eFinancialCareers

If you're one of the few who've spent years and years honing your skills at a single firm, you might face some extra hurdles on the way to your next job. Here are some tips on getting around them. In today's market, remaining at the same firm for an entire career is about as likely as winning at roulette in Vegas. An Ivy League pedigree may get you in the door... Read more

On the buy side, the path you choose can be structured if you like traditional firms, or more dynamic if you prefer alternative investments. Either way, the money's not bad. Asset management, widely referred to as "the buy side," presents two contrasting career routes for investment professionals, depending whether they work in the traditional or alternative segment of the industry. Traditional, "long-only" managers offer a predictable, steady progression from analyst to portfolio... Read more

Of course, you want to know what it's like to work for a firm before you relocate your coffee mug and family pictures to your new desk. Save for having a friend on the inside, how do you get the dirt on a company's culture? Marcia Bench, chief executive of Career Coach Institute, a Lake Havasu, Ariz., organization that trains and certifies career coaches, calls the employer background check "one of... Read more

As more Wall Street firms make use of psychological testing, candidates do have options. Here are some of them. More Wall Street firms are giving job candidates personality tests. If you're required to take one while competing for a position, are there any ways to maximize your opportunities and avoid any pitfalls? It won't help to prepare in the conventional sense by studying or rehearsing, as you would do before an interview,... Read more

Even before they get to the job interview, applicants must be articulate, polite and compelling. It's not the hiring manager you're trying to impress - it's the corporate gatekeepers. Make friends with them, and whole new worlds can open up. "Gatekeepers aren't meanies. They're their boss's designated agents charged with limiting unnecessary, potentially wasteful interruptions and unexpected interference," says Debra Feldman, a Connecticut-based executive talent agent. Thus, if you don't know... Read more

Executives who hire asset managers to serve the very wealthy assign a high priority to people skills, breadth of life experience and an affinity for tackling unique problems that fall outside of the institutional fund manager's toolbox. The private wealth management business is growing both assets and career opportunities, as economic expansion lifts more families into the upper strata that make it worthwhile for private bankers to manage their portfolios. While definitions... Read more

A lot of people are wondering whether they should seek a CFA in place of the more traditional MBA. In large part, the answer depends on your focus. The Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation has been enjoying a heightened profile and increased popularity in light of surging private equity activity. So far In 2007 - the program's 44th year - 140,000 people from 156 countries have registered to sit for the... Read more

For developers in the earlier stages of their careers on Wall Street, working for small hedge funds may prove to be much more difficult than working for large investment banks. When choosing to work for one company over another, there are many factors to consider. Some people put full weight on salary. Others tend to consider bonuses, benefits and vacation packages. As your career matures, however, you probably tend to put... Read more

Sometimes, a good thank you note can mean the difference between being invited back for a second interview and winding up in the "Thanks, but no thanks" pile. "The most sincere ones are hand-written on a card and mailed," says David Clarkson, vice president of human resources at Vitale, Caturano & Company, a Boston CPA firm. "There's nothing wrong with an e-mail, but a written thank-you note comes across as more... Read more

How real people have led their boss in the right direction. The common theme? Honest and open communication. The guidelines for managing up sound simple and straightforward. Among other things, you must communicate clearly and openly, anticipate your boss's needs, avoid surprises, be sensitive to his work and management styles and, in general, make him look good to both superiors and subordinates. Tales from the trenches tell a similar story. In one... Read more

Making the jump from Operations to front office management often brings with it a healthy dose of bumps. Factors like education and perceived skill can pigeon-hole candidates, forcing them to overcome the stigmas associated with years spend in the back office. The good news? It can be done. Doug Rickart, of Robert Half International in Minneapolis, argues the stigma associated with Operations jobs no longer exists. "There are a lot of... Read more

For quants, the ability to communicate is necessary for success. "There is a very strong, and increasingly strong, demand for quant skills - period," Alessia Falsarone, global investments analyst with Citigroup Global Wealth Management, told an audience who'd gathered at Goldman Sachs to hear successful quants describe their career paths. The panel discussion was sponsored by the International Association of Financial Engineers. While strong demand alone might get you a job, you... Read more

Are you involved in your college's alumni network? You should be. When networking with your fellow alumni, you're talking to people who speak the same language as you: You all understand the work it took to make you a member. You have built-in loyalty to your school and your peers. Whether on a local or national level, the alumni network will support you throughout your entire working life. And there's an... Read more

"Once you get past seven years ... that's where we need to do more," says Ann Marquez, executive director of the Association of Latino Professionals in Finance and Accounting's New York chapter. Can you us about the role of your organization? Our basic mission is to create opportunity, add value and build relationships for the membership, community and business partners, while expanding Hispanic leadership in the global workforce. Is there a... Read more

The advice of Terri Dial, executive director of retail banking for Lloyds TSB in London, is worth considering for those working on Wall Street. On playing internal politics: Too much is made of it. Politics are just life. Worry more about the values that lie behind a company’s political machinations. On choosing between investment banking and corporate banking: Investment banking is where you have relationships in order to do transactions. Commercial banking... Read more

Patrick Costello, Global Head of Network Management for the Mellon Group: "A common thread throughout all these activities is the constant question of how things can be done better." As Global Head of Network Management for the Mellon Group, Patrick Costello leads a team providing sub-custodian support to the securities services businesses of Mellon, ABN AMRO Mellon and CIBC Mellon. He has over 23 years of experience in the industry, joining... Read more

What are the traits upper-tier wealth managers look for in new hires? Richard Franchella, senior managing director at RBC Dain Rauscher in New York, has some definite ideas. Richard Franchella, senior managing director at RBC Dain Rauscher in New York, oversees four offices in the metropolitan New York area, including the region's flagship office in midtown Manhattan. His 70-person staff includes 50 financial advisors. RBC Dain has a total of 1,650... Read more

After fielding too many cold calls from headhunters, some cynics might argue it’s not so much “how to choose a recruiter,” as “how to avoid being chosen.” But that’s just the cynics. There's no doubt that if you want to change jobs, it helps to be proactive. So how do you choose? Belinda Martin, manager at the London financial services recruitment company Joslin Rowe, offers advice on how to choose the... Read more

Managing up isn’t the same as kissing up. Not by a long shot. Master it, and your career possibilities grow exponentially. Managing up is about knowing how to create a work environment that produces the best result for three entities: you, your boss and the company you both work for. Like other workplace tasks, successfully managing up involves planning, communication and timing. “It’s important to manage up, across and down, but... Read more

A career in investment banking presupposes that you're good with numbers. To get ahead, you have to be good with words, too. That's not to say you have to be F. Scott Fitzgerald, but you do have to convey your thoughts, plans and data clearly, concisely and in a jargon-free style that any audience can understand. Plus, you want to write in a way that makes you look good. So get the... Read more