CAREERS IN FINANCE
ORIENTATION GUIDE
Practical Advice for Your Career Success in Finance
September 2018
Global Reach. Innovative Programs. Diverse Perspectives.
The Schulich Finance Alumni Association (SFAA) has prepared this
Career in Finance Orientation Guide (the Guide) summarizing
our thoughts and career stories that we hope will be insightful and
beneficial to your own careers and searches.
Our objective is to provide practical advice to help you determine if
Finance is the right choice for you and, if it is, what functional areas and/
or business segments of Finance suit you best. We also provide some
tips for your particular and unique job search preparation.
1
In September 2016, the Schulich Finance Alumni Association (SFAA) prepared the
fi rst edition of the Career in Finance Orientation Guide, summarizing our thoughts
and career stories, which many students and recent graduates have found useful in
their career orientation and job searches. In the two years that have passed, the SFAA
has updated and prepared the second edition of the Career in Finance Orientation
Guide (the Guide). Our objective remains to provide practical advice to help you
determine if Finance is the right choice for you and, if it is, what functional areas
and/or business segments of Finance suit you best. Towards this end, we have added
two chapters to the Guide, which provide practical suggestions and insights towards
starting your careers. In Chapter 4, we also provide a framework for effectively
targeting your job search efforts to maximize your chances of landing the fi rst career-
launching following your business education. In Chapter 5, we further discuss the
recent developments in fi nancial technology and its impact to jobs in the fi nancial
services sector and your career choices.
Pursuing business education at Schulich School of
Business (Schulich) is a personal investment that
provides you with the tools and groundwork to excel.
Some of you have quit your previous jobs and all of
you have spent signifi cant money and time looking
for a turning point in your careers. Like all shrewd
investors, you have a target return for your investment
– a gainful career with improved remuneration,
continued enrichment of your experience and good
prospects for advancement.
CHAPTER
1
Introduction
and Objective
We are two years farther down the road to economic recovery after the 2008–2009
Financial Crisis, but the business world and financial industry are by no means more
stable or less uncertain. U.S. protectionism has heightened with NAFTA at risk and
a potential all-out trade war brewing with U.S. trading partners; Brexit’s outcome
remains uncertain as March 2019 approaches; the refugee influx to Europe has drawn
different responses from governments; and tensions have risen between the United
States and the European Union. All of these topical issues make business and financial
planning challenging. Despite strong economic performances in developed countries
in the past two years, businesses and financial institutions have remained hesitant
to expand their hiring of business graduates. In addition, with advancing technology
in Finance (artificial intelligence, blockchain, etc.), new jobs are emerging, certain
old job types are shrinking while responsibilities and skill requirements for other
positions have continually changed, making choosing his or her career path a critical
decision for every graduate. In this context, the job search process continues to be
highly competitive, creating anxiety for business students in the Finance world.
To succeed in this challenging environment and to finally hear the long-awaited
words, “You’re hired!” are wonderful experiences for graduates, who expect Schulich
to be the start to a rewarding career and return on educational investment. This is
also the experience Schulich and the SFAA wish for our students.
Our team of Schulich Alumni in Finance has been where you are – we have made
important career choices since graduation, worked hard and achieved or are on
the way to achieving career advancements in our selected paths. Finance itself is a
broad area with different options and each of us has a different story. Nonetheless,
looking back on our own experiences and choices, we believe that two crucial
elements enable students to become competitive in their job searches and increase
their chances of embarking on a lucrative path: self-awareness and preparation. In
this Guide, we share our experiences and ideas and hope that they will be insightful
and beneficial to your own.
COORDINATED BY:
Gregory Pau
(BBA ’88, MBA ’89)
Meggie Lee (IMBA ’12)
Taha Amiralli (MBA ’14)
CONTRIBUTED BY:
Schulich Finance Alumni
in Finance (see Chapter 6 for
contributors)
IN COLLABORATION WITH:
Schulich Alumni Relations
Schulich Career
Development Centre
Schulich Finance
Alumni Association
Schulich Finance Association
2
3
Students entering business school often ask: “How do I know my core strengths
and interests?” There is no single answer to this question and the paths toward
self-awareness differ. In some cases, students are interested or naturally gifted in
certain areas from an early age, even before taking their core courses. In other cases,
students find summer internships or co-op programs, which are great opportunities
to identify their strengths and interests in a professional setting. Still, in other
cases, many graduates and seasoned professionals alike simply stumble by chance
into certain companies, functional areas or roles that they find interesting and
in which they feel comfortable. This may happen in companies’ rotational programs
or internal job placements.
Not all jobs in the Finance industry are similar. In fact, many job functions and
business segments are quite different, requiring different skill sets and personal
attributes to succeed. The skills and experience required for a successful
corporate-banking relationship manager are unlike those required for a seasoned
credit-risk adjudicator, even though both are essential to corporate banks. Likewise,
skills required for a market risk-management professional are different from
those required for a sell-side investment banker, even though both are essential
to investment banks.
With so many types of jobs and areas in Finance, students may find their job searches
and preparation disorienting. When the Alumni shared and discussed our own
career experiences, we realized that, while there are many diverse opportunities and
careers, they could be broadly categorized into Finance-Focused Careers and
Finance-Versatile Careers as defined and elaborated as follows.
Self-Awareness is the first and most critical step
toward getting the job that launches a successful
career. Having a conscious knowledge of one’s own
character, strengths, skills and interests often helps
professionals (1) focus their job searches on what suits
them, (2) excel in their roles, (3) facilitate continued
learning on the job and (4) identify and pursue career
advancement opportunities.
CHAPTER
2
Self-Awareness –
a First Step toward
Career Success
• FINANCE-FOCUSED CAREERS
Ideally suited to Finance professionals who possess (or have the aptitude to
acquire) and are passionate about high levels of proficiency in certain core skill sets
required for selected areas of Finance (such skills will be described in more detail
in Section 3A of the Guide). Career progression is based on in-depth knowledge
and experiences in these skills and strong problem-solving ability. Some examples
of these relevant functional areas include: Equity Research, Asset and Wealth
Management, Credit Analysis and Adjudication, Credit Portfolio Management,
Market Risk Management, Derivatives Analysis, Actuarial Science and Compliance.
• FINANCE-VERSATILE CAREER
Ideally suited to Finance professionals who have interest in and solid knowledge
of Finance, but also of multiple non-finance skill sets such as marketing, sales,
people management, operation management or negotiation. They develop flexible
sets of skills from business education and from working experience, and enjoy
using these diverse skills in job performance (such skills will be discussed in detail
in Section 3B of the Guide). Career progression is based more on the ability to
acquire and apply multiple skills on the job rather than in-depth expertise in any
particular one. Versatility also offers the possibility of transitioning from one
function to another during their careers. Some examples of these job areas include:
Corporate Banking, Commercial Banking, Private Banking, Sell-Side Investment
Banking, Financial Advisory, Banking Operations, Banking Product Management
and Strategy Management.
