eFinancialCareers

Chinese economic expansion is sparking demand for various finance professionals for work within the U.S., says private equity consultant Song Jin. As privately owned Chinese firms move to invest in U.S. businesses and raise capital here, they'll need experienced U.S.-based investment bankers, lawyers, accountants and investor relations professionals, among others. That incipient trend, a by-product of the U.S. financial crisis and recession, marks the flip side of Western bankers' longstanding... Read more

A Wednesday evening workshop on personal brand image and interviewing techniques for women over 50 tops our latest compilation of low-cost and free events of interest to professionals in transition. All the following events take place in New York City. *** The Transition Network offers a series of workshops for women over 50, presented by coaches from the Career Counselors Consortium. Wednesday, July 8, 6:00 - 8:30 p.m. "Present your Best Self," with... Read more

Treasury to Name 9 'Toxic' Managers [WSJ] The U.S. government is on the verge of naming up to nine firms to operate funds that will buy toxic securities from financial institutions. The program will probably be much smaller than anticipated when TARP was enacted last autumn. RBS defends itself over Wimbledon corporate entertaining [The Guardian] People: CME Group Names David L. Shuler as Managing Director, Alliance and Venture Management [CME Group, via PRN] First Mercantile... Read more

Do you ever feel pigeonholed when you're looking for a job? Make sure you're not pigeonholing yourself. Some job-seekers paint their skills and experiences in identical language whenever they send out a resume or go to an interview. But talk to a career specialist, and they'll tell you candidates who don't modify their presentation to fit a specific employer's needs are shooting themselves in the foot. "You should never lie, but you... Read more

Bank of America Merrill Lynch Hires Alan Murray as Managing Director of Energy Corporate & Investment Banking [Bank of America, via PRN] Piper Jaffray Enhances Technology Media and Telecommunications Capabilities with Additions of David Silverman and Matt Kane [Piper Jaffray, via BW] Pali International Continues European Expansion [Pali International, via PRN] Cory A. Eaves Joins General Atlantic as Senior Vice President [General Atlantic, via PRN] James Pritcha

JPMorgan, which has climbed in league tables and outpaced other big banks' bottom-line results the past two quarters, might expect an easier time retaining and recruiting staff. But the bank can't ignore its place on the compensation ladder. Tuesday's New York Post reports that Chief Executive Jamie Dimon is considering raising base salaries for investment bankers, as other major banks reportedly lean toward boosting theirs. Morgan Stanley recently raised some salaries,... Read more

Some people scour jobs boards, others network like there's no tomorrow. Whatever your job-search strategy, here's five tips to help you stand out from the pack. Think Strategically "You never want to get caught behind changes in the marketplace," says Dawn Fay, New York-based regional vice president of Robert Half International. "When the market changes, it's often subtle, so stay ahead of the game." That means reading as much as you... Read more

Philip Levinson to Join Blackstone in Asia [Blackstone via BW] Robert D. Hallett, Joseph M. Giacobbe and David C. Grove Join FBR Capital Markets as MDs [FBR] Kevin Nee Named President of Wilshire Private Markets [Wilshire via PRN] Spencer Grimes Named Managing Director of MCF Services Group [MCF] Fiserv Names Maryann Goebel Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer [Fiserv] Pali Capital Expands High Yield Effort in New York [<a href=http://news.prne... Read more

It's interview day. You're dressed to the nines and you've followed every tidbit of advice you could glean from business magazines and your peers. You walk into the conference room and, even though the air conditioning is cranked, you're sweating. If you only knew what the interviewer was thinking. Surprise. The first thought that often crosses an interviewer's mind isn't likely to be about how you're dressed - unless you’re wearing... Read more

UBS-Jeffries Case Reveals That Without Bonuses, Investment Banking Doesn't Work [BNet] Hedge Funds Set For Best Start In A Decade [WSJ] Hiring: Morgan Stanley and Macquarie Capital [The Deal] People Boeing’s Schmid takes off for university CIO post [Pensions & Investments] Stifel Financial Names Victor Nesi Director of Investment Banking, Co-Director of Capital Markets [Stifel - PDF]

A recent story showcasing recruiters' complaints about "crazy" candidates seems to have hit a nerve among many of our users. Several comments draw a link between overeager job-seekers - who recruiters may view as pests - and uncommunicative recruiters whom sincere and well-behaved job-seekers may label rude and unprofessional. The question of whether recruiters should be more responsive to candidates who've been eliminated from a client's interview process (and those job-seekers... Read more

The longer this recession goes on, the more transitioning professionals will stumble into the "overqualified" pit. Too much of a good thing is wonderful, said Mae West. But that's not how hiring managers see it. Relevant work experience, advanced degrees and credentials - while prerequisites for many finance jobs - can disqualify as well as qualify. If a candidate previously held a role at a higher level than the one she's... Read more

Picture this: You’ve just lost your job and you’re scouring the job boards, looking for something - anything - that matches your professional qualifications and experience. Suddenly, you spot a position that looks too good to be true. The job title is perfect, the responsibilities are right up your alley, and the firm is… Oh, wait a minute. It's your former employer; the one that just handed you a pink... Read more

Even as the finance industry writhes amid recession and restructuring, some jobless professionals are having trouble adjusting their expectations to the new reality. A column in Sunday's Philadelphia Inquirer details the saga of one Byron Wilson, a former investment advisor, insurance company vice president and Big Four CPA. In 2007, Wilson left a steady job to build his own investment advisory business at Smith Barney, leaving little time to build a... Read more

Kerry Jordan, CFA, has been out of work since January 2008, despite 14 years of experience at FBR Capital Markets, Bank of America, and NASDAQ. You'd think her work in new business development, strategic planning, risk management and raising capital would have left her well-positioned to land a new job quickly. But here's the rub: "Everyone is in retrenchment mode and the few positions that do become available are filled... Read more

From London, Sarah Butcher writes: With more and more people pursuing fewer and fewer jobs, recruiters say some candidates are exhibiting strange and unusual behaviors in an attempt to catch their attention. These apparently include: Sending in their CV for every single job going: “These are the serial appliers,” says Recruiter A. “They apply for everything we advertise across every function.” Repeatedly sending in their CV for the same job: “If someone sees... Read more

Cantor Fitzgerald & Co. has hiring plans. According to Investment Dealers' Digest, the New York-based company plans to hire 100 people for its fixed-income business alone this year. Already, the firm's hired 20 specialists for a developing high-yield bond business, and is bringing on as many as 25 investment bankers, along with sales and trading professionals. "The talent pool out there is very deep right now and the opportunity to grow... Read more

First came asset write-downs. Then came bailouts. Now, the U.S. government is taking a large, voting equity stake in Citigroup. The chain of events pulling significant pillars of the financial industry from shareholder to government control is coming to look increasingly inexorable. But what does nationalizing a bank do to the careers and compensation outlooks of professionals who work there? Constrained upside will drive producers and senior executives to seek... Read more

This is a good time for financial professionals who are fluent in Chinese, Japanese or other Asian languages. Why? Consider: Big Japanese banks may pump billions of dollars into struggling Wall Street firms, says the Times of London. The trade deficit with China continues to break records and Chinese markets attract U.S. investors worried about volatile stocks. South Korea's economy continues to be strong, as is Taiwan's. Though there are openings... Read more