Starting a career in financial services is very similar to any other industry, although the wide variety of different jobs can make choosing a starting point difficult.
Getting a job involves a number of steps:
- Making yourself employable
- Choosing the career path you want
- Marketing yourself effectively
- Getting yourself in front of potential employers
Making yourself employable
If you are looking for a career rather than a job, you are going to need the basic skills that employers can build upon through further training and education. Whether you want to enter a bank or insurer as a school leaver or as a graduate trainee, all employers are very aware that finance is about numbers, so maths to GCSE grade C is a fairly common requirement.
Obviously, if you want to be a call centre Customer Services and Sales Representative, then your mathematical skills don’t need to be quite as sharp as they would have to be for someone going into trading in the City - so don’t get too stressed by these demands. Most people don’t need to be doctors of Mathematics!
English to GCSE grade C is another fairly common requirement, since accuracy in both verbal and written communication is also important.
You can also take steps to show your willingness to learn about the financial services industry – the most successful industry in the UK.
Formal qualifications
There are a number of ifs School of Finance qualifications for students aged 14-19 that enable you to gain the skills and knowledge required for entering into the financial services industry. These range from a foundation certificate to A-Level equivalents. The ifs has been working closely with schools and employers in the development of these courses, and a number of employers are using them as ways of feeding new employees into their training programmes.
For more information on these qualifications and how your school can participate, see our Financial Capability area.
Choosing the career path you want
This is perhaps the most challenging part because there is so much variety. Some careers in financial services are highly technical, while others require a more entrepreneurial spirit. Some are office based; others involve lots of travel.
Read the profiles of the industries and careers we have listed on this site, and see what appeals and where your skills match up. But don’t be afraid to be guided by the banks and insurers themselves; they know which careers suit which type of person.
Getting yourself in front of potential employers
For many people, their first port of call will be their local financial services company. All the major organisations have centres around the country, but with a little more going on in some areas than others. Wherever there is a centre of population, there will be some large financial services companies that can offer you opportunities.
Visit the banks' websites and check out what positions they currently have available. Also, find out where and when they are recruiting. You can find links for all major banks, recruitment websites and useful information on how to develop your won job strategy at the ifs Careers Management Centre.
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