While the Alumni recommend that job-seeking students keep options open,
understanding their interests, inherent skills and personality traits could lead to a
better appreciation of which broad career type would offer them the best chance
to develop a successful and enjoyable career and how to tailor their job searches
accordingly. Based on our experiences as interviewers in the hiring process or in
discussions with students and recent graduates, it becomes clear that those who lack
self-awareness are more likely to struggle, experience higher levels of frustration
and rejection and may end up making sub-optimal career changes as a result of
disappointment in earlier choices.
As the job market remains challenging, graduates may not be able to land the
ideal job that launches their intended career on their first try. If you do not have the
majority of skills required for your intended career path, you might want to search
for and start with a different job that allows you to develop the skills you need.
It is important to get your foot in the door. On the other hand, if you determine that
a certain job or career path is suitable and ideal for you, start laying the ground
work and work toward acquiring the necessary skill sets. Don’t be discouraged that
you are not qualified right now because, if you stay focused and work hard, you will
become qualified.
A long career that spans 25 years or more could be all the more satisfying, both
monetarily and in terms of self-fulfillment, if you approach the important step
of self-awareness seriously and try to find a job that aligns with your core interests
and strengths. After all, we all learn faster and perform better in our eight- to
ten-hour working days if we find what we do rewarding and fun. We wish you all
the best in your journey to self-awareness, an effective job search process and a
rewarding career path.
Chapter 2: Self-Awareness – a First Step toward Career Success
The following two resources
are useful references for the
various roles in the Financial
Services industry:
1
Financial Services
Career Advisor
(developed by the
Toronto Financial Services
Alliance (TFSA))
To view the in-demand
careers in Financial Services
(e.g., Role, Career Path,
Career Impact), visit:
www.explorefinancial
services.com/Careers
You can also create a profile
to view your personalized
career matches at:
www.explorefinancial
services.com/CareerMatches
2
Financial Services
Career Map
(Developed by the Canadian
Securities Institute (CSI))
To learn about diverse
career roles, visit:
www.csi.ca/student/en_ca/
careermap/index.xhtml
Note: The CSI and TSFA
websites are only provided
as resources to explore career
options. Schulich Alumni
and Schulich do not endorse
or recommend any external
courses.
4
5
The following are the
contributing alumni with
Finance-Focused Career
experiences. Read their
personal advice to students
with hyperlinks to their
full contributions found in
Chapter 6 of this Guide:
Carrie Chai (MBA ’11)
Director, Internal Ratings
Management, Scotiabank
Richard Digioacchino
(MBA ’03)
Vice President, Trading Floor
Risk Management, Scotiabank
Conrad Fernandes (MBA ’15)
Associate Director,
Group Risk Management Credit,
Royal Bank of Canada
Valeriya Kolobashkina
(MF ’14)
Senior Manager, Exposure and
Capital Analysis, Global Risk
Management, Scotiabank
Rick Kotick (MBA ’06)
Head, Competitive Intelligence
& Sales Enablement,
RBC Global Asset Management
Gregory Pau
(BBA ’88, MBA ’89)
Lecturer in Finance,
Schulich School of Business
Raj Ray (MBA ’09)
Vice President, Precious Metals
& Mining, Desjardins Securities
Andy Thi (BBA ’12)
Credit Analyst, Fixed Income,
Foyston Gordon & Payne Inc.
June Wang (MF ’11)
Senior Financial Analyst
Valuation Analytics, Ontario
Teachers’ Pension Plan
We have summarized key points based on the stories of two groups of Alumni – those
who pursued a Finance-Focused Career and those who pursued a Finance-Versatile
Career – in Sections 3A and 3B below, respectively. Since a summary cannot capture
every point of each contributor’s insightful and rich career story, we provide hyperlinks
to their full accounts in Chapter 6.
SECTION 3A: FINANCE-FOCUSED CAREERS
Nine of the contributing alumni (the Focused Team) have embarked on a Finance-
Focused Career in functional areas, including: Fixed-Income Analysis, Credit Portfolio
Risk Management, Credit Assessment and Adjudication, Asset Management,
Market Risk Management and Equity Research. We have summarized their answers
to four key career-related questions, through which they share their experiences
and suggestions to students.
1. Why did I choose to pursue a career in Finance?
While each alumnus has a unique story, we found some common ways
the Focused Team discovered its interests and strengths in Finance:
• All alumni on the Focused Team found strong interest in subjects that
require analytical skills and logical thinking as well as their application to
real-world situations.
• All think that their possession of strong quantitative skills and affinity for
working with and interpreting numbers have influenced their career choices.
• All have indicated that they enjoyed the Finance courses at Schulich,
which have helped to cement their interests in Finance.
• Many have also realized that they enjoy the subject matter and reading
in Finance-related materials more than those in other streams in their business
school programs.
Each alumnus contributing to the Guide has generously
shared his or her personal career story and has
addressed a number of questions that are frequently
asked by students or recent graduates regarding
self-awareness, preparation, first jobs and subsequent
career progression.
CHAPTER
3
Career Experiences
from the
Contributing Alumni
6
• During their studying years, some alumni discussed their initial interests
with professors, alumni, upper-year students and/or friends in the industry and
learned more about the different areas of Finance. The discussions provided the
alumni with valuable insights that helped them make their own career choices.
• Some alumni went to business school to change careers. While entering
a new area of Finance, they have been able to apply their previous experiences
(in engineering and mining, for example) in their selected jobs and careers
in the industry.
• Many were attracted to our specific functional areas in Finance and found them
fascinating because the opportunities and career progression require continued
learning and application of analytical skills and expertise in problem solving.
2. How did I earn my first job to start
my career in Finance?
Getting the first job in our desired career is often difficult, given the intense
competition from other business graduates and more experienced professionals
seeking employment. Alumni on the Focused Team offered three suggestions
to improve the chances of securing the invaluable job opportunity that launches
your career:
• PROACTIVE NETWORKING
Proactive networking is an important way to be noticed by experienced
professionals and goes beyond simply attending networking events. This involves
showing up well prepared, researching job functions and requirements in the
targeted career area and the key firms likely to hire in this area as well as showing
that you are passionate, equipped and confident. Such diligent preparation will
enhance your chance of giving an excellent first impression to professionals, who
may end up referring you for job opportunities that arise. Students may refer to
the Glossary section of this Guide for some interesting websites that could improve
networking skills and methods.
• INTERNSHIP OR CONTRACT POSITIONS
Four alumni on the Focused Team who held summer internship, co-op or contract
positions during their business education have been hired back by their respective
employers after graduation. These part-time positions are useful to students in
many ways. First, these roles give students an opportunity to impress potential
industry employers with their good work ethic and to apply educational knowledge
to real-world situations. Once the employer identifies a strong candidate, he or she
is likely to be offered a full-time position after graduation. Second, students may
also gain a better understanding of whether the specific job function represents an
area to develop in his or her own career. If the answer is yes, students could then
choose elective courses that facilitate future career development and better target
his or her job search in these areas.
