The Finance Whisperer

4 Unexpected Categories to Strengthen Your Resume

As expected, work experience and education are the go-to categories to include on your resume.  They display your skill set, knowledge, and capabilities.  However, you are not limited to just these two categories.  You can include additional topics to re-enforce your qualifications, and showcase your interests and personality.  This can help you to bolster your resume, make it more appealing to recruiters, and set it apart from the hundreds of resumes that recruiters sort through on a regular basis.  In a Forbes article, Ashley Faus, highlights which additional areas to include:

1. Community Service

Whether you are working at your local church or dedicating time to tutor less fortunate children, volunteerism is a great display of both your management and organizational skills.  You may have to supervise a group, organize activities, or even balance the books, which all demonstrate your leadership abilities and overall competency.  Additionally, as with any full-time job, long periods of volunteering show your motivation and your commitment to a long-term goal.  Be sure to list your accomplishments and the knowledge you acquired from the experience.

2. Hobbies (That Apply to Your Career)

Be sure to include a few hobbies that are applicable to your career.  For example, if you are applying to jobs in finance and you have experience managing your own stock portfolio, include this in your resume.  Or, if you are applying to jobs in software development and you have experience computer programming, include it.  This will display your ingenuity and your drive to succeed.

3. Life Experiences

A few examples of life experiences to include are studying abroad, learning a new language, or writing a blog.  Participating in these activities outside of work are additional ways for you the build your skill set and broaden your worldview.  Be sure to list the expertise you attained during the experience including: languages, software, and technical skills.  Recruiters will be pleased to see that you are a motivated individual who has taken it upon yourself to try something new and to expand your knowledge.

4. Areas of Interest

Including a few areas of interests such as a sports league you are part of or non-profit you are passionate about, is a great way for recruiters to determine your personality and to see if you would be a good overall fit for the company and its culture.  While building your resume, research the company to see if any of your interests match those of the company, and include those.  Your interests show your initiative outside of the office and they can also be great talking points during your interview.    

Including these additional categories helps the recruiter to see you outside of the usual rigidity of a resume.  It will set you apart from your competitors and it will also allow you to further showcase your abilities and expertise.  Best of luck!

A Key to Career Success: Responsiveness

Professionals often search for ways to develop their careers, succeed, and get ahead.  They network, take on additional tasks, and find ways to enhance their skill set, but a key career development component that can sometimes be overlooked, is responsiveness.  In a recent Forbes article, Sherri Edwards, indicates that professionals need to display their efficiency and responsiveness when completing tasks and ameliorating unexpected circumstances.  Management seeks people who can think quickly on their feet and those who can quickly accomplish the task with poise and maturity.  Age is not a factor in this expectation.  Although youth is often associated with open-mindedness and responsiveness, experience and development can also contribute to a swift reaction time.  Edwards highlights that responsiveness is a skill that can be and should be displayed in daily duties and interactions.  It is also very evident when it is not displayed.  To ensure responsiveness, Edwards provides us with a few tips to keep in mind.

• Reply quickly and efficiently to e-mails and voicemails. 
• To ensure targets and deadlines are met, follow-up to requests, inquiries, and previous conversations.
• Remain open-minded and be willing to review occurrences from a varying perspective.
• Manage your time well.
• Organize your thoughts and goals prior to meetings.
• If you foresee a problem or complication, take steps to avoid it immediately.
• Do not procrastinate.
• Instead of relying on others, take it upon yourself to find a solution.

Responsiveness, although not always spoken of, is an important component in advancing your career.  Use these tips as a guide to increase your responsiveness and get ahead in your profession.  Good luck!

How to Conquer Job Interview Nerves

You’ve researched, you’ve networked, and now you have applied to the job.  You’ve taken all of the necessary steps and now the big job interview day is approaching.  You should be excited but with big life-changing events, comes an even bigger set of nerves.  In a recent U.S. News & World Report article, Jacqui Barrett-Poindexter, provides you with some helpful hints to calm the job interview nerves.

1. They’ve Already Shown an Interest in You

You’ve already overcome one of the biggest hurdles; they liked your resume which means they already think that you could be a good fit for the job.  You are no longer an unknown to them.  You can now take this time to further promote yourself and your capabilities.

