• participation with the reporting of risk quotient models and Sarbanes Oxley requirements
• working with business analysts and Compliance
• developing recommendations for process improvement

• Understanding of equities and fixed income products
• developed ability to work to changing deadlines and targets
• Understanding of operations aspect of securities processing
• Degree plus 1-3 years experience in finance

Using a generic resume and cover letter. This has got to be the number one pet peeve of recruiters. This “don’t” has so often been circulated among job seekers that it is practically common knowledge. In spite of this, many applicants still choose not to tailor their resume and cover letters to the tasks and responsibilities of the particular job they are trying to get. That’s a bad idea. Sending generic attachments to potential employers can inadvertently make you seem uncommitted, disinterested, or even insubordinate. Remember, your resume is their first impression of you. Avoid any miscommunication by tailoring your template resume and cover. Align your experience with their job description by including a few of the words the employer uses in the job post. (There’s a loophole if you are a seasoned professional: when you have had and are only applying to very specific jobs, a single well-written resume should suffice in all cases.)

Padding without personality. I have all too often seen resumes and cover letters where job applicants spend so much time focused on showing what they’ve done; they fail to adequately show what they want to do. As a result, they seem flat, personality-less, and unattractive as a potential employee. As important as it is to show that you are competently suitable for the job to which you’re applying, it is equally important to show that it’s something you would really enjoy doing on a daily basis. Not only will you be happier and more productiveif you are performing tasks you actually like to do, you’ll probably be a more enjoyable person to work with. Showing this in your resume and cover may be just what you need to stand out among a group of equally qualified applicants.

Adding all experiences to resume just to fill the page. Recent graduates and young professionals tend to be most guilty of this gaffe. They include every potentially relevant thing they have doneon their resume in a futile to effort seem more experienced than they actually are. It doesn’t work. Neither does listing all honors received or using an excessive number of bullet points to describe every little responsibility garnered in previous jobs. You instead seem immature at best and disinterested or a bad “fit” at worst. There is an extremely limited amount of space on a resume, even if it seems like a ton. Use it wisely. If you were a good student and graduated Phi Beta Kappa, there is no need to also say that you graduated Magna Cum Laude—you must have. To put both is to be unnecessarily redundant, and in fact makes you seem a little arrogant. If you had prior work experience, limit the descriptions to responsibilities that could potentially help you be successful in your new employment tasks. 3-4 bullet points, at most. If you are faced with a substantial amount of blank space on your resume, don’t fill it with needless information; consider reformatting it instead.

By Abena, Wall Street Services Reporter

• Negotiating relationship documentation, including master and collateral agreements
• Reviewing capacity and authority documents
• Working closely with the credit, risk managers, legal, external counsel, and sales groups

• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem solving abilities
• Ability to work in teams, cope with pressure, and deliver results under strict deadlines
• Fluent in English and Portuguese
• Familiarity with financial industry and legal terms in both languages
• 4-7 years working experience

Financial Reporting Specialist Responsibilities: 

• Metrics and financial data analysis/report
• Ad Hoc Analysis
• Writing Business requirement in support of technology implementations
• Supporting UAT
• Process improvement and light automation (VBA, Macros) of manual data processes
• Assist in the development of global metrics reporting and implementing new reporting tools across operations  via Qlikview and Cognos
• Assisting in the development and maintaining projects plans, track deliverables, prepare presentations, organize and lead project meetings

Financial Reporting Specialist Skills Required: 

• Excellent organization and time management skills, and written and verbal communication skills
• Experience working with Senior Management and excellent interpersonal and relationship-building skills
• Data Management – Ability to manage large, complex datasets and linkages
• Excellent problem solving and troubleshooting skills
• Familiar with Securities Operations organizations and / or basic life of a trade, and a project lifecycle – project management a plus
• Activity based costing and/or Cost Accounting experience and / or experience with Qlikview and Cognos Reporting Tools preferred
• Proficient in Excel, PowerPoint, Sharepoint, and Access
• 2-4 years working experience
• Bachelors Degree

This is a consulting position that pays an annualized $128k ($490 per day)

So the economy has been improving, but it is moving a lot slower than anyone would like. As any active job seeker can confirm, jobs are still hard to come by, and these days are often accompanied by lower wages (a recent report by the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that real wages have decreased 2% as people are accepting pay cuts just so they can have some form of income).