Chapter 3: Career Experiences from the Contributing Alumni
7
• PLANNING AND PREPARATION
Planning and preparation are key. These involve:
A. Highlighting skills and experiences (including those acquired prior
to your business education) that are relevant to your targeted job area
prominently on your resume;
B. Carefully reviewing the job descriptions of positions to which you are
applying and researching the areas in which you have limited experience
before interviews;
C. Showing enthusiasm for as well as technical knowledge and experience
in your targeted area (e.g., conduct equity valuation on selected companies,
write equity-research reports on them and be ready to discuss them during
interviews for an equity-research position); and
D. Acknowledging that you do not know every subject, but showing your
curiosity and eagerness to learn during interviews.
3. What do interviewers look for
in potential candidates?
From our experience as both interviewers and candidates looking for jobs, the
Alumni on the Focused Team believe that interviewers for entry-level positions for
graduates generally look for the following characteristics:
• TRAINABILITY
Since employers are investing in training you to be proficient, they normally
prefer candidates who have a strong aptitude and a good attitude toward
learning and application; therefore, candidates who demonstrate a willingness
to learn and perform as well as solid work ethics and good technical skills are
likely to have an advantage.
• PROFESSIONALISM
Interviewers also look for candidates who have a high level of professional
integrity and who work well with colleagues and/or clients.
• ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENTS, APPLICATION AND CRITICAL THINKING
For certain job functions that require strong analytical skills, particularly (but
not limited to) asset management, risk management as well as credit and equity
research, interviewers also emphasize academic achievements, application and
critical thinking as well as thoroughness and attention to detail. Attainment
of or progress toward a Certified Financial Analyst (CFA) designation often gives
the candidate a decisive advantage.
• COMMUNICATION AND LEADERSHIP SKILLS
Effective communication, both in writing and presentation, is an important
skill for any effective Finance professional. Interviewers favour candidates who
can demonstrate their ability to communicate their analysis or work in a clear
and competent manner. In addition, interviewers also look for good leadership
skills and the ability to take initiative when needed.
8
• QUALIFICATION AND CERTIFICATIONS
Qualification and certifications such as CFA, Financial Risk Manager (FRM) and
Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) are increasingly valued and sought after
by interviewers of potential candidates. Students who are progressing toward
a certification could be in an advantageous position compared with those who
have not yet begun. The CFA is more relevant for positions in credit and equity,
capital markets, asset management, investment banking and corporate finance
while the FRM is more important for professionals in market-risk management,
credit-risk management and compliance. While most CPAs tend to pursue careers
in accounting, strong accounting skills are often an advantage to applicants for
Finance jobs such as preparing financial statements (e.g., financial control, internal
audit, treasury) or users of such statements (e.g., credit analysis, adjudications and
equity research).
4. Once I got my first job, how did I progress
to the current position?
The path from the first job to the current position was quite different for every
alumnus on the Focused Team, depending on opportunities available and the nature
of the job; however, there are also some common factors that contribute to career
progression, including:
• ACCUMULATION OF EXPERIENCE AND EXPERTISE
This is the one of the main factors contributing to career progression in a Finance-
Focused career. Continued learning, expanded expertise and experience are often
main considerations for future career advancements.
• JOB PERFORMANCES
Applying knowledge and experience to produce quality work, good
recommendations and decisions as well as applicable solutions to problems are
abilities that distinguish an excellent performer from an average one in promotion
decisions. This also enables a performer to gain a reputation within the industry,
which leads to potential recruitment opportunities from other employers.
• HELPFULNESS AND DEDICATION
Willingness to do more than required is identified by five alumni of the Focused
Team as crucial to their career progression. Such effort often puts the Finance
professional in good light by showing dedication, fostering team spirit and forming
relationships with colleagues.
• ADAPTATION TO CHANGING ENVIRONMENT
In today’s fast-changing Finance industry with developing products, increasing
regulations and occasional shocks to markets, five alumni on the Focused Team have
identified the ability to adapt quickly to changing environments as a key success
factor in their jobs. Such adaptability requires a professional to keep updating his or
her knowledge, think critically and develop strong problem-solving skills; these skills
will enhance the professional’s chance of being considered for promotion.
• NETWORKING AND REPUTATION
One alumnus identified building relationships with colleagues and a reputation
within the firm as important for those who explore different roles within their
expertise throughout their careers.
Chapter 3: Career Experiences from the Contributing Alumni
9
SECTION 3B: FINANCE-VERSATILE CAREERS
Nine of the contributing alumni (the Versatile Team) have embarked on a Finance-
Versatile Career in functional areas, including: Commercial Banking, Corporate
Banking, Private Equity, Strategy and Planning, Tax and Audit as well as Technology.
Each alumnus on the Versatile Team comes from a rather unique background and also
pursues his or her career in different roles; hence, the summary below demonstrates
a mosaic of their answers to five career-related questions. Students should be able to
pick and apply what is most relevant to their personal situations.
1. Why did I choose to pursue a career in Finance?
Each alumnus on the Versatile Team has chosen a career in Finance for different
reasons. One common element for all Versatile alumni is that they find Finance to
be interesting and think they can excel in it regardless of their background. Here is a
collection of their motivations for pursuing Finance:
• Belief that financial management is a great foundation of knowledge and skills
required to better understand business and make better business decisions.
• The desire for career advancement and financial freedom at a younger age.
• Five of the alumni on the Versatile Team cited the desire for a career change as their
impetus for finding a career in Finance. Four had an engineering background and
were attracted to Finance because of their comfort with numbers and interest in
interpreting financial figures as well as the business stories behind them. They were
also attracted to the crucial role of financing in business operations and success.
The fifth alumnus had a neuroscience background and saw accounting as a stepping
stone to the Financial Services industry, which she finds interesting.
• Seeing banking and finance as a distributive occupation that channels financial
resources to facilitate creative, innovative and entrepreneurial endeavours.
• Enjoying decision-making from one transaction to another and the satisfaction of
making the right bets.
• From the first job offered in banking after undergraduate studies, gaining interest
in commercial and corporate banking on the job.
• Finding specific interests in evaluating companies as well as building financial and
valuation models.
