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Landing a finance job with just a bachelor’s degree is highly competitive but it isn’t impossible. The inboxes, both digital and physical, of industry professionals and human resources (HR) folks at banks and brokerages are stuffed with resumes of students with dreams of big money, lavish lifestyles, and getting on the path to being Masters of the Universe by the time they are 30.
If that weren’t enough, the financial and investment services job market is cyclical. When the stock market booms, jobs in finance boom as well. But when returns dwindle, so do the openings. But even when the market is flush with jobs, they may not be what you want. Follow these five tips to dramatically increase your chance of landing a finance gig with a bachelor’s degree—possibly even before you graduate.
Key Takeaways
- You don’t need an MBA to work in finance, which is highly competitive.
- Internships offer experience, exposure, and what it feels like working in a full-time gig.
- Take advantage of the diversity-oriented programs that firms use to recruit women, minorities, veterans, the disabled, and LGBTQ+ community members.
- If you don’t want to major in a finance-related field, minor in one—or at least take a course or two.
- Consider sitting for financial industry credentialing exams, like the CFA or the SIE.
1. Seek Internships, Early and Often
An internship can be ideal between college years, during the college year, and even right after college year if you can find a program that is open to graduates. It helps to fill in for the lack of full-time experience and is not as difficult to get as a real job.
Many finance internships offer academic credit or are paid so there are no excuses if you need to earn some green. If you plan to get a summer job anyway, it is better to do something that will further your career. The same holds true for working during the academic year. Instead of a part-time gig at the local clothing store, offer to file papers or prepare PowerPoint presentations for a local investment advisor.
What to Expect
Most internships will likely feature plenty of routine tasks. Expect days of printing out documents, assembling materials for presentations, and similar chores. But they also provide learning experiences, references, networking opportunities, and something tangible to talk about in an interview. You’ll also get a sense of the atmosphere of different types of workplaces and how well this type of work might fit your interests and work style.
Don’t just stop after one: Doing several internships not only builds your experience and connections but also demonstrates a strong work ethic. This is a sought-after quality in the financial industry. Try to pick the jobs strategically. For instance:
- Don’t do five internships for equity traders unless you’re 100% sure that you want to trade stocks for a living.
- Try to switch it up a little. This means going after internships that will take you around the industry. Not only will this will help you gain a better perspective, but exposure to different sectors can also give you an edge in the job market.
The finance industry is famously hard-charging, especially at the junior levels, and you need to show you can handle it and more. Good references are valuable no matter what, but, more importantly, impressing your bosses during an internship can be a great way to open doors for a future full-time job with that company. Many summer analyst/internship programs at big banks are created to look for entry-level hires for the next year.
Work very hard at any internship that you land. Try to arrive before your supervisors get there, and leave after they do. Always go the extra mile and volunteer for more if the opportunity arises.
2. Use Your Background
Diversity has become important in the labor force, including the finance industry. Highly conscious of its dominated-by-white-men ranks, the industry is trying hard to change and become more in step with a multicultural society.
Part of its initiative is to offer internships, entry-level training programs, and symposia specifically for women, ethnic minorities, and other protected classes (as they are defined by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission [EEOC]), at the undergraduate or even high school level.
Consider the following diversity-oriented programs in the finance industry:
- Goldman Sachs (GS) mounts a four-month HBCU Possibilities Program for students and recent grads of historically Black colleges or universities.
- Credit Suisse sponsors a Women’s Mentor Program for female sophomores, involving a multiday career conference and interviews for summer internships.
- Deloitte’s Neurodiverse@Deloitte targets neurodiverse candidates for its 12-week virtual apprenticeship program. It offers individuals hands-on experience and a chance to mentor alongside working professionals. This program is available for people who live with autism, learning disabilities, and Tourette syndrome, among other neurodivergent labels.
- Morgan Stanley (MS) offers undergraduate students the chance to work as a summer analyst at its New York City, Baltimore, or Alpharetta offices under the Early Insights Program. This opportunity is aimed at students from traditionally underrepresented communities.
If you qualify for a diversity program, course, or scholarship, don’t be shy—apply. Many of your classmates will be tapping every family connection they can muster as they hunt for openings. In a competitive job market, play every card you have at your disposal.
For other ideas to help you kickstart your financial career, check out financial job boards or employment-resource sites like 10X EBITDA.
3. Target Your Studies
Many companies say your major does not matter, claiming they hire people from all backgrounds, including art majors. No doubt they do, but it is certainly better to apply for finance jobs with a finance-related degree. You should ideally concentrate on a numbers-oriented discipline, such as business, economics, applied mathematics, etc.