In spite of the long hours of pavement pounding and waning consolation salaries, times are getting better. You just need to find creative ways to weather the storm, to stand out and to stay professionally relevant.

For job holders:

While pink slip pushing has been on the decline in the last few quarters, some companies are still folding or at least downsizing in an effort to make ends meet. Getting laid off is not necessarily an inevitable end, though. As much as possible, become an invaluable asset to the company by establishing a reputation as a problem solver. Without stepping on anyone’s toes by extending too far outside of your responsibilities, find better and more efficient ways to accomplish your tasks. Keep the solutions you generate big, simple and selfless. Big ideas attract more attention (so long as they are logical). Simple ideas are easier to convey, (probably) easier to fund and easier to implement. Selfless ideas will not only establish the success of the company as primary, they will incorporate the strengths of others, and consequently, make you seem more like a team player.  

Another rule of thumb is to remember to be courteous to everyone, from the support staffers and janitors to the senior executives and management. Interpersonal skill and chemistry between colleagues have long been unofficial determinants in whether or not an employee is given the boot.  Besides, you never know if or when you will need someone in the future. It is best to keep things on the up and up with everyone. Something as simple as a smile in passing can go a long way.

For job seekers:

Engage in a bit of self analysis. Figure out what your strengths and passions are (that is, which types of challenges you are best at overcoming and which responsibilities you are most enthusiastic about having). Employers these days are even more cautious about who they hire. They want someone with stellar executive ability who will be in it for the long haul, not someone just looking for temporary relief from joblessness. Employees who enjoy and are passionate about what they do tend to stick around longer and tend to produce better quality work.

By Abena, Wall Street Services Reporter

Financial Jobs NYC #20728

A highly successful niche investment bank is looking for a Presentation Specialist / Graphics Operator to create client presentations, marketing material and other communications related material. Candidates should have in depth experience creating PowerPoint presentations in a deadline driven investment banking environment working directly with bankers. A focused, and results driven approach is critical for success in this environment.

Presentation / Graphics Specialist Requirements:

• At least 4 years experience in an investment banking presentation center
• Advanced PowerPoint, MS Word and Excel
• Experience with Photoshop , InDesign  and DreamWeaver a plus

The position pays $32/per hour and has the potential to be converted into a permanent position. 


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Financial Jobs NYC #20729

Project Manager / Business Analyst role at top NYC investment bank for candidate to serve as the conduit between the customer community and the software development team. The ideal candidate must demonstrate the ability to manage, track and support multiple simultaneous projects. The position also requires close collaboration amongst development teams, Product, Compliance, QA, Production Support and project stakeholders.

Project Manager / Business Analyst Responsibilities

• Elicit requirements using interviews, document analysis, requirements workshops, surveys, site visits, business process descriptions, use cases, scenarios, business analysis, task and workflow analysis.
• Critically evaluate information gathered from multiple sources, reconcile conflicts, and decompose high-level information into details.
• Proactively communicate and collaborate with external and internal customers to analyze information needs and functional requirements.
• Provide requirements, data analysis, and validation of existing and new systems for compliance with regulatory requirements
• Manage compliance and regulatory requirements to ensure new trading systems, test scenarios and reporting systems are compliant with industry regulations.

Project Manager / Business Analyst Requirements

• 5 – 7 years of Business Analysis experience within financial services, with excellent financial product knowledge and full product life cycle experience
• Experience in using enterprise-wide requirements definition and management systems and methodologies required
• Experience with electronic trading vendor products (FlexTrade, Fidessa, BRASS, Ullink, Reuters, Bloomberg, etc) is a MUST
• Strong documentation, workflow charting skills, analytical and product management skills required
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills and the ability to interact professionally with a diverse group, executives, managers, and subject matter experts \
• Proficient in MS Project and MS Visio

This is a consulting position that pays an annualized $88,500 ($340 per day) and is expected to last at least 3 months.

