Typical opportunities

Entry-level finance can have a variety of meanings, but tends to denote a position that would be a person’s first full-time job in the financial industry. Typically this does not include financial internships, which are usually for undergraduate students, and may or may not be paid.

Candidates enter the world of finance from a fairly broad range of backgrounds, but the majority have some common skills and education.

Education

In terms of education, successful candidates tend to have a college degree and have demonstrated an interest in finance. This could be through undergraduate study of finance, business, accounting etc., or through work experience and extracurricular activities. Financial institutions vary on how much of an academic background in finance they require. Some heavily recruit out of undergraduate business schools, while others prefer graduates with a diverse liberal arts background.

And while it may seem counter-intuitive to require relevant work experience for an entry-level position, we have found that the top investment banks strongly prefer to hire those who have had at least one relevant internship, and preferably more than one.

Skills

Do not think that coming from a liberal arts background will excuse poor Excel skills. Almost every entry-level finance job will require some work in Excel. In fact, the daily work for many entry level finance jobs is done almost entirely in Excel. Given this, it is advisable to advance your Excel skills as much as possible. For this reason Wall Street Services offers Excel Tutorials which can help guide you from beginner to expert. The tutorials even include lessons on VBA (Virtual Basic Applications), which is a highly valued skill for analysts.

There is no perfect set of steps to follow to get an entry-level finance job, but there are certain things one can do to increase the chances of obtaining an entry-level finance job.

If you orient your education and work around finance (as indicated above) you will have a much better chance at landing an entry-level finance position.

Wall Street Services can also help you get an entry-level finance job. We work with some of the most respected names in finance who know our impeccable reputation and trust us to deliver the finest employees. Ideal candidates for entry-level finance jobs will be college graduates who have excelled academically, and had successful internships at well-known financial firms.

Submit your resume today and the experts at Wall Street Services will help you begin your career in finance.