Other areas of study can be apropos, though. Concepts learned in physics and pure math offer good preparation for understanding currency swaps, derivatives trading, and structured investment products.
A knowledge of science or engineering can be useful—even crucial—for becoming a research analyst, investment banker, or fund manager specializing in industries like natural resources, energy, biotech, communications, and pharmaceuticals. And in this era of robo-advisors, digital stock exchanges, and algorithmic trading, those with degrees in information technology or computer sciences find their skills welcome, especially on the support system or services side.
Still, all is not lost for art history majors or other humanities types. The ability to research, synthesize, and analyze information—and to write well—is valuable in any industry, finance included. Even so, if you are going to major in the liberal arts, try to minor in a more numbers-crunching discipline. At the very least, take a course or two.
4. Learn to Talk the Talk
Another great way to prep for a finance career is to make reading financial news part of your routine. Pick up a subscription (physical or digital) to The Wall Street Journal and/or the Financial Times and read it every day. Then there are periodicals like The Economist, which is good for an international point of view. Barron’s or Bloomberg Businessweek will help expand your knowledge as well. As a student, you can probably get discounted subscriptions.
Immersing yourself in financial literature will help you get used to the terms and jargon of Wall Street, which is one of the biggest hurdles to cross. Do you know what MBS, CDS, BPS, EBITDA, and the federal discount rate mean? Regularly reading the financial news throughout college will help you pick up the basics in due time.
Even if you study the vocabulary in your courses, reading about real-world finance will help you solidify that knowledge and feel more comfortable discussing it—and the topics and issues of concern to it. This is always good to do in an interview.
Other ways of picking up financial knowledge include reading investing books, from basic to advanced topics, watching financial news coverage and videos online, and tutorials and guides from financial websites (the fact that you’re reading Investopedia proves you’re already on the right track). Treat learning a financial language the same as learning a foreign language.
5. Start Garnering Credentials
Many applicants will have high grade-point averages and degrees from good schools and will have done the things listed above. How else can you go above and beyond to differentiate yourself?
The Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA)
One way is to take the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Level I exam. The CFA is well-respected in the financial industry. You’ll need to pass three exams and have 4,000 hours of eligible work experience to actually obtain the CFA designation, but the first exam can be taken in the final year of a Bachelor of Arts program.
Financial professionals know the amount of time and dedication that the program entails (a minimum of 300 hours of study is recommended per exam). Coming out of an undergraduate program having passed the first exam will definitely make you stand out among other job candidates.
The Level I CFA exam is offered twice in 2024: once in August and November.
The SIE
Brokers, registered investment advisors, and others who plan to deal with investments and financial products in the United States must take certain licensing exams.
Traditionally, one had to be sponsored by a member firm or a self-regulatory organization to sit for these qualifying Series exams. However, in 2018, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) finalized a new test, the Securities Industry Essentials (SIE) Exam, which can be taken without sponsorship or association with a company.
Open to anyone age 18 or older, the 75-question, 105-minute SIE is ideal for “demonstrating basic industry knowledge to prospective employers,” the FINRA website states. It alone won’t qualify you to work in the securities industry, but it certainly demonstrates your familiarity with the field and the seriousness of your interest in it.
What Are Some Entry-Level Positions in Finance?
Some of the most common entry-level positions in finance include financial and investment banking analysts, financial advisors, accountants, and junior tax associates. You may also be able to get your first job as a credit analyst, financial specialist, or working with an audit department.
How Can I Start a Career in Finance Without a Finance Degree?
Although most employers in the finance industry prefer candidates with a degree in finance, it isn’t impossible to find your place in the sector with a degree in another discipline.
Is a Bachelor’s in Finance Worth It?
If you’re looking to get into a finance-related career, an undergraduate degree in finance is always a good idea. It gives you the fundamentals and foundational knowledge of the world of finance. Upgrading and getting certified or special designations can also help land you that first job or move up the ladder to a higher position. You may also be able to find some success in a related academic field, such as economics or accounting.
The Bottom Line
For entry-level positions, interviewers do not expect candidates to know the nitty-gritty of the industry. That’s why many companies have orientation and training programs that teach new recruits the specifics. Still, the more background knowledge you have, the better.
The competitive nature of the finance job market means that focusing on your studies early, gaining experience with internships, and gleaning knowledge from following the financial press will help you stay at the front of the pack. And doing something to break away from the pack, such as earning a financial credential like the CFA or joining a diversity program, can increase your chances of landing that first job.
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