The following are the
contributing alumni with
Finance-Versatile Career
experience. Their personal
advice to students and
hyperlinks to their full
contributions can be found in
Chapter 6 of the Guide:
Taha Amiralli (MBA ’14)
Senior Product Manager,
Digital Banking, Scotiabank
Mandeep Anand (MBA ’13)
Assistant Vice President,
Commercial Associate, Bank of
America Merrill Lynch
Diana Arsenyan (MBA ’14)
Senior Accountant, Assurance
Services, Ernst & Young
Heston D’Souza (MBA ’15)
Relationship Manager,
Corporate Banking, ICICI Bank
Canada
Cindy Jin (MBA ’17)
Associate, Private Equity
Sponsor Coverage Group,
Scotiabank
Meggie Lee (IMBA ’15)
Senior Analyst, Statutory
Transfer Pricing, Royal Bank
of Canada
Tej Kumar Mehta (IMBA ’12)
Client Manager,
Global Banking & Markets,
HSBC Bank Canada
Ken Shen (MBA ’03)
Independent Management
Consultant
Shiva Srikantan
(BBA ’11, MBA ’15)
Associate Relationship
Manager, Corporate Banking,
MUFG Bank
10
Chapter 3: Career Experiences from the Contributing Alumni
2. How did I earn my first job to start my career
in Finance? What did I like about it?
Getting the first job in a Finance-Versatile Career is equally competitive as in Finance-
Focused Careers. Alumni on the Versatile Team found their first jobs in various means
and by understanding what a career in Finance entails. The contributors noted the
following key points:
• CONNECT AND BREAK THE ICE
Connect with experienced bankers through professional interests and common
interests, such as sports. Leveraging personal ability to break the ice with different
individuals, keeping conversation interesting and connecting with people was a key
advantage in helping alumni land their first jobs.
• PROACTIVE NETWORKING
Proactive networking and rigorous preparation before meetings about the people,
their experience and the areas of Finance in which they work. Treat every networking
meeting as an interview. Students may refer to the Glossary section of the Guide for
some interesting websites that could improve networking skills and methods.
• REASSESS INTERESTS AND STRENGTHS
Take what he or she learned from these meetings to reassess interests and
strengths, the types of jobs that are most suitable and the availability of these jobs.
• STUDENT CLUB ACTIVITIES
Through proactive participation in student club activities, the Versatile professionals
impressed external advisors who referred them for their first job.
• NETWORK-BUILDING PROGRAM
Develop a network-building program with clear targets (e.g., meeting at least one
new person per week) and take opportunities to attend different networking
events, information sessions and seminars.
• EXPLAIN REASONS BEHIND CAREER SWITCH
For graduates switching careers, the biggest challenge is to explain why they want
to shift. This can be better explained in person (through networking) than on paper
(in resumes or cover letters). When looking for job opportunities to switch, identify
jobs in which the skills and expertise acquired during your previous career/role can
be applicable or facilitate the learning process and prepare to illustrate it if you are
selected for an interview.
The Versatile Team liked their first jobs because:
• Their personalities were compatible with job requirements, enhancing performance
and career progression.
• The job combined analytical aspects and emphasis on relationship management.
• The job helped them gain experience in Finance and accounting systems.
• Credit analysis provided a good understanding of patterns in financial statements
while making financial decisions.
• They learned multiple skills on the job, including auditing, process management,
product management, understanding of strategy behind risks associated with
product offerings and developing a broad and holistic view of the organization.
• The job provided good exposure to leveraged finance and alternative investment
transactions, financial modeling and other corporate finance analysis.
11
3. Once I got my first job, how did I progress
to the current position?
Similar to the Focused Team, the path from the first job to the current position was
different for every alumnus on the Versatile Team; however, many prefer lateral
movement to vertical movement. Eagerness to explore different fields helped these
alumni to advance in various fields and areas. Here are some crucial career-propelling
factors identified by the contributing alumni:
• Rotation through roles, which enables acquisition of broad skills in areas such as
strategy, planning, corporate development and financial management, all of which
are applicable to the current position.
• Responsiveness to provide solutions and relationship building, which are key success
factors when facing competition on the job.
• Ability to meet clients’ expectations, even when execution of solutions depends on
people or circumstances beyond one’s control.
• Experience in smaller companies where one can take on broader responsibilities,
which could be a key differentiator. Students should be open to taking jobs with
smaller organizations.
• Demonstrated keenness to learn on a consistent basis is usually valued by
hiring managers.
• Communication skills are key to the current role, which focuses on client relationship
management, staff development and developing new business opportunities.
4. What questions should students ask
when networking with you as an experienced
Finance professional?
When asked what questions a business student should ask during a chat over coffee,
the contributing alumni mentioned:
• What is your role and what responsibilities are associated with your job?
• What gets you excited about your job? What makes you passionate about this role?
• What are the skills (hard and soft) and experiences required to be successful
in this role?
• What are the key success factors for this role?
• What are some practical things I should do or learn to start my career in your area?
• What does a “good” day in your job look like for you?
• What are the key challenges in your role and what is the one ball that
you cannot afford to drop?
• What makes your job matter the most to your team, function, firm and society?
• What innovations are taking place in the industry and what is your company
doing to keep up and move with the times?
• What are some projects you are working on and would like to share?
• What courses at Schulich helped to prepare you for your current job?
12
5. What should students know about
the industry’s culture?
As the contributing alumni perform on the job and make career progression,
they have encountered certain cultural issues in the Finance industry and in their
organizations. Overall, the alumni agree that culture should be one of most
important determinations for choosing a potential company. Agility and teamwork
are also imperative. The alumni highlight some tips for students as they embark
on their career journeys:
• Each organization’s culture is different, so cultural awareness and business
acumen often play a key role in advancing your career.
• Leave your ego behind.
• Relationship building often involves working after hours while deal deadlines
may require working through weekends. Students need to be prepared to go the
extra mile.
• Learning never stops in Finance and constant effort to improve your skills
could put you ahead of your competition.
• Have fun with what you are doing.
• Finance is not about the “Wolf of Wall Street.” A successful Finance professional
needs to work hard, demonstrate new ways of approaching old problems, work
well with people and constantly learn and refine skills.
• The Financial Services industry is facing innovative and disruptive threats,
such as fintech. A successful professional needs to be innovative by contributing
ideas; developing strong technical, analytical and interpersonal skills; and
having a strong work ethic.
• Increasing regulatory pressure is changing the capital markets industry and
pushing toward a more compliance- and risk-averse culture.
Chapter 3: Career Experiences from the Contributing Alumni
13
By now, you have also selected the elective courses that help build your foundation
and competencies, started to build your networks and are preparing resumes and
job applications. At this stage, and unless there is a career to go back to, students
often wonder where to apply for their first job in Finance. Many students or recent
graduates target their job search toward specific business segments or broad
financial institutions, stating that they want to find a job in an investment bank,
corporate bank or insurance company.
Although this is a convenient way of targeting your efforts, it may not be optimal.
This is because there are often many job functions in each of these business segments
that require very different skill sets and personalities. For example, sell-side
investment bankers, buy-side fixed-income researchers and trading-floor operation
managers are job functions that require very different skills and lead to different
careers but all can be found in investment banks. By focusing your applications on
jobs in investment banks only, you may risk applying for and landing an investment-
banking job that does not suit you. This could potentially lead to weak job
performances as a result of mismatched interests or competencies. This in turn could
necessitate a career change later and possible delay in career progression.
