Client Situation
- Solid student and B.A. graduate from a national Midwestern university.
- 2 years of work experience.
- Was doing well at his job but wasn’t satisfied because it was not the field/job he wanted to be in long-term.
- Interested in the financial services field, especially wealth management, investment banking and financial planning, but not necessarily sure in what function; also interested in marketing and consulting.
- Had a very solid, extensive network of contacts (friends, family, alumni, etc.)
- Was having a significant number of networking conversations and some interviews, but no real progress, let alone job offers.
Challenges to this Job Search
- Some of his areas of interest had been hard hit by the recession and had not fully recovered.
- Paul needed to learn more about his areas of interest and the kinds of jobs therein.
- He was utilizing his solid and extensive network and securing a reasonable number of initial interviews, but was not advancing deep into the interview process nor receiving any job offers.
Campus2Career’s Approach
First, we crafted a résumé that focused on Paul’s achievements and potential. Paul needed a plan when approaching and speaking with his contacts — a more targeted specific strategy and subsequent execution. He was somewhat randomly meeting and speaking with his contacts but had no real “game plan.”
We helped him target the most appropriate contacts and identify additional individuals who might be helpful. We helped Paul refine his introduction and pitch about his background, skills and interests. He had to learn much more about his areas of interest and the kinds of jobs therein. To accomplish this he extensively researched those industries and fields primarily by reading about them and talking with people who worked in them.
During his search there were the inevitable feelings of frustration and setbacks, but Paul stuck with our strategy and was persistent and patient.
Outcome
Paul accepted a part-time analyst job with a middle market investment bank to earn money and gain experience while continuing his search for a full-time job. Toward the end of his part-time job Paul was offered a position (at a highly competitive salary) in the leadership development program of a large Chicago-based bank, which he accepted. Since then he has received one promotion.