hiring list – attitude stinks, and I think the way the city is going to change Henry types will become extinct, and it cant come fast enough.
With regards to the CV, in the currrent market you are up against it but will all know about the economic cycle. Keep adding new skills and keep trying, someone will give you a chance, it may just take longer than you expected. Good luck.
“pursue a long term career in capital markets …. ”
What does this actually mean ? Are you looking for a sales role in a Bulge Bracket IB …? If so forget it. You are barking up the wrong tree. With a cv like this you would have been paddling upstream even at the top of the market. In this market its never gogin to happen. The cv feels like flakey and over ambitious.
Get a grip and start making a compromise in a perm role and do it quickly.
You are in a bad place career wise and you need to majorly focus on your strengths. The career seemed to be going quite well up until 2005. It seems to me that you are an accountant in denial.
Stop being so shouty about those jobs that your’ve had since 2005 ….. try being a little bit more humble and focus your attentions in the accountancy /consultancy and / or service provider space. It is this type of firm that you may get an opportuntiy to be more strategic and perhaps own relationships, assist in winning new business and eventually start contributing to the bottom line. Whatever you do next make sure you stick at it for longer than 2 years. Don’t ask for more than 50k and you might secure something worth building on.
Walrus –
Absolutely spot on.
Sarah, the sad reality is that you enjoy reading all the abuse and the stiring up of crowds that goes on here… or else you wouldn’t allow some of these comments to appear on your thread
The most frightening and saddening thing of the nature of many of the comments is that it translates the absence of maturity and intelligence of many of the individuals working in the City ; perhaps a direct cause of the financial mess we are in…
Henry you are the JOKE of EFINANCIAL, always have been, ALWAY WILL BE…..Now go on and give us a shoe shine….
Eric – you’re right that I want to stir up a debate and encourage people to participate. Unfortunately, the more obnoxious comments tend to do this. However, if they’re so obnoxious that they put people off from participating it will be slightly defeating.
How about something constructive for our jobseeker:
Rather than explain what you have done in each role, you need to highlight how the work you performed impacted upon the business (assuming that it was positive). A hirer wants to see how someone can add value to their team, rather than a chronology of where you sat.
The endless people who bang on that I’m going to get fired have no idea how the City works. Politics matter more than performance, which means I can get away with spending plenty of time faffing on websites whilst getting paid more than people on the same row, some at more senior levels, who work hard round the clock.
Henry, you’ve hit the nail right on the head. Exactly the reason why the city is in such a mess
I think henry is pretty arrogant and sometimes over-the-top but i admit – much of what he says is accurate.
This cv is not for a bank FO role i am afraid. i have been a structurer for 8 years now and have interviewed lots of candidates. We wouldn’t unfortunately interview someone with this CV. It’s harsh but the honest truth. But banks are not cuddly and warm places – that’s how it goes.
You can keep on trying but there are people with mountains more experience out there, the MBA means nothing at this point in time.
If banks get sign off for a hire they want the hire to be able to make money or heavily contribute to it. That means hiring with a track record and around vp level
Henry…did you ever stop to think how unfulfilling your life is? You claim to be a top trader at a BB, you boast about how money you make, how you get away with doing minimal work etc. When you are older and I pray wiser, will you look on your life as having done a career you can be proud of? Being a weasel in the office and having the morals of a snake is not something to proudly tell to your kids. All the money in the world can’t take that self-loathing away from you.
Ponterotto…are the days of English Lit graduates entering the investment banking business over?
anonym – couldn’t agree more.
CV poster – unfortunately I think the negative comments are (wrongly) the ones to heed. I have many years of great experience and a CV like yours in some respects. The job moves are generally no fault of the employee – businesses close down, jobs simply disappear – and sadly once this has happened once or twice, you are really stuffed.
I have battled away and got back into decent roles when everyone said it could no tbe done – however now I would not do it again as it is no way to live your life and you end up feeling inferior and possibly totally unemployable in this stupid narrow minded world.
I am now of an age – and in this recession unlikely to get a decent job because of said CV – where I am facing up to the waste of my life and career and possibly long term uneployment or employment well below my abilities.
I have no real solution to this problem – perhaps self employment is the only way to avoid the downward spiral ?
(To those who will undoubtedly respond to this post with mindless abuse – it is clear it is that type of people who have got the City and the economy into the current mess and are responsible for the destruction of lives)
“However, if they’re so obnoxious that they put people off from participating it will be slightly defeating.” – That is precisely what these comments do. The venom and vitriol that gets posted here drives away those genuine contributors who post meaningful, useful advice and demeans those who are looking for help. It is destroying this site’s reputation and completely undermining its purpose. If EFC don’t sort it out then the only users left are going to be spiteful, vindictive children with too much spare time. You can start by removing that “debate” about the merits of having South London workers in the city and replace it with something resembling insightful career advice. Isn’t that the point?
Oh lord Henry (Mr Repugnant) may have kids…
I would personally not hire an English lit graduate – when you compare some of the specialised talent coming through the ranks (globally as well as domestic educated) it makes sense to have somebody who is already grounded and familiar with financial concepts over a grad who can recite chapters of historic text.
Masters in Economics is always seen as transferable and should stand you in good stead for a range of career choices…?
anon….a wise saying comes to mind. Nothing comes for free. Like me I am sure you went into the business chasing the dollar signs. I found too found out the hard way that nothing comes for free..you may get the money in the City for a while…but it ruins your life in other ways. If you can hang in long enough…you make your buck and that money takes the edge off many unpleasant things. But as a long term career? Hell No!
“Ponterotto…are the days of English Lit graduates entering the investment banking business over?”
is this a response to a misspelling or bad grammar? i am not even english and besides – who cares? – this isn’t work.
if it’s a serious question, then, no way. you have a degree that basically tests your ability to read. that’s great. you’d not get any finance related job nowadays let alone a bank one
Josh – we aim to offer insightful career advice, and also to provide a forum in which people working in financial services can express their opinions on a range of subjects. People are generally keener to express their opinions on emotive subjects than intellectual ones. This does not mean that we that we will only run emotive debates, but it does mean that we will have a mix. We are alert to the sentiments of site users and have taken your comments into account. The previous debate has now been replaced with a poll.
Oi! I liked that debate. It was only a bit of fun goddamit.
All this debate that contentious postings drive people away are completely wrong – in fact the most commented on stories are the ones with contentious posts. Just look at “most popular” its the ones Henry was the main writer in!!
“The previous debate has now been replaced with a poll.”
The insecurity and naivety of this JoshSS character, who is clearly a member of the proletariat, threatens to destroy the opportunity to post the highly praised and intellectually superior comments that upper class people like to post as a gesture of humour.
Sarah – Why would you remove a debate merely based on a complaint by someone from the working class? Look at the facts:
- The debate had the highest number of comments.
- Contained a large number of very well written and witty comments.
- Sought to offer recommendations to resolve the current financial crisis.
Banker – the debate has been removed from the homepage. It is, however, still very visible in the ‘debate’ section. It had run for several days anyway. Its time was up.
Package all the short-term assignments into FREELANCE CONSULTING. Package it different like Independent consultant speciazlied in XXXXXX and then list the short-term assignments. It is essentially the same thing but you look so much better with a coherent CV.
Hopping around for short-term assignments is fine but being laid off twice within six months is problemtatic.
Had a solid CA,
topped it with an MBA
then threw it all away thinking hey what I am an MBA.
I am a CA too, have been tempted many times by MBA and E-MBA’s.
Sticking to your competencies and building around is a key.
Go back to your roots brother ..