Client Solutions Analyst role at top NYC investment bank for candidate with experience with ISDA and Credit Support Annex (CSA) Agreements. Individual will be responsible for the day to day management of the ISDA/CSA Priority lists, including coordination with multiple sales desks and the Legal and Credit Risk departments. Some basic analytic work will be required as well as providing guidance to the sales force for ISDA/CSA on-boarding.

Client Solutions Analyst Responsibilities:

• Manage ISDA Priority List, sending out requests for updates to Sales, Credit and Legal teams
• Compile responses & update the Priority list, Distribute biweekly list, Collect interim updates and advise legal
• Track negotiations removed from priority list e.g., deal breaker issues/impasses, following up with internal groups on Priority and Tier 2 ISDA negotiations and providing basic guidance on ISDA on-boarding
• Track completed priority vs. non priority ISDAs, Track allocation of work by negotiator, Work with Sales Mgmt to compare estimated vs actual revenues for completed Priority and Tier 2 ISDAs  
• Manage telephones

Client Solutions Analyst Requirements:

• Experience working with Legal documents is ideal, specifically ISDA agreements
• Very strong Excel skills
• Must be self motivated and an independent worker
• Project management experience
• Fast learner with excellent communication skills
• Professional telephone skills
• legal background would be advantageous 

This is a consulting position that pays an annualized $83,200 ($40 per hour) and is expected to last at least 4 months

Negotiation is a game.  Just like in poker or chess, you’ve got to have a good strategy in order to get the most desirable outcome. 

The first universal rule of negotiating is never go first.  Never bring up salary before your interviewer does—it’s just not tactful.  But also, if at all possible, forego being the first to offer a specific wage.  Being the first to present an offer sets the standard and the tone of the interaction.  Suggest an income lower than your employer intended to give you and you are not likely to end up with competitive compensation.  It’s doubtful a company would voluntarily pay you thousands more than you requested.  Furthermore, it gives the impression that you don’t value yourself or your work.  Suggest too high and you may seem high maintenance, delusional, or simply the wrong “fit” for the job.   If you are pressed for a response, always give a salary range, and aim slightly high, unapologetically citing your credentials and the value you can bring to the company as justification for that salary. 

An appropriate salary range is best decided two ways:  by your own personal finances and by the typical salaries of others who share your job title.   The lower extreme of your range should be the minimum amount you can comfortably accept given your personal expenses.  The higher extreme should be what you would really like to make (it’s ok to aim high here).   You can also use web tools, like PayScale.com, to research the average income of others who have your aspired title.  That way you have a general idea of what is normal in your field and what is reasonable to ask for.

The second rule of negotiating is never negotiate with yourself.  Be unapologetic in your income request—they asked you what you wanted to make, after all.  Just be sure that the salary you request has been well researched and is realistic.

Finally, when making your case, never discuss your personal problems.  Keep it strictly professional.  Commute, number of dependents, student loan repayment, relocation, cost of living, rising food prices, taxes—none of these should be reasons you cite for requesting a higher salary (note: this is only true during your first interview process with a company.  If requesting a raise after being employed with them for some time, there is a little more leeway).  Instead, focus on the value you can bring to their company.  Mention your excellent grades in school or the caliber of your alma mater.   Remind them of your strengths and the accomplishments you’ve had in previous employment.  Emphasize what you can bring to their company.  Just don’t bring up your personal expenses—it’s not their problem.

By Abena, Wall Street Services Reporter

Specialized Business Analyst role at top NYC investment bank working with internal metrics team. The ideal candidate wil be proactive, creative and flexible with the ability to approach problem solving and troubleshooting. The role will assist in developing and maintaining projects plans, tracking deliverables, preparing presentations, organising and leading project related meetings, liaising with various levels of management within the organisation to meet deadlines and assisting in driving projects to completion. The role is multi-faceted, offering the opportunity to take ownership for, and contribute to, the success of a number of projects. 