2. Rest Up

Getting rest before the interview can make you more alert and responsive to whatever questions they throw your way.  By getting a full night’s sleep, you are more likely to put your best foot forward during the interview.

3. Practice

Barrett-Poindexter highlights that there are common questions that are asked in most interviews such as “name your biggest accomplishment,” or “describe a mistake you made and how you learned from it.”  Since these are common questions, be one step ahead, and practice your responses before your interview.  It is helpful if your responses show how you will be an asset to the company. 

4. Promote Your Abilities

Take this opportunity to display your abilities and skill set to the interviewer.  Have anecdotes available to describe times when you used your aptitude to accomplish a task or solve a problem.  These stories can also show how you will fit into the culture of the company.

5. Eat Breakfast

Eat breakfast or a meal before the interview.  Instead of paying attention to a hungry stomach, you will be more attentive to the interview at hand and you will be able to perform better.

6. Be Prepared

Prior to the interview day, pick your outfit, figure out the directions to the interview site, and sort out last minute details.  This way you will not be overwhelmed with unnecessary tasks on the big day.

7. Arrive Early

Show up to your interview at least 15 minutes early.  This will give you the opportunity to get your things in order, take a deep breath, and relax before the interviewer calls you in.

Use these steps to guide you in your interview preparation.  They will help you to feel ready and relaxed for the big day.  Best of luck!

The New Top Job: Financial Advisor

As the economy fluctuates and young professionals are unsure about the security of their current jobs, there is a job that is being labeled as one of the most stable and significant careers in the finance space: the financial advisor.  In a recent Forbes article, the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicated that the growth rate of financial advisors is expected to reach 32% in the next ten years.  This is exceedingly higher than the growth rate of all other careers: 14%.  Additionally, a financial advisor’s salary could quadruple from the $64,750 median salary recorded in May 2010.

To add on to this positive news, the average age of a financial advisor is currently 50 years old.  As they look to retire, young professionals are sought after to take their places.  Cerulli Associates accentuates the need for a new generation of financial advisors when they recorded that out of the 316,000 financial advisors currently within the U.S., only 5% are younger than 30 years old.  With these factors in your favor, Danny Sarch, a Wall Street Recruiter, calls it one of “the most secure jobs in the world.”  Financial advisors come from varying backgrounds, so if you have a bachelor’s degree under your belt and an acclimation to learn something new, this could be a great career move!

 

Your Internship Can Turn Into a Job

As college graduates struggle to find jobs, it is a reassuring metric that 60% of paid internships result in job offers, as reported in a recent Forbes article (unpaid internships had a lower conversion rate of 37%).  The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) conducted the study which surveyed 15,715 college seniors from January 2012 through April 2012.  According to the study, paid internships involve a substantial amount of professional experience which causes the company to become more invested in your performance and growth.  The survey reported that paid interns typically spend 42% of their time helping with analysis and project management, while unpaid interns perform these tasks only 30% of the time.  Whichever type of internship you are involved in, internships can be a great launch pad for your future career and it is important to make a good impression.  Forbes provides us with some advice:

1. Research the Internship

Search online and if possible, talk to others that have had the internship in the past.  You want an internship that has a lot of hands-on experience allowing for your professional growth.

2. Be Professional

Be respectful, pay attention to dress code, and follow appropriate office hours.  By being mindful of company culture, you appear as a mature individual that is ready to commit to a full-time job.  

3. Network

Take this opportunity to begin networking with peers, upper management, and other departments.  The people you meet now can be great contacts and professional resources in the future, whether you are looking for a job or need professional advice.

4. Ask Questions

As an intern you want to learn as much as you can while you can, so don’t be afraid to ask questions.  An internship is a learning experience and you are not expected to know everything from the start.

5. Plan with your Supervisor

Sit down with your supervisor at the beginning of your internship and decide on goals you would like to achieve.  Discuss skills you would like to obtain and projects you would like to work on.  By creating a road map in the beginning, you are setting yourself up for success.

6. Volunteer

If someone is in need of assistance on a project, volunteer to help.  By volunteering for different tasks you will learn more and develop a more well-rounded skill set.  Just make sure not to exceed the limit of what you can handle.

7. Keep in Touch

At the completion of your internship, stay in touch with those you have met.  Initially, send thank you notes and every few months send emails to keep the lines of communication open.