At the same time, many job functions exist in almost all types of financial institutions.
An example of this is credit-risk adjudicators, who are needed in and transferrable
between commercial banks, corporate banks, investment banks, asset-management
firms and credit-rating agencies. Again, by focusing job applications on investment
banks only, you may miss out on attractive opportunities in other business segments
in financial institutions.
Time flies. As valuable and memorable as the time
spent on your business education has been, graduation
is just around the corner. Ideally, entering your
final year, you already understand your strengths and
interests and know whether you are leaning toward
pursuing a “Finance-Focused” or “Finance-Versatile”
career path.
CHAPTER
4
Skills and
Jobs Matching
Instead, the alumni believe that students should assess suitability of jobs during
their job search by asking these questions:
1. Do I possess or am I able to acquire quickly the skills required for the jobs posted?
Would skills acquired in previous working experience be readily transferrable?
2. Is the nature of the job posted likely to lead to a career path that suits my
strengths and interests (as I have discovered in my self-awareness effort)?
Answering “yes” to both questions is often a good indication that the job and its
intended career path are likely to be suitable for you. This will also offer you a good
opportunity – alongside vigorous preparation, of course – to do well in interviews,
during which you can explain your interest in the job as well as showcase the passion
that interviewers seek and demonstrate why your skills make you a good match
for the job. It is important to note that, even if you answer “yes” to both questions,
there may still be skills that you either need to acquire or improve. To find the
courses or other means to acquire those skills, you may want to consult the resources
available at Schulich, such as the Career Development Centre and the Faculty or
the alumni who have experience in the functions.
The alumni group has collated and summarized a set of 28 job functions, their
respective job responsibilities and skill requirements in a Job-Type Table documented
in Appendix 4-A. Contents of the table are based on experiences from various
alumni and information from TFSA’s website: www.tfsa.ca/explorefinancialservices/
in-demand-careers. While we think the table is a useful generic reference for
students, we caution that there could be differences in responsibilities and skill
requirements for the same job function in different organizations as a result
of differing business mix and focus, organizational setup and job seniority.
Students are advised to review the responsibilities and skill requirements in the
“Job Description” and “Skills Required” section of each specific job posting when
considering its suitability and fit.
The “Jobs-Skills Map” Summary Table in Appendix 4-B provides students an
easier reference to compare the different job functions and skill requirements.
In the Appendix, we have grouped all skill requirements in nine wide-ranging
groups as follows:
Chapter 4: Career Readiness
The survey respondents also
added the following comments:
• Students need to gain
hands-on real-world
experience during university
studies to prepare for work,
recommending internships
as the best way to gain such
experience.
• Candidates who can
demonstrate and articulate
their career readiness
usually enjoy a competitive
advantage over and are more
likely to be promoted more
quickly than those who are
less career-ready.
• Candidates who are focused
and have a clear sense of
career aspirations, direction
and goals will also have
an advantage over other
candidates.
• Candidates could speed
up and strengthen their
career growth process by
seeking career development
opportunities, engaging
with mentors and showing
flexibility, responsiveness
and willingness to learn and
perform.
CORE FINANCE SKILLS OTHER SKILLS
• Product knowledge in
financial institutions
• Analytical and research skills
• Legal and regulatory frameworks
• Data, quantitative and
computing skills
• People and relationship skills
• Operations and process
management
• Project management
• Audit and accounting
• Information technology
14
15
The “Jobs-Skills Map” could be a useful tool and we suggest you consider these steps
when finalizing resumes, applying for jobs and preparing for interviews:
STEP 1: Review each skill set in the right-most column (under “Specific Skill Sets”
heading on page 24) and identify those that you either (i) already possess
from pre-business education experience, (ii) have acquired or are acquiring
at Schulich or (iii) are confident about learning.
STEP 2: Map the skill sets that you have selected in Step 1 to the nine broad
groups across the top. Identify which broad skill groups you have strong
competencies and interests.
STEP 3: Examine the job types in each row and shortlist those that best match your
personal skill sets. You may find it useful to refer to the more detailed table
schulich.yorku.ca/sfaafocused for more specific skills required for each job.
STEP 4: Search the job postings available that are consistent with the job types
that you just shortlisted in Step 3. Review the job postings carefully to
understand the specific job descriptions, responsibilities and skills required.
STEP 5: Update your resume and write your cover letter to highlight how your skill
sets match the job requirements and to demonstrate how your passion and
interest align with the job.
It is important to emphasize that these tables represent a sample of common job
types and are by no means exhaustive. They are meant to be used as a step-by-step
guiding tool to help you focus your job search. As you go through job postings, you
may find other job types not listed above. The tables above could still be helpful as
you can complete Steps 1 and 2 and then jump directly to Step 4 to assess whether
your selected skills match the skill requirements for the job. Once you conclude that
there is a good match, proceed to Step 5 and get yourself ready.
Now that you have a tool to help focus your job search, all you need to land the job
that launches your career is preparation, a positive and confident attitude, patience
and a bit of luck. The Alumni group would like to direct your attention to Chapters 3
to 6 of another useful career guide entitled, Ultimate Career Guide by Robert Hines
and Simon Beck in partnership with the Career Development Centre – issuu.com/
schulichschool/docs/schulich-cdc-careerguide-web. These chapters provide useful
guidance in resumes and cover letters, networking, use of LinkedIn and social media
and interview preparation. Finally, the alumni wish you the best of luck in your job
search and success as you progress in your career.
