successful applications – what works - cvs, cover …...cover letters •your cover letter acts as...

MSc Banking and Finance, MSc Finance – Asset Pricing, MSc Finance Analytics, MSc Finance –Corporate Finance, MSc Economics and Finance

Successful applications – what works -CVs, cover letters and applications

Pre-entry Webinar Series

4 in total

• Applying for positions in the UK - timelines, employers, vacancies, job boards, recruitment processes

• Successful applications – what works - CVs, cover letters and applications

• Succeeding at online assessments

• Applying for positions in China - timelines, employers, vacancies, job boards, recruitment processes

KING’S BUSINESS SCHOOL | kcl.ac.uk/business 2

Career lounges

Each webinar will be supported with a career lounge giving you the opportunity to ask follow up questions on the topic of the week.

Please ask questions throughout this presentation using the chat box or raise your hand.


Recap of last week’s webinar

• The graduate market and the importance of applying early for the Graduate Training Programmes, well before the already early closing dates of October and November

• Broadening your job search to include SMEs and Fintech which will typically advertise in the Spring

• To use the time now to engage with additional courses and virtual internships

KING’S BUSINESS SCHOOL | kcl.ac.uk/business4

Careers Offer

Careers offer both pre entry and on arrival which includes

• Focused Festivals on both Banking, Finance and Consultancy AND Technology and Data which will include employer presentations, mock employer interviews, employer led skills session, case studies and guest talks

• Careers Masterclasses

• Workshops

• Career coaching consultations

• Vacancies board and so much more


Please use the chat box or the microphone function if you have any questions on either the UK Graduate Market or the KBS careers offer.


At the end of this session you will:

• See things from a recruiter’s point of view

• Understand principles of good CVs, cover letters and applications

• Recognise importance of evidence, structure and FIT


Agenda

Standing out from the crowd - why?

• Graduate recruiters get literally thousands of applications. In 2019, Goldman Sachs received about 270,000 applications

• The average time spent looking at a CV can be less than ten seconds

• So its absolutely critical that you have a strong written application, with all the key information presented in an easy to read format


https://www.businessinsider.com/heres-what-recruiters-look-at-during-the-6-seconds-they-spend-on-your-resume-2012-4?r=US&IR=T

Standing out from the crowd – how to do this?

Malcolm Horton, Global Head of Recruitment at Nomura International

Highlight Academic Grades

“Most banks get tens of thousands of applications and for the sake of simplicity they have to eliminate a lot of them on the basis of academics.”

Victoria McLean, an ex-Goldman Sachs Recruiter

Highlight Extra Academic Achievements

“Mention any scholarships, times that you came top of the class, high percentages and grades you scored in particular exams.”


CV

Your CV is your sales document, your opportunity to covey to an employer that you have the skills, attributes, knowledge and experience requited by the role

Ideally your CV should be one page for the finance sector

No right or wrong way but there are important considerations with regard to structure and content


Key elements: CV structure

Presentation:

• Distinct sections, cleanly formatted

• Succinct using Bullet Points, avoid chunks of text

• Check spelling and grammar - “97% of hiring managers reject on the basis

of 2 typos,” Victoria McLean, an ex-Goldman Sachs recruiter and founder

of City CV

Logical structure:

• The more relevant, the more prominent

• Key information on the first half of the page

• Reverse chronological orderKING’S BUSINESS SCHOOL | kcl.ac.uk/business11

Key elements: CV content

Focused and targeted

• Tailored to the position –role requirements and competencies

• Contain the right key words and phrases

Positive vocabulary: active verbs

Provide supporting evidence

• Speak in terms of concrete achievements and detail exactly what you did

• Draw evidence from all aspects of life including education, work/voluntary experience, interests

• Show you are global and can speak a number of languages


Prepare your CV using VMOCK

King’s Business School uses VMOCK, a powerful machine learning technology to assist students in fine tuning their CV –moving it from good to great!

We will be inviting confirmed offer holders to get a head start on preparing their professional CV in September.

Cover Letters

• Your cover letter acts as a bridge between your CV and the recruiter, drawing their attention to your main skills and experience relevant to the role

• Your CV and cover letter go hand-in-hand; alwayssend them together

How long should a cover letter be? Are there any

exceptions?


Simple – no longer than a page

What is the point of a cover letter?

Jeanne Branthover, a Partner of DHR International’s Global Financial Services Practice in New York City.

“The cover letter tells me what your resume can’t – the resume tells me what you’ve done and the cover letter puts that in context and tells me what you want to do next.” “I get literally 100 resumes a day and the ones that come with standard cover letters go straight into the database, but the ones that have been personalized to me are the ones I’ll pay more attention to. – It’s a differentiator.”


Do you need a cover letter if applying for a job in an

investment bank?

Banks like Goldman Sachs, Citigroup, Barclays, Morgan Stanley and Macquarie all demand that their would-be analysts in Europe write cover letters or something very similar (Victoria McLean, a former Goldman Sachs recruiter)


Key elements: Cover Letters

The easy introductory paragraph - The first paragraph is just to say who you are and why you’re writing the letter

The selling yourself second paragraph. Why you? - Look at the key words and skills used to describe the job you’re applying for and explain how you match them. Focus on the results and on outcomes you’ve achieved in similar situations in the past.

The motivational third paragraph. Why this job in this sector? – Be specific

The flattering fourth paragraph. Why this bank? – Be specific – do not copy from their website - cite some unusual reasons for choosing that bank that will make you stand out

The call to action ending - complete the letter something like -I really look forward to hearing from you. I am available for interview and contactable by X.’


Online Applications

Commonly used by large graduate recruiters


Why do companies use them?

• Fairer

• Greater consistency

• They are the only way employers can differentiate between thousands of candidates with excellent academics and identikit memberships of college finance societies.

• Employers get specific information which is relevant to the role and demonstrates motivation

• To put candidates off…….retain only those very committed to the role and organisation


http://news.efinancialcareers.com/uk-en/187012/morning-coffee-idiots-mess-morgan-stanley-applications-forgotten-cabal-within-deutsche-bank/

Typical questions on an application form

• Motivation

• Competency

• Knowledge

• Personal Statement


Types of questions -

motivation

22

Can you say what attracted you to this organisation?

Can you explain what the division you’re applying for does?

It’s really important they know exactly why you are choosing to apply to their firm - you need to demonstrate you’ve really done your research, and have tried to understand their culture and values, and why you would fit into and contribute to that.

KING’S BUSINESS SCHOOL | kcl.ac.uk/business

Types of

questions -

competency

23

Have you ever failed to meet a deadline – how did you handle that?

Can you mention any leadership experience that will support your application?

Tell me about a time when you introduced a new idea to a group

Tell me about a time when you had to deal with a new situation and you had very little information to work with


Types of questions -knowledge

24

What are the main challenges for the financial services industry now? What are the opportunities?

Can you describe a recent news article you’ve read about this bank? How does this relate to us?


Personal statement

25

Many applications require you to write a personal statement, detailing why you are suitable for the job

This is your opportunity to convince the reader that you have all the necessary skills, knowledge, aptitudes and motivation to be successful in the role


Summary: What will help your application get to the next stage?

Highlight your academic success

Highlight your work experience, entrepreneurial experience and any leadership positions

Include the right language to help establish FIT

Include boutiques and smaller finance houses


26

Any Questions


Thank you

successful applications – what works - cvs, cover …...cover letters •your cover letter acts as...

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