Overview of Job

Financial Analyst is a multi-faceted job that involves good accounting, analytical, writing and communication skills. These analysts typically are independent and contracted by a variety of companies such as stock and securities firms, banks, insurance companies, manufacturing companies, ext… Through a series of procedures such as analyzing company finances, meeting with managers and officers and studying the company history, they produce reports and recommendations concerning the company’s financial health and stock viability. There are specialists within the financial analyst occupation, such as investment banking, company mergers and takeovers and a company’s ability to pay debt. This job requires long hours, meeting deadlines and constant communication and updates with clients, factors that it is recommended to include in your finance resume.

Education and Experience

• Degree in Business Administration, Statistics, Finance or Accounting is required.

• MBA is desirable

• Several years of relevant experience desirable

• Capacity for detail and analysis required

• Good communication skills, both verbal and written, required

• Familiarity with the general business climate very helpful

Future of the Occupation

Compensation ranges from 47,000 to 110,000 depending upon experience and education. In the current and foreseeable climate of corporate mergers and takeovers and the volatile stock market, the need for career financial analysts is expected to grow at a rate faster than the average occupation.

If you’re getting older and find yourself downsized, or just want to try something different after several years in the same job, you’ll be putting together a career change resume designed to help you make a career change. Building a great resume is hard enough when you’re seeking a job in a field where you have a lot of experience – if you’re pursuing a new career direction, it’s even more difficult to convince employers to give you a shot.

One mistake job-seekers make is to use their same old resumes to apply for new jobs. A career change resume should be retooled to emphasize the qualities potential employers will be seeking. So first, you’ll want to research the career field that you hope to enter, and find what qualities hiring manager seek, so that you can play up those qualities on your own resume. A search of online career-builder websites where employers post job listings, is a good start. It’s also a good idea to talk to people already working in your new field of choice – if you can, use networking opportunities to pick their brains about what HR people want to see on a resume.

Take a hard look on what skills you’ve learned in your current job and ask yourself why a new employer might choose you. There will probably be a lot of areas where you have no experience, but you might be surprised at the skills you have from things you do in your leisure time, volunteer activities and schooling that will translate to your new career. Get a pad of paper and jot down your related qualifications – these should be highlighted on your new career change resume.

Next, figure out what sort of career change resume style is best for your new career goal. The chronological resume is often ideal for those making a career change who have skills that apply to their new career. Lead off your chronological-style career change resume with a summary of your qualifications, emphasizing the skills most strongly applicable to the field you hope to enter. When writing your work history, focus on the tasks, and accomplishments that will be most attractive to potential employers.

An alternate option if you’re changing careers is to skip the resume entirely and send a cover letter instead. Stress how passionate you are about the field you hope to enter, and emphasize any special raining or experience you’ve had that could translate to your new job. Tell the hiring manager how your motivation and enthusiasm would make you an ideal candidate for their company. You’ll still need to have a standard career change resume to send them if they ask for it – but the letter will pique the interest of a potential employer, and could get you an interview.

From the first contact, you make with your prospective employer you will be assessed as a prospective employee. You will be evaluated on your level of professionalism, language, and interest in the position.

Do Not Leave Anything to Chance

Most people find the preparation for the interview more stressful than the interview itself. Your preparation for the interview should not leave anything to chance, as you can be sure, neither will your prospective employer. You should have a specific plan of action:

• Prior to the interview, do some online research so you know as much as possible about the company and its corporate objective and mission. Make sure your responses at the interview are a good fit for the company.

• Be sure of the interview format: what do you need to bring with you; whether you will be required to make a presentation, and how long the interview is likely to last.

• You should be dressed appropriately for the occasion – neatly and professionally.

• Check out the time required to reach the venue of the interview, and plan to reach at least 10 to 15 minutes early.

• Rehearse your answers to possible questions.

• Act with poise and be relaxed.

• Always carry extra copies of your resume, in case the interview panel needs a copy.

• Prepare your own set of questions to ask the employer.

• Be well prepared to answer how your experience, education and skills will be an asset to the position you have applied for.

When answering questions, be specific but succinct - try to not respond with long, drawn out answers. Your complete demeanor should reflect your confidence. Neatly fill out the application form. Greet everyone with a firm handshake, and wait to be invited to sit before taking a chair. Do not slouch in the chair and sit up. When talking, smile and always maintain eye contact. Know all your interviewers by name and address them appropriately.

Post Interview Actions

Once the interview is over, thank everyone present and comment about enjoying being there and your continued interest in being considered for the position. It is crucial that you follow-up with a thank you letter that is short and brief. It should reiterate no more than 3 of your strongest skills that you can offer the employer. Do call the employer and do not email the employer unless you have express permission to do so. This will convey your interest for the job, and will demonstrate your follow up skills and enthusiasm for the job.

The impression you have left, your confidence, poise and posture, along with your knowledge on the subject will be an opening for a follow up interview.

Seven Questions Every Jobseeker Should Ask Herself Today

As unemployment rises and a new crop of college grads faces the most challenging job market in years, there’s little doubt that the competition for positions is stiff. Anyone looking for work must step up his/her game in the job search and resume writing process. It’s no longer just who you know. In today’s economy you must focus deliberately on who knows you. That means aggressively marketing yourself to decision-makers and the people who influence those decision-makers. Start by doing an honest assessment of your efforts to determine if you’re doing everything you possibly can to secure an offer.Click here to find out what seven questions you need to ask yourself about your job search right now.