Specialized Business Analyst Responsibilities:

• Metrics Data Analysis 
• Writing Business Requirements in support of technology implementations. Supporting User Acceptance Testing (UAT) 
• Process improvement and light automation (VBA, Macros) of manual data processes 
• Assisting in the development of global metrics reporting, as well as implementing new reporting tools across operations
• Managing large, complex datasets
• Interviewing metrics analysts to perform a current state assessment of processes in place 
• Renovating existing processes by leveraging a universal metrics platform and technology and work with senior management

Specialized Business Analyst Requirements: 

• 5-7 years working experience 
• Excellent organization, time management skills, written, and verbal communications skills.
• Excellent problem solving and troubleshooting skills 
• Proficient in Excel, PowerPoint and Access 
• Familiar with Securities Operations organizations and/or basic life of a trade and project lifecycle – project management a plus  
• Experience with Qlikview and Cognos Reporting Tools and activity based costing experience a plus
• Bachelors Degree 

• Documenting and defining business requirements   
• Implementing and supporting new systems or technology enhancements
•  Effective time management skills; ability to manage priorities across assigned activities and tasks
• Self-starter and highly motivated; ability to work individually and within a team

Project Manager Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree and 4+ years of experience
• Strong interpersonal skills; ability to develop working relationships and establish personal credibility with the user community and technology teams
• Knowledge of the project life cycle and experience leading and delivering technology-driven projects 
• Strong analytic and problem solving skills; ability to learn quickly and to solve poorly defined problems
• Strong verbal and written communication skills
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail

Billing Specialist Responsibilities:

• Responsible for data entry into ADP Enterprise Payroll system
• Upload employee data files into payroll system, review and balance
• Be able to prepare files for uploading into the payroll system
• Run semi-monthly reports from query and ADP Reporter for auditing payroll and vendor requests including preparing ad hoc reports
• Respond to employees and HR Advisors inquiries and requests
• Be able to calculate gross to net, gross up payments and overpayment reimbursements
• Complete special projects, as assigned

Billing Specialist Requirements:

• 5+ yrs payroll experience
• 2+ yrs experience with ADP Enterprise Payroll software and ADP Reporting tool
• Knowledge of 401K, benefit deductions, taxes and general accounting principals
• Good oral and written communication skills and above average administrative skills
• Must possess strong interpersonal skills, detail oriented, well organized and have good problem solving skills, and able to work independently and in teams
• Proficient in Excel, Word and PowerPoint
• College degree preferred

Senior Business Analyst position at top New York City investment bank with experience in customer relationship management to work on technology initiatives within a business unit. Selected candidate will coordinate with Research analyst, Fixed income research, equity sales, Fixed Income sales and Information Technology. Must have both strong communication skill and ability to speak publically and present to senior management.

Senior Business Analyst Responsibilties:

• Liaise with stakeholders, ensuring business objectives are met and to coordinate user testing
• With the IT department, gather, develop and own business requirements in a timely manner
• Develop relevant test cases and ensure all system functionality and features are accurate and complete
• Manage deployment of global system and communicate with senior management
• Monitor, track and document defects; provide periodic updates to relevant personnel
• Provide data and accurate analyses in a timely manner using BI and EPM systems
• Plan and manage the use of global systems

Senior Business Analyst requirements:

• 5-7 years experienced preferred
• Strong Project Management skills, problem solving abilities and a strong sense of ownership
• Strongly familiar with all phases of the project lifecycle: requirements gathering, design, development, deployment, and support
• Proficient in developing business requirements, use cases, and user acceptance testing cases/plans
• Prior experience on global projects / global systems implementations
• Excellent MS Office skills, in particular Excel and  MS Project; familiarity with SQL, Salesforce.com, and Business Objects Web XI (BOXI) is a plus
• Excellent organizational, communication, and interpersonal skills; ability to multitask

The Senior Business Analyst position pays an annualized $161,200 ($620/day) and is expected to last at least 9 months.

