Taking a year out after university - how do I improve my chances of getting hired?
So I'm looking for a position as a trader, was unable to land a good job in my last year and I'm about to graduate. I don't want to settle for a job in the Big 4 or something I don't really want to do. I enjoy the markets/trading and want to stick to that.
Now I have a year to improve my qualifications/CV. I'm considering doing the CFA, trading my own account, and learning programming. Anything I could specifically do to improve my chances of getting hired next year? I'm willing to work extremely hard and open to any suggestions.
Thanks guys
cfa and programming are currently unrelated career paths, i believe. take a year out and do something innovative. will go further than being yet another dbag with a parentally funded cfa.
Sounds like you're semi-bailing from the real world with that plan. What was your undergrad?
Target university in the UK.
A lot of people do CFA level 1 while they're working, so that's not going to be very impressive.
I'd recommend doing something that you couldn't do if you had a real job.
If it were me, I'd travel internationally extensively and visit 25-40 countries. Not only will it be enjoyable, educational, etc, but you would have a lot of great stories and could spin it very positively in an interview -- particularly so if you do something like CFA level 1 while traveling. (CFA in particular doesn't matter, but you want to do something productive. Otherwise it will look like you were just partying the whole time.)
I'd love to just travel but the problem is that's not going to help me land interviews. I'm going to end up in the same spot as I am in now. My CV is good but it isn't great, and you know what the competition is like. I was thinking of brushing up on trading as well through reading books etc. but from what you guys say, it would be more beneficial to do something unrelated.
Quite a conundrum for me..one one hand it sounds good to do something innovative and fun but on the other I'm scared it could set me back..
You said you're "taking a year out".
If you want to be a trader, then network your butt off and get the interview. It seems like you haven't had much luck in this. With your credentials then I would try applying for grad schools in financial engineering or master in finance. Traders now need programming skills, so learning that and applying to a target FE would be good. Then land a job as a quant trader in wallstreet, but easier said than done. But at the end of the day, if there is a will, there is a way.
I'm still a student too, so take this with a grain of salt, but it seems like trying to secure an unofficial, unpaid internship could be good for you. You could find a group you'd like to work for and offer to work for them for a period of time for free as an intern just to learn. Worst case scenario you can use it on your resume when recruiting starts again, best case they give you a job offer. I'm not sure how difficult it would be to find this sort of opportunity though.
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