I’m not sure if it was the Wall Street movies I watched as a kid or my dad’s obsession with the stock markets, but I knew from a young age that I wanted to get into the world of finance. The only thing standing in my way? On paper, I didn’t have the credentials to make that dream a reality. I didn’t go to a top school, I was a liberal arts majorand I wasn’t even allowed into the business school’s career fair, but I wasn’t going to let that stop me. Spoiler alert: I ended up with an entry-level job as a Financial Analyst, Private Wealth Management at Goldman Sachs, spent 4 incredible years at their office in Dallas and developed great relationships.
So, here are 5 ways you can get your foot in the door, too.
1. Talk to people
Make this the first step. Go out and find people with the jobs you want (or think you want). Try to get introductions through family/friends, career services/alumni relations office or LinkedIn. Try to make your introduction personal. What are they doing that interests you? How can you potentially add value to them?
The hardest part of the job search is being fearful of the unknown. However, one sure-fire way to get over that fear is to start having real conversations. Build your networks and your relationships, cold email people and ask them out to coffee—if you don’t ask, the answer is always no.
2. Do your homework
There is absolutely no excuse not to have a reasonable understanding of the industry/company/role you wish to obtain. For finance specifically, Mergers and Inquisitions and Wall Street Oasis were my favorite free resources to learn about the banking industry and the different divisions within it (Hint: investment banking looks vastly different than operations).
Research the company: How do they differentiate themselves from the competition? Apart from their core business, what do they do that resonates with you? A peer of mine advised me to speak about the Goldman Sachs 10k Small Businesses initiative and how it struck a chord with me, because I was an Eagle Scout and philanthropy was important to me. It was a year after the financial crisis and Goldman Sachs was desperately trying to salvage its reputation, so the fact that I knew about these philanthropic efforts helped my case. This had nothing to do with finance, markets or valuation analysis, yet it still served as a differentiator for me.
3. Be curious
While I was at Goldman Sachs, I helped with campus recruiting for 8 semesters. Most students took the vanilla approach of memorizing the latest Wall Street Journal article they could find on the markets. While it’s important to know about your industry’s current events, that shouldn’t be your only focus.
The candidates that were truly able to separate themselves were ones that asked probing questions about our careers, experiences, and keys to success. Questions like, “Why have you been in your job for four years? What makes a great analyst? How does Goldman Sachs maintain itself as the best investment bank in the world? What do you not like about the job? What is going to help me succeed as an analyst?“ are the ones that stand out.
Everybody likes talking about themselves; it’s a flaw we all have (this is why my article was shortened). Because of this, think about listening more to the interviewer than speaking. As a student, you’re not expected to know all the answers, but you are expected to have curiosity. Show that.
4. Pass the airport test
At the end of Super Days (3-6 interview rounds in one day), 8-12 interviewers would gather in a room and discuss the candidates we interviewed. There were always mixed feelings about candidates; no one ever unanimously made it as a clear favorite. The best way to decipher candidate outcomes was the airport test which is “If my flight is delayed overnight, can I comfortably suffer through that brutal wait with you?” If I work with you, I’m going to spend more time with you than I will with anyone else in my life, including my family. That’s a big investment.
5. Know your differentiator
Today, it’s becoming increasingly difficult for candidates to distinguish themselves on their resume. The good news is that companies are realizing there is a need for diversity in the workplace, and it’s not limited to ethnic or gender diversity.
There is also this notion called diversity of thought. In college, I ran a real estate brokerage to help students find off-campus housing. I was able to speak to entrepreneurial experience where revenue goals, growth expectations and operational efficiencies had to be exceeded in order for my business to continue running and for me to pay my way through school.
At the end of the day, there is no secret sauce. Be hungry, be curious and want it more than anyone else. Here’s some motivation as you prepare: When you want to succeed as bad as you want to breathe, then you will be successful.
