Get Hired

Get Hired: Finance

For complete information on job search strategies, resumes, cover letters, LinkedIn, interviews, and more, review our starter tips to Get Hired in all careers as well as the specialized tips on this page.

Stepping Toward Job Searching

The goal of discovering options and gaining experience is to eventually get hired into a company or occupation that aligns with your goals. Throughout your job search process, always invest time into researching employers and industries in order to understand the context of what they do and define what you have to offer for their needs.

There is no straightforward career path to obtain a full-time job in finance; connections play a pivotal role in getting started. Because multinational finance companies do not actively recruit at UCSB, you must work on building your network proactively. To learn how to make targeted connections successfully, be sure to review our Job Search Strategies page.

Use the following information to begin researching sample employers and considerations when applying for finance jobs; however, note that this is not meant to be a comprehensive list of all possibilities.

Overview of Finance Employers

Because finance offers various industries to work within, it is helpful to define which companies you are interested in working for. If you are planning to live in a specific location, conduct research on financial companies that are prominent in the state and region.

Click below to see examples of companies you can work for, both nationally and locally.

Common Application Timelines

For global finance companies, determine your application deadlines in advance, because these typically open earlier than most job seekers anticipate.

Specifically, applications are usually due one year in advance of a position's start date (i.e., for summer internships, applications are usually due the summer after completing your second year at UCSB; for full-time positions after graduation, applications are usually due the summer after your third year at UCSB). Interviews are usually conducted in the beginning of fall quarter, sometimes even before school starts at UCSB.

If you miss the early recruitment deadlines, it is still possible to apply during fall quarter; however, you will most likely need to apply to “boutique” firms that are small or midsize. 
 

Investment Banking Timeline

Because investment banking operates on its own schedule, it is important to stay aware of specific timeframes if you are applying within this area of finance.

Click below for suggested steps to prepare for recruitment within this field.

Finance Rotational Programs

Rotational programs in finance provide you with the opportunity to rotate between different units and enhance your understanding of the daily operations performed within a specific department. This provides you with an opportunity to help determine what you like best.

The duration of these rotational programs can vary in time, some being short-term (i.e., six to nine months) while others being as long as 18-24 months. Employers that offer finance rotational programs include, but are not limited to, Aetna, Capital One, Disney, Dupont, Lockheed Martin, Microsoft, and Southern California Edison.

Case Interviews

The case interview is an interview format that is commonly used within consulting firms, in which the interviewer evaluates your analytical thinking skills through case studies. Interviews for finance positions often involve case interviews to assess your logic and communication abilities.

Here are some tips to succeed in case interviews:

• Prepare early: Start practicing interview questions (especially the logic portion) at least a couple of months before your interview. Summer is a perfect time to begin reviewing different types of cases and become familiar with various frameworks to utilize.
• Be ready: Case interviewers often ask about a new situation that is outside of your area of expertise. The goal of this is to understand how you think; you are not expected to know everything but you should show them how you solve a problem using different theoretical frameworks. Be aware that they may ask follow-up questions that are in-depth.
• Communicate clearly: Demonstrate that you are a good communicator and listener by asking clarifying questions. Do not be afraid to seek out more information if you feel you need it; this can be seen as a positive quality in a new employee. You can use scratch paper to organize a response before presenting your answer. Think of this as a “mini presentation,” in which the more clearly you present the information, the better it is.
• Know the industry and company: You may be asked questions about what is currently happening in terms of the market and recent trends. It is important that you are up-to-date on your knowledge and that you feel confident about the information that you will provide. Do your research, and share what you know.
• Summarize your conclusions quickly: Due to limited time for each case, it is important to be able to quickly summarize your recommendations. While it can be challenging to synthesize all of your considerations out loud, a useful goal is to provide your answer in less than a minute. 
   

In addition to the tips above, there are many more resources for in-depth knowledge and guidance on specific types of financial interviews. Here are some starting points:

• Check out the Finance Interview Questions and Answers, Top 10 Investment Banking Interview Questions, and LSU Quant, Financial Mathematics, Data Science Interview Questions Compilation.
• Read “Case in Point: Complete Case Interview Preparation” by Marc Cosentino. Review Case Interviews, My Consulting Coach, and Consulting Magazine.
• Use Glassdoor to find company-specific case interview questions.
• Review consulting firm websites for resources to prepare for case interviews.