How to Get a Job on Wall Street Using LinkedIn and Social Networks

What questions should you expect in a job interview on Wall Street if applying for a career in finance? What are the best CV formulas and cover letters? To find a job in banking or finance you will need to leverage your network, send unsolicited applications and respond to job offers.

Believe it or not, the many employers on Wall Street continue to hire through unsolicited applications .

Applying for a Job on Wall Street

A recent study in the Wall Street Journal showed that 27% of beginners get work through the direct approach. In other words, they send an unsolicited application by post mail or email, making a direct contact with the company or through professional network such as LinkedIn.

Before you sending an unsolicited application though, you need to start by defining what your career plans are so you can identify your target companies. Among them, you must determine which of them might be really interested in your CV.

Create a Profile on LinkedIn

Think in advance your desires and professional expectations are. If you decide to use LinkedIn to create a personal profile then use best keywords that are relevant to the skills you can offer. On LinkedIn you have the advantage in being able to control everything about you, as well as enhancing your image to give yourself a higher profile.

You can also look in your LinkedIn network to see who works at the Wall Street bank or broker that you want to apply to. Then get in touch with one of your contacts to see if they can then recommend you to another contact on Wall Street. It is also possible to increase your credibility as an expert in a domain if you choose to participate in forums and groups on LinkedIn.

Search the Internet

Make sure that you also take advantage of other Internet sites during your Wall Street job search. If you are a graduate then visit sites such institutional employment forums, sites for young graduates, and create a job profile on the popular Monster.com student section. It’s possible to receive email alerts on the latest job roles in finance and banking.

Needless to say, you should upload your CV to as many job and recruitment websites as possible. To ensure that your CV is highly visible to recruiters then you need to insert as many keywords as possible, several times, incorporating all possible fields in the finance and business world. One tip: Look for the keywords that banks use in their ads and mention them in your resume, plus remember also to update your CV every 2 to 3 months.

Other Social Networks

Although LinkedIn is the best social network for finding new jobs, Facebook can also offer some degree of success. One of the best strategies is to “like” the pages of the Wall Street companies that you want to work for and try to engage yourself on their message board. After time you might then reach out and ask for a contact either in the department you want to work in or somebody in their Human Resources office.

Jacqueline Starz

About the Guest Author:

This article was written by the team from the Wall Street Subscriptions website. They offer the best deals on the Wall Street Journal and other financial publications such as Barron’s Magazine and MarketWatch.