Will interviewing with a financial recruiter get you that dream job in the financial sector?
Finance was once a highly sought after industry for many would-be university graduates to build their careers, but this is no longer the case. The financial sectors, both commercial and retail, are still trying to recover from the Lehman shock – and the recent fiscal policy problems aren’t exactly making things better for the firms on Wall Street.
Many banks/financial institutions have laid off employees by the thousands and continue to do so. Many laid off workers are heading back to school while others are switching careers.
A Financial Recruiter Knows About Available Jobs
However, for every dark cloud there is always a silver lining. Yes, firms are laying off employees but there are still vacancies in these companies. Being able to land that dream job all boils down to who you know. If you have a contact within the firm you are looking to get into, then that is the best route. The second best method would be to interview with a financial recruiter.
The only way to spot whether a recruiter is worth interviewing with is by asking him/her preliminary questions related to finance over the phone or email. Because there are recruiters who are very knowledgeable about finance and would actually take your skill sets into consideration when recommending vacant positions to you.
These financial recruiters have your best interest in mind and not just the recruiting commission he/she will get after placing you with a firm. Then there are those who don’t have any background in finance and are only interested in the recruiting commission.
If you are serious about building a career in finance then interviewing with a recruiter who knows the market and the financial sector is your best choice. But, on the other hand, if you just want to get any job to get your foot in the door and work your way to your the post you want then you can certainly choose to interview with the latter.
Meeting With a Financial Recruiter
Interviewing with a knowledgeable financial recruiter is almost like interviewing with the actual recruiter of the hiring company. You can expect specific questions during the interview. For every type of position out there, there is a specific type of personality and skill set required for it.
The best preparation you can do before your meeting with the financial recruiter is to review your past work experience. Know every responsibility you held and quantify any achievements on projects (for example, streamline financial product development to cut X% of cost while boosting Y% in revenues).
Expect your resume to be dissected to a granular level by the financial recruiter. One thing you must not do during the interview is lie. It is very easy to tell when someone is fabricating. So don’t do it!
If you can get pass your interview with the recruiter, then meeting with the hiring manager will be much easier. But this is only so if you have a financial recruiter who has industry background knowledge.
