5 Traits Today’s Finance College Grads Need
Do you have what it takes to nab your dream job in finance?
While you might have all the concrete skills you need, it’s also possible you’ve been neglecting to cultivate your soft skills. In fact, recent research by the Manpower Group discovered one in five employers worldwide cannot find talent to fill open positions. One of the major reasons behind this talent shortage is candidates lack the soft skills necessary to thrive in the business world.
As a student, you may have learned all about the markets and spent endless nights memorizing facts and financial theories. But how much time did you spend learning to work together with others, communicate clearly, and think way, way outside the box?
Here are just five of the most pressing soft skills today’s finance grads need to develop in order to impress in the interview and during their first years in the workforce:
Communication Skills
If you can’t clearly communicate with others, you can never share your great ideas or contribute positively to groups projects. It’s time to brush up your communication skills, both written and verbal.
In today’s social media-obsessed society, being able to write a clear and concise message is becoming more and more important. Clean up your act on social media, and ensure all your channels are professional and promote your personal brand.
If you get nervous speaking in front of others, go to classes or groups centered around improving public speaking. Communication skills are essential in every level of the business world, and they become more important as you rise up the ranks. If you want that corner office someday, you need to be able to clearly communicate with coworkers and superiors.
Critical Thinking Skills
The ability to think critically and grow in your role is a must for any business professional. You should be able to show employers your learning won’t stop just because you’ve turned the tassel on your traditional schooling. Look into additional educational opportunities, whether it’s learning a new skill or deepening your knowledge of tools with which you’re already familiar.
The Ability to Collaborate
No new hire is a lone wolf, and to move up the career ladder, you’ll need a lot of helping hands along the way. Before you nab your dream job, you should be able to show employers you can work well with others and contribute positively in a group environment.
This might mean putting an important group project on your credentials, or taking time to volunteer in an industry-related capacity so you can use references to prove your ability to work collaboratively. Teamwork is important whether you’re at the top or bottom of the professional food chain, so it’s smart to show off your abilities to communicate and collaborate early in your career.
Global Awareness
If you’re looking to break into the financial industry, you should be looking on a global scale. Most financial institutions are looking for employees who can operate on the same international level on which their companies operate.
Plenty of finance firms actively seek those with international experience, so broadening your horizons just might help you nab your dream job. After all, Goldman Sachs seeks language graduates or native speakers for 50 percent of all roles, which means having a linguistic card up your sleeve might be what you need to get the job.
The Power to Innovate
Innovation is key in all industries, so you need to be able to think outside the box. For instance, Morgan Stanley cites entrepreneurial skills as a vital ability in new hires. Companies want to know you have the ability to not only get work done, but also bring something new and exciting to the table.
If you want to show off your ability to innovate, start a side business, blog, or even a nonprofit for a cause you’re passionate about. Your ability to take the lead, meet challenges, and innovate will show employers you have what it takes and will be able to bring something special to their company.
If you want to nab the job of your dreams, it’s time to start polishing your soft skills. While concrete abilities are the backbone of the job market, soft skills can take you from an entry-level position to a power player. Most importantly, great soft skills can help you ace your interview, impress in your first job, and climb the career ladder more quickly.
What are some soft skills you’ve cultivated for the job search? Share in the comments!
Amit Chauhan is the CEO and co-founder of Recroup, an entry-level hiring platform that allows employers to find the right talent by getting to know the person behind the resume. Connect with Amit and the Recroup team on Twitter and LinkedIn.
Image courtesy of Flickr user Flazingo Photos
Building great schools
10yI'm sorry but I seriously doubt if you can go to a top tier investment bank or asset manager and impress them with what you've listed above. Financial firms don't care about soft skills. They only care which school you went to, what silly expedition you've been on to stand out, the next silly expedition that you are planning, what languages you speak, how many pointless summer internships you've done to show evidence of interest in the field, and how badly you want to 'get rich'. Ambition, hunger, big hairy balls that hang low, and an 'I'll do anything to get rich' attitude will make you a star on the street way quicker than the time it takes your MD to notice your soft skills... Oh, and before I forget, at interview they might ask you whether you believe in the (in)efficient market hypothesis and how the credit crunch affected the green grocer down the road. So make sure you've got cracking answers to those questions. The rest, soft skills as you call call them, will only get you a nice smile from the receptionist at the front desk... Please finance grads, don't go running around trying to polish your soft skills, coz I assure you, that ain't improving your chances of a job, at least not as much as Amit claims.