16
Chapter 4: Skills and Jobs Matching
APPENDIX 4A: JOB TYPE TABLE
Front & Back Office
CAREER PATHS JOB TYPES ALSO KNOWN AS SEGMENT JOB RESPONSIBILITIES SKILLS REQUIRED
Versatile Relationship
Manager
Account Manager
Credit Officer
Corporate Banking
Commercial Banking
Private Banker
– Manage a portfolio of client relationship
– Develop and sell products and
services to new clients
– Collaborate with other service divisions
– Relationship management and selling skills
– Problem-solving
– Knowledge of financial products
– Negotiation and conflict management skills
– Financial analysis skills
Versatile Client Service
Representative
Sales Representative
Product Sales
Insurance Sales
Retail Broker
Retail Banking
Wealth Management
Insurance Companies
Stockbrokers
– Provide detailed info, recommendations
and advices on products / services to clients
– Respond to clients’ requests
– Relationship management skills
– Sales and service orientation
– Product and service knowledges
– Conflict management skills
Focused Debt Recovery
Associate
Collection Officer
Debt Restructuring
Specialist
Work-out Specialist
Corporate Banking
Commercial Banking
Retail Banking
– Maximize recovery of debt from
clients in arrears
– Negotiate resolution and recommend actions
– Implement debt recovery solutions
– Initiate and follow up on litigations,
if necessary
– Financial and collateral analysis
– Knowledge of products and services
– Negotiation and conflict management skills
– Understanding of legal and
regulatory frameworks
Focused Fund
Accountant
Fund Performance
Evaluator
Fund Management
Investment Banking
– Analyze and report Net Asset Values
of funds and investment portfolio
– Maintenance of accounting systems
and application
– Conduct research on fund performance
comparisons
– Accounting and cash flow analysis skills
– Knowledge of investment
products and trading
– Knowledge of regulatory and
legal frameworks
– Analytical thinking and
problem-solving skills
– Details orientation
Focused Transaction
Processor
Operations Officer All Financial
Institutions
– Process transactions in accordance
with established procedures
– Resolve inquiries regarding
these transactions
– Ensure quality standards are met
with accuracy
– Ensure record keeping for audit trail
– Ability to process / reconcile large
volumes of information
– Details orientation / ability to ensure
accuracy and identify discrepancies
– Knowledge of regulatory polices
and procedures
– Analytical thinking and
problem-solving skills
Focused Trading &
Sales
Dealer
Trader
Treasury Officer
All Financial
Institutions
– Research on factors affecting market prices
(exchange rates, interest rates, equity prices)
– Generate and implement trading strategy
– Match sell and buy orders and Execute
trade orders and earn a spread
– Take proprietary trading position within
prescribed risk limits and try to maximize
capital gains
– Maintain relationship with trading
counterparties
– Understanding of market dynamics
and factors affecting market prices
– Knowledge on financial and
investment products
– Analytical thinking and ability to
interpret events and market movements
– Numeric and ability to conceptualize
profits and loss of trade transactions
17
APPENDIX 4A: JOB TYPE TABLE
Front & Back Office continued
CAREER PATHS JOB TYPES ALSO KNOWN AS SEGMENT JOB RESPONSIBILITIES SKILLS REQUIRED
Focused Trading Floor
Operations
Treasury Operations
Treasury
Administration
All Financial
Institutions
– Review trading floor transactions to
ensure prompt settlement of all trades
– Ensure all trades and trading positions
are accurately recorded
– Ensure compliance of traders’ trading
and position limits
– Report any discrepancies, limit violation,
delayed settlement and collateral posting
to risk management
– Knowledge of trading floor operations
and settlement process
– Knowledge of credit risk and market risk
limit setting and monitoring
– Familiarity of trading agreements
(ISDA), mark to market process and collateral
requirements
– Knowledge of financial and
investment products
Versatile Product
Management
Product
Development
Financial Institutions
and other product-
based organizations
– Conduct usability tests with end users
– Discussions with users regarding deliverables
in business operations and performance
improvements
– Document business, system and data flows
– Provide advices to development team on
new system production and testing
– Facilitate roll-out and implementation of
new system functionality
– Review to align processes to changing
business conditions and new products
– Develop feasibility studies, cost/benefits/risk
assessments for technology projects.
– Document business, system and data flows
– Relationship Management Skills
– Business development and selling skills
– Leadership Skills across functions
– Product development skills
Focused Corporate
Development
— Financial Institutions
and other product-
based organizations
– Research to identify business and
deal opportunities
– Use financial modeling to forecast
corporations’ future cash flow and valuation
– Pitch to customers on potential revenue-
generating deals such as debt/equity
issuances, underwriting and merger
and acquisitions
– Coordinate efforts between Research,
capital market, underwriting, legal and other
teams to structure and negotiate deals
– Relationship management and
interpersonal skills
– Financial and statistical analysis and
modelling skills
– Data interpretation and communication skills
– Team collaboration
– Knowledge of regulatory and legal policy
and procedures
18
Project Management & Analysis and Advanced Analytics
CAREER PATHS JOB TYPES ALSO KNOWN AS SEGMENT JOB RESPONSIBILITIES SKILLS REQUIRED
Focused Data Scientist /
Analyst
Data Analytics
Specialist
Data Analytics
Officer
Corporate Banking
Retail Banking
Insurance Companies
Private Banking &
Wealth Management
– Explore and analyze large volume of data
– Build data programming, modelling
and mining
– Communicate analytical findings and
recommendations
– Identify data-driven opportunities
for improvements in processes and
customer relationships
– Knowledge in data mining, processing
and reporting
– Statistical analysis and modelling skills
– Analytical thinking and
problem-solving skills
– Data interpretation and
communication skills
– Financial analysis skills
Focused Financial
Analyst
Research Analyst
Financial Controller
Financial Modeller
Corporate Finance
All Financial
Institutions
– Research and analysis of current and
historical financial information
– Participate in budgeting and
variance analysis
– Build financial models for forecasting
and sensitivity analysis
– Prepare financial reports, with
interpretation and recommendations on
potential courses of action
– Financial analysis skills.
– Knowledge of financial regulations
– Knowledge in economics, accounting,
financial markets and banking
– Data interpretation and
communication skills
Versatile Performance
Analyst
Quality Analyst All Financial
Institutions
– Develop corporate data warehouses
and tools to obtain relevant data
– Define, design and develop analytical
solutions to meet business needs and
cross-product initiatives
– Maintain and improve analytics, reporting
and relevance in delivering consistent
information and insights
– Database architecture and design skills
– Knowledge in data mining, warehousing,
processing and reporting
– Data interpretation and
communication skills
– Facilitation, negotiation and
problem-solving skills
– Knowledge of financial services
operations and processes
Versatile Program
Management
Project Leader
Project Management
Officer
Change
Management Officer
All organizations – Set standards for project
management capabilities
– Establish Project Management Office
structure, operations and staffing
requirements
– Track and provide project status and
audit reports
