If you are one of the many that made the popular resolution to find a new job in 2015, there’s good news!  According to a recent survey we conducted with our clients, hiring is projected to be strong across the board in 2015.  For financial services professionals, 2015 job growth looks especially promising, with 89% of clients within the sector reporting that they expect to increase staff headcount over the year.  Our study also found that employers plan on hiring staff at a variety of levels, ranging from entry-level to 11-15 years of industry experience.  Though the majority of hiring managers are planning on hiring professionals with 3-5 years of experience (68%), there are opportunities for everyone. The key to landing one is learning how to capture the attention of a hiring manager or recruiting professional.

To help put you on the path to success, here are the areas that hiring and recruiting professionals look out for when evaluating candidates at different levels of their career:

Entry-Level

• Internships: Since many recent graduates pursuing jobs in the financial services industry leave college with similar degrees, it’s important to do all you can to set yourself apart from your competition.  An easy way to do this is to highlight your internship experience and any technical skills you acquired during your tenure there on your resume. Demonstrating that you have real-world corporate experience and possess knowledge of basic excel skills (pivot and v-lookups) can go a long way.
• Soft skills: Entry-level employees typically require a great deal of initial training, so showing employers and recruiters that you are worth the investment is a key component of getting hired.  To do this during the interview, give prospective employers examples that explain that you are a motivated individual who is willing to put in the hard work to learn about the role and company.

Mid-Level:

• Specialized expertise: By this point in your career, you should have begun to fall into your professional niche. As a result, hiring professionals will be looking for mid-level hires who have a specific area(s) of specialization, and can demonstrate any relevant systems knowledge.
• Strong references: Though references are important to have at any stage of your career, if you’re a mid-level professional looking to take the next step in your career, they become even more critical.  In order to hire financial service professionals hoping to acquire more responsibilities and step into a higher level role, prospective employers will need to do their due diligence by performing reference checks.

Senior-Level:

• Leadership: A major component of holding a senior-level position involves not only managing your own projects, but supervising the work of your direct reports as well.  Hiring managers and recruiters will evaluate your leadership ability during the hiring process, so make sure your resume includes any leadership experience you may have, and you can talk about how your leadership has helped accomplish impactful or measurable results.
• Certifications: Acquiring a certification that is relevant to your specialty shows that you are dedicated, hard-working, diligent, and committed to holding yourself to the highest industry standards.  These are 3 things that all hiring managers and recruiters look for in candidates – especially in senior-level talent.