In October 2023, we ran a ‘How to get into Financial Management’ careers panel event about roles within the industry and top tips for applying for opportunities in this area.
Our panellists:
- Charlotte Wheeler – Financial Planner and Coach at Evelyn Partners, ex-KPMG
- Pawel Abramik – Head of Financial Services at North Bristol NHS Trust
- Victor Flores – Financial Consultant at Hargreaves Lansdown
- Vincent Pang – Senior Tax Manager for ST Telemedia Global Data Centres (Singapore)
Top tips:
- Explore opportunities
Take time to explore roles within the finance industry before applying for your dream job. Having a range of experiences to draw on when you are looking for opportunities can be extremely beneficial because it demonstrates keen interest in the field and allows you to stand out from other applicants.
Graduate schemes can present opportunities to explore various roles within a company. On the Hargreaves Langsdown graduate scheme, Charlotte rotated through roles in human resources, marketing, and finance. This allowed her to determine which role within the finance industry suited her the most.
- Be curious
Employers are looking for individuals who are curious about the work they are engaging with as this shows authentic interest in the industry.
When asking questions during an internship or graduate scheme, it is important to demonstrate that you can be curious and proactive. Vincent advised asking plenty of questions to demonstrate your interest and curiosity about the role. However, he also suggested that you should do your own research and bring ideas to try to find your own solutions too. Then, you’re asking the employer for their opinion rather than expecting straightforward assistance, consequently showing effort and finding out more about the industry.
Further, great commercial awareness can be built through curiosity. For example, researching employers during the application process can arm you with stronger interview answers that are based on the context of the organisation.
- Develop behavioural skills
A role related to financial data could require greater knowledge of coding languages, and some roles in finance require advanced quantitative skills. However, for most roles, it is critical to exhibit a firm grasp of behavioural skills throughout all stages of the application process. Victor cited collaboration and organisational abilities as most important, both of which can be demonstrated through group projects completed in university.
On artificial intelligence in Finance, Pawel and Charlotte agreed that AI is increasing with the object of enhancing roles and performance, but should not be employed to replace roles completely. Many clients are still looking for face-to-face interaction, meaning that interpersonal skills like communication remain extremely important for most job roles.
- Know what you and the employers want
After applying to a multitude of jobs, Pawel realised that he wanted to work in the public sector because of the meaningful impact he could have on other people’s lives. This led him to target finance-based graduate schemes within the public sector. He stressed it’s important to get to know what you want from a role, so you can be as specific as possible when applying.
Speaking to someone within the company or industry you are interested in can enable you to determine what managers are looking for in a future employee, which in turn helps you significantly with situational judgement tests and interviews.
- Be resilient!
It is okay to get rejected from roles. Victor and Pawel remembered applying to many opportunities before finding a job that worked best for them. Their key piece of advice was to persevere. Apply for as many jobs as you can as there will be a role that works well for you! Both also noted that overcoming rejection can improve your ability to recover from difficulties and setbacks, which is a key skill many employers look out for in potential applicants.
Find out more:
- Read relevant sector guides on the banking and finance sector or accounting and actuarial sector
- Check out our practice test resources on situational judgement and other selection tests practice
- Read our guides on networking and LinkedIn and interviews
- Watch the How to get into Financial Management event recording
Blog written by Megan Lim, a 3rd year law student and Student Engagement Team Worker