Can't get a fucking job 3 months after graduation. Can you please review my CV and help me understand what I can do to land a Middle Office role?
I am updating my post because i wrote emotional rant which of course readers didnt appreciate.
I have control & risk experience from a very good investment bank. I was based in mumbai office and came to London to explore better opportunities. I have MSc from UKs top 5 b-school. My course is not flagship MSc Finance course but it focuses on physical energy trading but also covers most important finance subjects
Shell, Cargill, Gunvor, Chevron dont give a single fuck. I must have applied for 40 different roles at Oil majors and only one company invited me. i.e Koch....i half assed that interview because i was so confident to get a job at my previous firm. I still dont know how its didnt work out because i had and went through 4 rounds in two months long hiring process.
Now I am targeting Market risk and counter-party credit risk roles at financial institutes and commodity houses. I have applied for 300 jobs and only got 4 invites.
Please critique my CV and let me know if i am fit or not for the respective roles. Any advice is appreciated.
I have upper second class grades so can't include that in CV.
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Do you have relevant internships for middle office roles? What is your background work experience?
I worked in Control Oversight and Risk for 4 years and now trying to move into market risk
Use WSO resume template. Check your grammar using grammarly. Stop randomly capitalising words that don't need capitalising, just makes you look like you can't speak English. Your bullet points are either not specific enough or too specific. Show me the impact you've had and not just the roles you were given. Use numbers to back up your points. When talking about hyper specific roles like your last one, try to make the achievements feel more tangible to someone who's never worked in your role.
Doesn't actually sound like you've sent that many applications off? You're rambling a lot so can't really tell but maybe 10 or so? That's not a huge amount.
There's also no grade on your resume for any of your education bits so as a recruiter I would be left to assume your grades were bad.
Cover letters, networking, applications tests? What's happening with all of these?
Interviews too, why are you not converting the ones you're getting. You really need to be hyper self aware here. Think where you fucked up, because you probably did. It's not even necessarily about your technicals or anything. Were you likeable? Did you have good motivations for applying to that specific company? Did you display important parts of their culture?
I have applied for at least 300 jobs. My past role is not quantifiable. Its a internal regulatory role. And i only fucked up 1 interview. I am just not getting enough interview opportunities
Yeah that's pretty bad.
Look there's only so many things that go into an application
1. CV
2. Cover letter/motivational questions
3. Connections
4. Tests
So:
1. Your CV can be improved in the ways I've described. Your school you say is fine because other other people got roles - I would add some nuance here and consider what their backgrounds were prior to the masters/if they did internships during the masters that converted. Consider how your profile is different to theirs and you may uncover some clues.
The rest you haven't said anything about.
We also haven't considered what roles you're applying to? What level are you going for?
Which business school did you attend
I would just add that in general, when people ask for help, they aren't really open to suggestions. Not saying that is you. But you've applied to 300 jobs and can't get past the initial screening so there's a major problem. It's either your resume, your phone interview, your follow up, your demeanor, your overall presentation skills (of yourself). Most likely it's a combination of all these things. I would consider either hiring a career coach or reaching out to the alumni / career services of your university (most will work with post grads) and have them thoroughly review everything, practice interviews, etc. I imagine it's a personal communication thing.
The resume advise given is good. Don't tell us what you did per se, but rather how you benefited your firm. Be as quantifiable as possible. Not necessary to be very technical as you're not looking for a STEM job.
I wouldn't complain if recruiters found my communication skills inadequate for the organization. I had phone interviews with 3 firms and i got through to next stages. Those were the only 3 times my CV was shortlisted. The problem is that i am not even getting through the initial screening. I have been living in London for a year now. I think i have adequate communication skills even from socializing perspective. I made lot of friends during my academic year. I have worked in a job role which required me to communicate with senior executives and the fact that i was up for promotion for 2nd time in 5 years means i was doing well in my job. I did not write this post to gain sympathy. And my job role is not quantifiable. I cant write that i identified 300 incorrect adjustment entries in 4 years....this has nothing to do with market risk roles. And i started applying for jobs early. I had 3 mock sessions with career advisor in my uni. They gave positive feedback. The issue here is about not getting shortlisted....i honestly want to know if my experience and education is really not good enough to pursue market risk roles?
Thanks for advice, guys!
I empathize with your struggle in finding a job after three months of graduation. The job search process can be challenging and sometimes discouraging. It's great that you found a blog offering instructions on finding a job immediately, and you're actively following those guidelines. However, it's important to approach the job search with realistic expectations and a well-rounded strategy.
Firstly, focus on refining your CV to highlight your skills, education, and relevant experiences. Tailor it specifically for middle office roles, emphasizing your aptitude for tasks such as risk management, trade support, and data analysis.
Additionally, widen your job search efforts beyond online resources. Attend career fairs, networking events, and connect with professionals in your desired field. Networking can open doors to hidden opportunities and provide valuable insights into the industry.
Remember to remain persistent and positive. Finding the right job often takes time, but by continually improving your CV, expanding your network, and staying proactive, you increase your chances of landing a middle office role. Keep refining your approach, and eventually, the right opportunity will come your way."
Thanks. Let me tell you that I got the job in January. And a really good one.....ended up on a trading desk instead of middle office
Hey wanted to ask if I could PM you on this
If you don't mind me asking, I've just stumbled upon this thread and I'm curious on how you changed your approach to get your job. (Assuming you did change your approach and no variables changed)
Congratulations as well.
Didn't change my approach. Just kept on applying. I think i had a good CV meaning, good work experience and good academic credentials.
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