– Manage risks, issues and conflict
resolution process
– Prioritize projects based on value,
impact and strategic alignment
– Expertise in project and
change management
– Budget, cost and profitability
management skills
– Knowledge of resource management
– Strategic thinking and leadership skills
– Facilitation, negotiation and
problem-solving skills
Chapter 4: Skills and Jobs Matching
APPENDIX 4A: JOB TYPE TABLE
19
APPENDIX 4A: JOB TYPE TABLE
Risk & Insurance
CAREER PATHS JOB TYPES ALSO KNOWN AS SEGMENT JOB RESPONSIBILITIES SKILLS REQUIRED
Focused Actuary Actuarial Officer
Actuarial Modeller
Life Insurance
General Insurance
– Create mathematical model to evaluate and
probabilities of occurrence of risk events
– Assign monetary value to such risk events to
determine insurance premiums
– Make recommendation on risk, design
and structure of insurance products,
reserves required to cover claims and other
risk mitigants
– Expertise in statistical and quantitative
theories, modelling and applications
– Knowledge of financial service businesses
and operations
– Knowledge of specific insurance products
– Skills in database design, modelling
and analysis
Focused Claims
Adjuster
Claim Assessment
Officer
Claim Evaluator
Life Insurance
General Insurance
– Meet and discuss with claimants
for detailed information on events and
assessment of loss
– Review details of claims against insurance
policies to determine approval, further
review or decline of payments
– Liaise with claimants and experts and
provide regular updates
– Knowledge of policy coverage, liability
limits and reinsurance policies
– Experience in investigative procedures
and documentation
– Analytical thinking and
problem-solving skills
– Communication skills
– Detailed orientation
Focused Insurance
Underwriter
Insurance Officer Life Insurance
General Insurance
– Evaluate insurance applications for risk
levels and recommended premiums
– Determine terms and conditions insurance
contracts (including terms, conditions
and coverages)
– Provide underwriting advices and answer
inquiries from brokers and customers
– Mathematical and quantitative analysis skills
– Analytical and decision-making skills in
policy applications
– Knowledge of financial services business
and operations
– Customer focus and collaboration
– Knowledge of information and
communication technologies
Focused Credit Risk
Adjudicator
Credit Approver
Credit Underwriter
Counterparty Credit
Risk Manager
Corporate Banking
Commercial Banking
Investment Banking
– Assess credit applications and assess
key risk factors
– Negotiate and recommend terms,
conditions, pricing and structure for
credit approval
– Making credit decision within
credit authority
– Train staff on credit policies and
credit approval process
– Review and maintain credit policies,
response to changes in credit practices
and regulations
– Ability to assess financial, quantitative
and qualitative information to form
a credit opinion
– Knowledge on lending, other credit and
investment and treasury products
– Experience in accounting practices,
financial modelling and research
– Understanding business operations and
data interpretation
– Knowledge on credit agreements,
legal and insolvency frameworks
– Knowledge of regulatory and legal policies
– Communication skills
20
Chapter 4: Skills and Jobs Matching
APPENDIX 4A: JOB TYPE TABLE
Risk & Insurance continued
CAREER PATHS JOB TYPES ALSO KNOWN AS SEGMENT JOB RESPONSIBILITIES SKILLS REQUIRED
Focused Credit
Administrator
Credit Operation
Officer
Corporate Banking
Commercial Banking
Investment Banking
– Review credit agreements to ensure terms
and conditions are consistent with credit
approval requirement
– Safe keep all credit and security agreements
– Track credit review process as required by
credit policy and guidelines
– Monitor payments and collateral conditions
are consistent with credit agreements
through loan tenor and report to risk
management any violations
– Knowledge of credit approval process,
lending products, credit structure, credit and
security agreements
– Administrative skills and detail orientation
– Knowledge of financial and
investment products
– Understanding of the bank’s credit and
risk management policies
Focused Risk Analyst Credit Analyst
Fixed-Income
Research Analyst
Market Risk Analyst
Corporate Banking
Commercial Banking
Investment Banking
– Research, source and review data relevant
to the specific risk areas (credit, market or
operation risks)
– Understand potential impacts from each
risk area to overall business
– Prepare reports on risk exposure and
suggested mitigants
– Support business managers to respond
to identified risk exposures
– Ensure consistency of business practices
with risk policies
– Ability to analyze complex data into reports
that can be used by decision makers
– Quantitative, analytic modelling and
computer programming skills
– Knowledge of risk and credit management
– Knowledge of regulatory and legal policy
and procedures
– Research, analytical and reporting skills
Focused Risk Modeller Portfolio Risk
Manager
Market Risk
Modeller
Value-at-Risk
Modeller
All Financial
Institutions
– Work with business to define
risk parameters
– Research and build mathematical and
statistical models to quantify risk exposures
– Report assumptions, methodology and
outputs of risk models
– Stress test models to ensure consistency
and quality
– Adjust and improve models as needed
– Knowledge of statistical modelling
techniques, database architecture and
design, and financial analysis
– Ability to understand changes in
market trends
– Ability to interpret and translate complex
outputs to provide insights
– Knowledge of information and
communication technology, programming
and design
21
APPENDIX 4A: JOB TYPE TABLE
Financial Advisory & Investment Management
CAREER PATHS JOB TYPES ALSO KNOWN AS SEGMENT JOB RESPONSIBILITIES SKILLS REQUIRED
Versatile Financial
Advisor
Financial Product
Sales
Investment Product
Sales
Retail Banking
Commercial Banking
Financial Planning
Wealth Management
– Sell financial and investment products
(prospecting, selling and negotiating terms
of services)
– Negotiate with product suppliers on rates
– Maintain customer relationships and
introduce new financial products to them
– Provide financial planning advice to achieve
customers’ financial goals
– Analytical thinking and
problem-solving skills
– Relationship management skills
– Knowledge of financial services business
operations and financial products
– Knowledge of regulatory and legal policies
– Proficiency in financial projection techniques
Versatile Investment
Banker
Capital Markets
Associate
Mergers &
Acquisitions
Associate
Sales & Trading
Associate
Investment Banking – Research to identify business and
deal opportunities
– Use financial modeling to forecast
corporations’ future cash flow and valuation
– Pitch to customers on potential revenue-
generating deals such as debt/equity
issuances, underwriting and merger
and acquisitions
– Coordinate efforts between research, capital
market, underwriting, legal and other teams
to structure and negotiate deals
– Relationship management and
interpersonal skills
– Financial and statistical analysis and
modelling skills
– Data interpretation and
communication skills
– Team collaboration
– Knowledge of investment products and
financial instruments
– Knowledge of regulatory and
legal policy and procedures
– Knowledge of credit and market risk
management in the finance sector
Versatile Portfolio
Manager
Fund Manager
Investment Manager
Asset Manager
Asset / Fund
Management
Investment Banking
Insurance Companies
– Develop investment policies, target asset mix
and strategies for the portfolio
– Conduct investments and trading for
the portfolio
– Measure and evaluate portfolio
performance against targets
– Ensure compliance of target asset mix,