Investment banking

Investment Banking Analyst responsibilities:

• Personal analyst to firm’s most valued principals
• Understand, research and prepare financial analyses and models
• Provide project support to firm’s top professionals
• The candidate selected for this spot will be high energy, unflappable, and have an extremely positive attitude

Investment Banking Analyst requirements:

• 3-7 years experience
• Strong quantitative abilities, advanced Excel essential
• Requires composure and ability to thrive under pressure
• Exceptional customer services talents and the ability to work with highly creative and demanding financial professionals
• Bachelor’s degree

The Investment Banking Analyst position pays a base from 50-80K annually with excellent benefits and bonus potential

Challenged by my supervisor, I experimented with the unnerving task of reaching out to secondary and tertiary LinkedIn connections who worked at major consulting companies, but who I did not know. My mission was (a) to learn about unadvertised job vacancies and (b) to learn more about the companies’ culture. What I discovered is that people are surprisingly helpful.

Networking in general is as much about connecting others as it is about personal advancement. This is my best guess for why folks were so willing to advise me (about 1 in 4 were welcoming). In spite of this, lots of job seekers are shy about contacting second degree connections they do not know. Don’t be! That’s what they are there for!

Finding contact information may require a bit of research though—most individuals do not list their phone numbers on their profile, and emails tend to get easily overlooked. Instead, call the company’s main switchboard and ask confidently (you have every right to call, after all) to speak with your second degree connection. If anyone asks what it is regarding, be honest. Mention your mutual LinkedIn connection, but do not insinuate a close relationship with your mutual connection if it does not exist.

Be mindful, when calling, to ask if they can spare a few minutes to speak with you and offer insight on potentially working with the company. It’s just polite—they may be busy after all. At this point, you may or may not get a welcoming response. It depends on the person. If they are not interested in helping, graciously thank them and move on. If they are, start digging for information!

When asking questions, focus on information you wouldn’t be able to find out on your own. Don’t lose sight of the goal though: to link with someone who can help you learn about the company’s unadvertised employment vacancies. Depending on who you are speaking to, you may be redirected to another associate. If this is the case, be sure to ask if you can reference the conversation when speaking to others (this does NOT mean you got a referral though; it just means you had a conversation).

Always close by mentioning that you are going to send them an invitation on Linkedin and that they are free to disregard it if they so chose. Note, this is not a question—just do it! As you told them, they can disregard if they chose. But since LinkedIn is less personal than some of the other social networking sites like Facebook or Twitter, it’s not likely they will ignore your request. This means you now have a whole new batch of secondary connections in your network. Cool right?

by Abena, Wall Street Services Reporter

At a time when the ratio of qualified applicants to job openings seems impossibly high, being the right fit for the office community and culture can be a decisive factor. Companies are not just looking for just another suit to perform a task. They’re looking for a person, someone who will work optimally in their unique environment, someone they will be happy to interact with on a regular basis. Job posting descriptions can often be vague about this. Every employer lists that they’re looking for an enthusiastic, highly organized, self-starter, with excellent communications skills—but some obviously mean it more than others. Having an idea of the type of individual has thrived there in the past will help you know whether you’re right for the job.

How do you know? Research.

For iGen millennials who grew up in the information age, Googling and social networking are second nature. They know what to look for and where to scour to gain that social advantage in their job hunt because they’ve been Facebooking their friends since high school. More seasoned workers might feel overwhelmed with it all. Unfortunately, it’s a really useful tool to have and can only be learned by doing. So here are some ways to get the hang of it:

Follow your prospective companies on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn, and (this is key!) make a habit of actually checking their updates. Sure, the latter task may be bothersome to those who are unfamiliar, but including it in your daily routine, like reading the newspaper or grabbing lunch, may make it easier to get in the habit. In fact, companies often make it a point to launch their social media and email campaigns during early afternoon when they suspect workers will be jonesing for their 15-minute coffee break and headlines fix.

When deciding what to search for, think of trying to get to know your prospective employer as much as you would try to get to know someone you’re dating. Wouldn’t you want to know their “type”? Browse through public profiles of those who previously held your coveted position. What school did they go to? What did they study (something liberal or technical)? What skills do they have? What type of writing do they use to describe their position and responsibilities to describe themselves? Is it dynamic or basically informative? Let your curiosity guide you to see if the position is a match for you. You’re not obliged to remember everything you glance through, but what you do retain can undoubtedly help you decide how to efficiently move forward in your job pursuits.

by Abena, Wall Street Services Reporter