HOW TO GET A JOB IN 2024
I was talking with a college-age friend of the family yesterday about the hiring process for graduates in finance in 2024. One thing that was immediately clear is that the traditional model of replying to job postings is laughable broken. Then again, it always has been. I once called a New York bank to verify that they had received my resume and the HR representative acidly replied, “Well, we got about 25,000 of them. What color paper was yours on, again?”
That was in 1993.
A 2019 CNBC article claimed that “70% of all jobs are not published publicly on jobs sites and as much as 80% of jobs are filled through personal and professional connections.”
The best resources to any job search candidate are the social media platforms they are already using daily. The critical distinction is to understand the need to change from a passive consumer of content to an active participant in trending topics within your areas of interest and, whenever possible, relevant content creation.
I know people who have gotten trading jobs because of their subject matter expertise on Twitter. I have personally gotten several professional opportunities at institutions who had seen one of my LinkedIn posts.
The process is relatively straightforward:
1. Research the thought leaders in your area of interest and follow them.
2. Note who the thought leaders follow and engage with and follow them.
3. Start to respond to recent posts on areas where you have something relevant to contribute. An insightful early response to a post by an account with 200k followers may be seen by a few thousand people, some of whom will like your reply and follow your account.
4. Post and re-post interesting industry-relevant content with your thoughts attached.
5. Engage with anyone who comments on your posts, if they are contributing to productive discussion.
6. If you have original content, share it, but be prepared for opposing viewpoints and criticism.
The goal is to slowly build up a productive online presence within your area of interest. It takes time, but leveraging a social network is one of the easiest ways a student or recent graduate can demonstrate to an audience of potential hiring managers subject-matter expertise and real interest in a career in finance.