HK
Guest Comment: Why front-office bankers write bad CVs, and what to do about it
Too many front-office CVs are focused on day-to-day duties. Everyone on the trading desk knows how to “analyse data”, “liaise with clients” and “maximise opportunities”. These skills are expected – mentioning them does you no favours. A good banking CV clearly identifies your areas of expertise, but most importantly, it provides quantitative examples. Here’s how [...]
Guest Comment: Got a bad bonus? Well, maybe you should start working on your teamworking and stop being a lone wolf
Bonuses have been paid but many top bankers in capital markets and investment banking are feeling less than elated with what they received for their efforts in 2010. Sound familiar? Are you wondering how to position yourself and how to demonstrate your true market worth this year? It pays to review your contribution to your [...]
GUEST COMMENT: Your challenge – meet 21 people in 21 days
So you say you want to find a new job in 2011? Really? If you really want to make a difference to your prospects, I suggest you take up the 21 day challenge. In the next 21 days, go out and meet 21 different people. Why? 60-70% of positions are filled via referrals and networking. [...]
Guest Comment: Boutiques v big banks – which is the best bet for your career?
It was 7.00am on a Monday morning and as I sat on the train on the way to work I found myself behind two gentlemen in designer suits who I instinctively expected to be bankers. I was right. They soon started talking about their respective workplaces. I became further intrigued as they tried to convince [...]
GUEST COMMENT: The piteous zombies who won’t take a hint
In the City a zero bonus means one thing and one thing only: you are no more, you have ceased to be, you are an ex-banker. A doughnut is your firm’s less than subtle way of telling you that you are surplus to requirements and that they hope you will have the good grace to [...]
Guest Comment: My job is meaningless and doesn’t match my values – I quit
“The life, which is unexamined, is not worth living”. A famous line from Socrates, the true wisdom of which was only driven home to me by a recent subject I completed as part of my executive MBA. The knowledge I have gained at business school has been more profound than learning how to read balance [...]
Guest Comment: Psych tests = pointless trash
You go for an interview. They decide they like you somewhat. And then they either send you a link to a website to sit a test or, if they’re really cruel, make you go to their office to do one. I’m talking of course about the dreaded psych tests which most of us have been [...]
Guest Comment: Why my personal experience makes me a great candidate and why my paper experience stops me getting a job
Just what is “relevant experience”? “Your CV looks good but you don’t have the relevant experience for this role. There are other candidates that are a better fit for the position” is the typical dismissive answer I get when speaking with headhunters. But when I say I have already been interviewing with three large financial [...]
GUEST COMMENT: Questions you will be asked at sales interviews in investment banks
I can’t guarantee 100% that you’ll be asked these questions if you interview for a sales position in an investment bank, but I can say that they’re the questions I like to ask when I’m interviewing graduates – and the kinds of questions I was asked myself. You have been warned… 1) Tell me about [...]
Guest Comment: Warning! If your CV’s in the wrong order, it could cripple your candidacy
A CV is a presentation instrument, or more aptly a marketing tool. You have at most 30 seconds to impress whoever gives it a first glance. You want to endorse yourself and solicit interest. While there are no absolute rights or wrongs about the process, here are a few tips that might make your CV [...]
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