Women For Hire’s Boot Camp for Recent GradsWednesday, June 18, 2008
8:30am-6:00pmManhattan Center Grand BallroomAs a registered attendee, you’ll learn to: think beyond job boards, network with ease, sell yourself and stand out from the competition. We’ll teach you how to ace an interview, follow-up effectively, negotiate a job offer and be a star from day one.

Women For Hire CEO Tory Johnson, who is also the Workplace Contributor on ABC’s Good Morning America, will lead the fast-paced program, which includes:

• Expert advice from decision makers at some of the world’s best employers will share the inside scoop on how to get hired. Hear directly from recruiters at Google, Lifetime TV, IBM, Booz Allen, Disney ABC Media Networks, KPMG, Enterprise, Memorial Sloan Kettering, Frito-Lay, Coca-Cola, and Starbucks. (*This is a rare opportunity to meet with the people who can help you get your foot in the door at this highly competitive companies!)

• Best practices from the top staffing firms in New York on how to get them to help you land a job. Learn the myths and truths that most people don’t know about working with staffing firms.

• Finance 101 with Jean Chatzky (Today and Oprah financial contributor) and WABC anchor Lori Stokes on finding your passion and establishing your own professional identity.

• Strategies on getting in the door, overcoming the Internet “black hole,” mastering self-promotion, nailing the negotiation and so much more.

• Participate in a stellar networking activity to start the day, plus lunch, snacks and surprises throughout the hands-on program.

• We’ll wrap up with an hour-long informal networking event with more than 100 recruiters from top employers in just about every industry. This will be the ultimate “Toast to Sweet Success” and it’s a perfect chance to put to use all of the advice and inspiration gained throughout the day.

This Career Boot Camp will benefit anyone who is frustrated with the job search process and believes there’s got to be a better way to find meaningful work! Don’t forget to bring several copies of your resume …

• Format: One third of resumes utilize the wrong structure - either a chronological when a functional would do better or vice versa. The choice of structure can make a significant impact on the effectiveness of a resume.
• Generic Objectives: Almost half of the objective statements did not provide any information on the job or industry that the job seeker was pursuing. Generic objective statements, such as the common “I want to utilize my skills and abilities to the benefit of my employer” serve no purpose and are, at best, a waste of space.
• Accomplishments: 27% of job seekers provided no accomplishments and only 40% of job seekers provided three or more accomplishments for each job held. Most job seekers emphasized their responsibilities. Although responsibilities are important on a resume, they must be backed up by accomplishments. The average resume contained 2.5 accomplishments per position and 3.2 responsibilities per position.
• Personal Information: When personal information, such as hobbies, interests and family status was provided, it very rarely related to the job seeker’s career.
• Grammar and Spelling: Very few resumes have a mistake. Less than 8% of the resumes surveyed contained a single spelling or grammatical error and less than 3% contained multiple errors.
• Continuing Education: 77% of resumes included a list of continuing education activities that the job seeker had completed within the education section of their resume.
• Employment Dates: Only half of the resumes provided both months and years for the start and end date of each position listed, leaving the other half of resumes missing key data most hiring managers want.

The 2008 Resume Benchmarking Survey is available for download on Palladian International’s Career Resources website at www.palladiancr.com/survey.html. The 2008 Resume Benchmarking Survey evaluated resumes from active job seekers within three categories: Manufacturing Executives with more than 10 years of experience, Sales & Marketing Managers with more than 10 years of experience and recent college graduates entering the workforce.

Researched and compiled by CPEhr’s Director of Marketing, Ari Rosenstein, the white paper is based on CPEhr’s extensive experience working with California businesses.

“California is clearly the most complex state in which to do business,” says Rosenstein. “Employers face an ever-growing barrage of regulations and governmental compliance, and the average entrepreneur is simply unable to manage them all. HR Outsourcing has become an increasingly attractive option for these small and mid-sized business owners.”

The white paper focuses on the role HR Outsourcing plays in the California business landscape, and the enormous growth of the industry. It demonstrates how outsourcing certain personnel functions to a professional HRO or PEO firm can reduce the risk of lawsuits, increase internal efficiencies and improve employee productivity.

The niche Professional Employer Organizations (PEO) industry is highlighted, with a detailed description of the services and value offered to small and mid-sized business owners. These include:

-Reducing administrative paperwork
-Protecting against potential employee lawsuits
-Attracting top talent with robust health insurance and benefits
-Implementing OSHA compliant safety policies
-Filing taxes and processing payroll

Rosenstein notes, “The value PEOs and HR Outsourcing Firms bring to an organization is obvious. By eliminating cumbersome activities and partnering with an expert in the area of HR, companies can leverage their existing staff more efficiently, and avoid costly lawsuits.”

About CPEhr:
CPEhr has been a leader of HR Outsourcing and PEO services since 1982. With over 15,000 serviced employees and hundreds of clients, CPEhr is the largest privately-held PEO based in California. With 25 years of service and experience in the local marketplace, CPEhr is familiar with the needs of California employers, and is able to deliver a solution that fits those needs. A free copy of the HR White Paper can be downloaded from their corporate website.