Start Early
The timeline for interviewing for finance roles is earlier than almost all other fields. For example, recruiting for most Wall Street roles is finished before the start of the junior year!
Starting early and making the most of your summers and first two years at ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø±¬ÍøÕ¾ are crucial to building a strong resume and preparation for the field. Related experience and a strong GPA increase your chances of standing out in the applicant pool.
Attend Employer Information Sessions
Each year, ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø±¬ÍøÕ¾ welcomes numerous insurance and financial services companies to campus such as UNUM, Prudential, Principal Financial, PURE Insurance, The Andover Companies, Fidelity, Barclays, RBC, Guggenheim, Silicon Valley Bank, M&T Bank, Cowen & Co, and more. Students are encouraged to participate in these sessions as early as the first year to learn about the different entry-level roles available, and to connect with alumni and recruiters.
Build Industry-Specific Knowledge and Skills
ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø±¬ÍøÕ¾ students are offered free access to several resources that can assist with preparing for a career in insurance or finance:
Vault Guides
The Vault Guides provide comprehensive reviews of a breadth of careers including insurance roles, actuarial careers, investment banking, sales and trading, commercial banking, leveraged finance, venture capital, wealth management, private equity, hedge funds, investment management and more. Each Guide covers job responsibilities, earnings, prerequisite skills, employer and advancement prospects, and tips for getting your foot in the door.
Finance Skills Programming and Clubs
- The ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø±¬ÍøÕ¾ Finance Society and the CXD collaborate each year to offer two full-day Wall Street Prep workshops on Valuation, Financial Modelling, and Excel, as well as a simulated stock market trading competition.
- Smart Woman Securities organizes a 10-seminar series covering finance fundamentals, and the opportunity to complete a semester-long team based investment project culminating in a stock pitch to industry professionals.
- The Finance Mock Interview Day allows students to practice interviewing with finance professionals.
LinkedIn Learning
Offers numerous courses where students can develop financial services-specific knowledge and general business skills. For example, the “Finance Foundations” series covers topics including Risk Management, Business Valuation, Financial Modeling, and Managerial Accounting.
ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø±¬ÍøÕ¾ Library
Offers free access to the Wall Street Journal and hundreds of related to finance, insurance and economics.
Network Proactively
Every ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø±¬ÍøÕ¾ student benefits from the knowledge, expertise, and generosity of the ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø±¬ÍøÕ¾ network to learn about and succeed in landing jobs that interest them. The financial services industry is no exception, with thousands of alum working in the field.
Students interested in finance are encouraged to reach out to potential networking connections early. The students chosen for interviews are most often those that have made positive impressions via pre-deadline conversations. Build your base of allies at your target firms and they will help you open doors for interviews.