10 Ways to Get a Finance Job Without Prior Experience
Getting a finance job is hard. It's even harder if you have no prior experience in the industry. You can always try to get an internship or shadowing opportunity, but those are often time-consuming and limited in number. Here are some other options to consider as well:
Understand yourself.
You're going to want to understand yourself as a person, and what you are good at. If you have any sort of skill that is related to finance, then it can be used in your interview process.
For example, if you enjoy talking about investments and the stock market, this may be something that employers ask prospective employees about during an interview.
You also need to know what areas of expertise (or lack thereof) make up who you are as a person. This will help give clarity into what kind of personality type would be best suited for different roles within finance departments across different companies or industries—and how much time they would need dedicating toward learning those skillset(s).
Network, network, network.
- Networking is the best way to get a job.
- Networking can be done online, in person, or both.
- It’s a lifelong skill that can be used in any industry and helps you build relationships that will help you throughout your career.
Get in the habit of learning!.
Another way to get a finance job without prior experience is by learning. It's important to be curious, so you can learn new skills and try new things.
You can also make your own opportunities by getting involved in the community or taking a course or workshop that will help you develop as an employee. Practice makes perfect!
Seek mentors and shadowing opportunities.
It’s important to seek out mentors and shadowing opportunities. Mentors can help you get a job, or they can simply give you advice on what to do next once you have one. You can also learn from them how they got their finance jobs and whether they think it's possible for you to do so too.
Shadowing is another great way of getting experience in finance without having any prior knowledge or training in the field itself. If possible, find someone who works at your dream employer—and ask if it would be possible for them to let you shadow them for a few days during their work week (or maybe even just one day). This will show you that there is a demand for someone like yourself within this industry!
Internships are gold.
Internships are a great way to get experience and build your resume, but they can also help you develop skills that are valuable in the workplace. For example, if you're interested in finance, interning at an investment bank will give you an opportunity to learn about how these types of companies work—and it might even help prepare future employers for what they should expect from someone with your background.
If there's one thing I've learned through my own experience as well as talking with other recent graduates who have successfully landed jobs after starting out with internships (and who don't have any prior experience), it's that good networking skills are key! If no one knows about something or knows where it is located (whether locally or internationally), then it won't get done - so make sure everyone knows about everything before taking action!
Volunteer.
- Volunteer.
- Look for volunteer opportunities that fit your skillset and interests, such as tutoring students or serving on a board of directors of an organization you care about.
- Make sure to highlight the time commitment involved in volunteering, which is often much more than paid work! This is especially true if you’re doing work related to your field of study (say, helping out at a community center).
- For example: “I spent one week per month during my undergraduate years volunteering at [name] Community Center” will give readers an idea of how much time was spent working there; whereas “I volunteered for three hours per day for two months during my senior year” would be less impressive because it doesn't convey how long those two months were in total (i.e., two years).
Treat interviews like a job.
The best way to get a finance job without prior experience is by being prepared and professional. You should dress appropriately, be on time and polite, pay attention during interviews and ask questions about the company's culture.
When preparing for an interview:
- Make sure you have all of your documents ready so that they're not forgotten or left behind at home. Also, make sure to bring plenty of copies if needed (like ID).
- If possible, schedule interviews in different places so that you can meet people who work there too—this will help after the interview if they offer an opportunity but it doesn't work out with another employer the first time around!
Work experience is still king.
Although you may have some great qualifications, it’s unlikely that you can get a job without prior finance experience.
The good news is that there are ways to work around this problem. You can use your internship or part-time employment as an opportunity to gain valuable experience and make contacts in the industry. If you don’t have any opportunities available at the moment, consider looking outside of your field of study for something more suited to your skillset.
For example: if you are interested in marketing but lack any relevant experience working with clients or customers, consider finding work as a designer or project manager where these types of interactions would be more common than they would be within fintech companies (which tend not to hire creative types).
Get creative with your resume.
- Use a resume template. If you don't want to write your own, there are plenty of free and paid templates available online that can help you get started.
- Use a resume builder. Similar to the previous option but with more flexibility, resume builders allow users to create their own resumes based on skills and experience they've acquired over time (or even just in the last week). Some even come with personality tests so they know how best to present themselves when applying for jobs!
How to get a finance job without prior experience
You need to be passionate about finance.
You need to be willing to work hard.
You need to be willing to learn.
You need to be willing and able to network with other people in the field, so that you can get a better understanding of what it takes as an individual or group leader within the industry and how they operate in relation to each other (and also how they feel about their jobs).
Conclusion
If you’re determined to get a finance job without prior experience, there are plenty of ways to do it. The key is finding your niche and then leveraging everything in your arsenal to make yourself stand out from the pack.
If you have some great skills that can be applied at an investment bank but don’t have any experience in finance or banking yet, focus on honing them so that they will help you later on down the road when it comes time for interviews! After all, if you’re trying hard enough and really want this career path then anything goes...