eFinancialCareers

Carrie Halio is a vice president in credit risk and management advisory at Goldman Sachs. Which skill sets and qualifications do you prefer for new hires, and can you describe the training program for those working in risk management? We look for talented people familiar with finance and accounting, since that is certainly the most useful for us. But that doesn’t mean that every hire is a finance major. We have a... Read more

Investment bankers specializing in healthcare are finding opportunities at boutique and middle market shops in New York City and beyond. Debra Feldman, founder of JobWhiz, an executive talent agent based in Greenwich, Conn., is just one of the observers calling the healthcare arena "hot." While she says many professionals in investment banking "simply haven't landed" after the tumult that began a year ago, those on the healthcare side don't seem... Read more

Today's downturn demands rethinking strategic relationships at work, especially for groups who are underrepresented in the financial world. But according to one recent study, the security industry's women of color lack strategic relationships at their firm. Catalyst, a New York-based nonprofit research and advisory organization focused on the issues impacting women in business, found hidden bias is a major reason for the lack of strategic relationships for women of color... Read more

Wall Street is making an effort to put the policies and procedures in place to discourage discrimination and sexual harassment. But as far as gays and lesbians go, do the words on paper stack up to real results and changes in attitude? With the industry under pressure, many are concerned these programs may become less of a priority, leaving employees much more vulnerable. In the Human Rights Campaign Foundation's recently published... Read more

Accounting professionals in New York and New Jersey are often seen as immune to changes in the financial markets, bumps in the economy and even employment changes on Wall Street. Skilled CPAs, after all, are always in demand. Aren't they? Not necessarily, says Frank Fusaro, president of the Forum Group, a New York City-based recruiting and consulting firm. A CPA for 36 years, Fusaro is hearing rumblings of regional CPA... Read more

CPAs in New York and New Jersey have a good reason to stay in the area: money. With a large number of regional and large accounting firms needing help and the preponderance of corporate accounting spots going wanting for accountants, area CPAs are reaping the benefits of demand. According to PayScale.com, the median total cash compensation for experienced CPAs in New York is about $94,000. Their colleagues in New Jersey earned... Read more

New York and New Jersey CPAs are finding growing opportunities at specialized tax and business consulting practices. To succeed, accountants must learn to play up their marketing, communications, and negotiation skills. Branching out into consulting is often a way for accountants to open up new possibilities for their careers. Today, tax and business consulting practices continue to grow in leaps and bounds throughout the New York region. "It's a commodity type of... Read more

Globalization of operations, products and services means multinational financial services firms must redefine the nature of their diversity programs. But morphing inclusion policies present benefits and challenges to both companies and local employees. Globalization has changed the dynamic for firms looking to employ an old definition of diversity, notes Gerard M. Lupacchino, senior vice president for product development at Novations Group, a Boston-based provider of consulting and training services. In a... Read more

CPAs in New York and New Jersey often face the unenviable task of delivering bad news to a company's management. The region's financial services firms, after all, are in the midst of contraction, hit by the credit crunch, the sub-prime blowout and a variety of regulatory pressures. While being the bearer of bad tidings certainly takes a toll, accountants in the financial world are by and large being spared one... Read more

With the Baby Boomers aging and the labor force shrinking, financial services firms will need to keep and court an older contingent. But is Wall Street ready to end its fascination with the next young thing? Employers are grappling with the expanding definition of diversity. While people might generally think of race, sex, disability or sexual orientation when considering diversity efforts on the job, Wall Street - and all employers -... Read more

New York and New Jersey CPAs with fairness opinion expertise are in hot demand. Just what's driving the boom, and what skill sets are needed to get into this growing area of accounting? New York City and the surrounding region is a hotbed of corporate transactions. With federal regulations and investor scrutiny increasing, accountants who can offer a fairness opinion - or an unbiased professional opinion on a financial deal -... Read more

Considering the nature of business today and the growth of legal and financial reporting requirements, it's not surprising technology risk professionals are needed by many corporations. The demand is especially critical in the New York and New Jersey area. "In general terms, the growth in this field reflects the growing role of technology in business," says Dan Schroeder, the officer in charge of the technology risk services practice with Amper, Politziner... Read more

Do you and your mentor need to be of the same race or ethnicity? Twenty nine percent of the financial professionals surveyed by the Robert Toigo Foundation indicated their firm's mentoring efforts were valuable to their career trajectory. The survey, Retention Returns: Insights for More Effective Diversity Initiatives, polled MBA graduates of color from top 25 graduate business school programs in the U.S. More than 60 percent were African-American, 24 percent... Read more

With more traders facing job cuts and lousy bonuses, is now a good time to consider trading for yourself? The temptation to go it alone may be there, especially if your products have made money while others in your firm are losing cash, says Drew Mandler, a Connecticut-based managing director for Smith Hanley Associates, an executive recruiter. In those situations everyone shares in the pain, so your bonus isn't as fat... Read more

Wall Street's troubles make diversity networks more critical than ever. Certainly people are concerned about the shakeups going on in the finance world, says Ann Marquez, executive director of the New York chapter of the Association of Latino Professionals in Finance and Accounting. However, diversity initiatives are still firmly in place at most financial firms, and that's not likely to change, she says. Of course, when layoffs are threatened and bonuses... Read more

Hedge funds in New York and New Jersey need CPAs who can handle risk management. Even in the midst of the credit crunch - and maybe because of it - funds will bring on board more accountants as they mature and receive more scrutiny. From consulting to permanent placements, accountants are finding opportunities at hedge funds in Manhattan, Long Island, and Northern New Jersey. But what background is needed, and where... Read more

As trading becomes increasingly electronic, exchanges merge, competition on the floor increases, and layoff threats increase - what's a trader to do? Survival Tip #1: Take Lemons, Make Lemonade. Traders need to be a resourceful bunch, says Scott Saunders, managing member at FM Brokerage, a specialist firm in ETF executions. "I think you have to spin the upheavals or changes going on and see them for any opportunities that may exist," he... Read more

As institutional investors seek a greater number of asset management firms, many are turning to emerging money managers, including more women and minority-owned firms. The growth of these firms will provide more opportunities for a diverse base of investment consultants and asset managers, many pension advisors believe. Speaking at Rainbow Push's Wall Street Project Economic Summit in January, Joseph Haslip, assistant comptroller for the New York City Pension Fund, said smaller start-ups... Read more