investment strategies and regulatory
requirements
– Maintain relationships and communicate
with investors on changes in portfolio,
market trends and return
– Research and analytical skills
– Data interpretation and
communication skills
– Knowledge of financial products
– Knowledge of investment theory and
portfolio management
22
Financial Advisory & Investment Management continued
CAREER PATHS JOB TYPES ALSO KNOWN AS SEGMENT JOB RESPONSIBILITIES SKILLS REQUIRED
Focused Research
Analyst
(Buy-side)
Fixed-Income Credit
Analyst
Investment Analyst
Equity Analyst
Asset / Fund
Management
Investment Banking
Insurance Companies
Stockbroking
– Research on trends and developments in
markets, economies and political issues
– Analyze risk and return on specific
financial assets currently or potentially in
the portfolio
– Recommend to investment committees
whether to invest in or divest such
financial assets
– Maintain database and financial
spreadsheets on industry and company-
specific data
– Analytical, research, accounting, financial
and statistical modelling skills
– Knowledge of investment products and
financial services operations
– Knowledge of regulatory and
legal policies and procedures
– Presentation and communication skills
Versatile Research
Analyst
(Sell-side)
Fixed-Income
Research Analyst
Equity Research
Analyst
Investment Banking
Corporate Banking
Stockbroking
– Research on trends and developments in
markets, economies and political issues
– Analyze risk and return related to financial
assets to be sold by the company
– Prepare pitch book for bidding for capital
market or M&A mandates to issuers
– Prepare sell-side research reports to solicit
interests from potential investors
– Maintain database and financial
spreadsheets on industry and company-
specific data
– Analytical, research, accounting, financial
and statistical modelling skills
– Knowledge of investment products and
financial services operations
– Knowledge of regulatory and legal policies
and procedures
– Presentation and communication skills
– Relationship management and
interpersonal skills
Versatile Specialized
Investment
Advisor
Financial Product
Specialist
Financial Planner
Retail Banking
Insurance Companies
Asset & Wealth
Management
– Offer specialize financial planning advices
(relating to trust, estate, tax, offshore
investments etc.) to customers
– Maintain up-to-date knowledge
of the specialized investment areas
– Understand customers’ financial
objectives and recommend appropriate
financial products
– Expertise in one or more of the
specialized investment areas
– Customer service and relationship
management skills
– Analytical, research, and financial
modelling skills
– Knowledge of statistical and
quantitative methods
– Investment and sale management skills
Chapter 4: Skills and Jobs Matching
APPENDIX 4A: JOB TYPE TABLE
23
Compliance & Audit
CAREER PATHS JOB TYPES ALSO KNOWN AS SEGMENT JOB RESPONSIBILITIES SKILLS REQUIRED
Focused Compliance
Officer
— All Financial
Institutions
– Review practices and operations to
assess and ensure adherence to policies
and regulations
– Investigate and identify root causes of
non-compliance events
– Provide guidance and recommendations
for corrective actions
– Develop and update compliance policies
for the company
– Education and train staff on
compliance matters
– Liaise with regulators on regulatory,
audit and compliance matters
– Knowledge of regulatory and
legislative policy and procedures for
the financial sector
– Knowledge of credit and risk management
– Quantitative analysis skills
– High ethical standards and awareness
– Understanding of financial markets and
processes in sales, trading, operations,
control and product structuring
Focused Internal
Auditor
— All Financial
Institutions
– Determine internal audit scope, timing
and plan in collaboration with compliance
and control
– Conduct audit, review effectiveness
and consistent adherence of control
and compliance
– Identify follow-up actions for improvement
– Compile audit reports, summary of findings
and recommendation
– Monitor implantation of corrective actions
– Knowledge of audit practices and processes
– Knowledge of credit and risk management,
regulatory and legal policy and procedures
– Finance and accounting skills
– Analytical thinking and
problem-solving skills
– High ethical standards and awareness
– Experience with accounting and
information systems
APPENDIX 4A: JOB TYPE TABLE
24
Chapter 4: Skills and Jobs Matching
APPENDIX 4B: FINANCE JOBS-SKILLS HEATMAP
V = Versatile Career Path; F = Focused Career Path
Adapted from: Toronto Finance Services Alliance (TFSA), In-Demand Careers in Financial Services
www.tfsa.ca/explorefinancialservices/in-demand-careers/
Note: Number of Xs denotes the number of specific items in the skill group identified for the job.
See Detailed Jobs-Skills Map for details.
CORE FINANCE
FUNCTIONS
OTHER SKILLS
PROD A&R LEG DQC PEO O&P PM AUD
IT
# of Skill Sets 2 9 1 4 3 3 2 2 2
FRONT & BACK OFFICE
1 V Relationship Manager 1X 2X 2X
2 V Client Services Representative 1X 2X
3 F Debt Recovery Associate 1X 1X 1X 1X
4 F Fund Accountant 1X 3X 1X
5 F Transaction Processor 2X 1X
6 F Trading & Sales 1X 3X
7 F Trading Floor Operations 2X 2X 1X
8 V Product Management 1X 4X 1X 2X 1X 1X 1X
9 F Corporate Development 1X 3X 1X 1X 1X
PROJECT MANAGEMENT & ANALYSIS AND ADVANCED ANALYTICS
10 F Data Scientist / Analyst 3X 3X
11 F Financial Analyst 3X 1X
12 V Performance Analyst 2X 1X 1X
13 V Program Management 3X 2X 2X
RISK & INSURANCE
14 F Actuary 1X 2X 1X
15 F Claims Adjuster 1X 3X 1X
16 F Insurance Underwriter 1X 1X 1X 1X 1X 1X
17 F Credit Risk Adjudicator 1X 4X 1X
18 F Credit Administrator 1X 3X 1X
19 F Risk Analyst 3X 1X 3X
20 F Risk Modeller 1X 3X 1X
FINANCIAL ADVISORY & INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT
21 V Financial Advisor 1X 2X 1X 1X
22 V Investment Banker 1X 3X 1X 1X 1X
23 V Portfolio Manager 1X 3X 1X
24 F Research Analyst (Buy-side) 1X 3X 1X 1X
25 V Research Analyst (Sell-side) 1X 1X 1X 1X 1X
26 V Specialized Investment Advisor 2X 2X 2X 1X
COMPLIANCE & AUDIT
27 F Compliance Officer 2X 1X 1X 1X 1X
28 F Internal Auditor 3X 1X 1X 1X
Specific Skill Sets
CORE FINANCE FUNCTIONS
PROD = Product Knowledge
Knowledge of Financial & Insurance Products
Knowledge of Investment Products & Trading
A&R = Analytical & Research
Ability to Process Info & Details
Financial & Cash Flow Modelling & Accounting
Analytical Thinking & Problem Solving
Data Interpretation & Communication
Economics, Accounting & Financial Markets
Knowledge of Credit Agreements &
Legal Frameworks
Knowledge of Risk Management
Research, Analytical & Reporting Skills
Investment & Portfolio Management
LEG = Legal & Regulatory
Legal & Regulatory Frameworks
DQC = Data, Quantitative & Computing
Data Mining & Analysis
Statistical Modelling & Computing
Mathematical & Quantitative Skills
Database Architecture & Design
OTHER SKILLS
PEO = People & Relationships
Customer Relationship Management & Sales
Negotiation & Conflict Management
Leadership & Management
O&P = Operations & Processes
Time & Change Management
Process Modelling & Analysis Tool
Knowledge of Financial Services Operations
PM = Project Management
Project Management Tools
Budget, Cost & Profitability Management
AUD = Auditing & Accounting
Investigative Procedures & Documentation
Audit, Compliance & Law Enforcement
IT = Information Technology
Information & Communication Technology
Business Analysis Tools
25
Advances in financial technology (or Fintech) are disrupting established business
models in the financial services sector, thus creating new career opportunities and
impacting existing professions. We see three broad categories in which jobs in
the financial services space fit: (1) jobs that are shrinking (e.g., securities brokers,
relationship managers, transaction processors), (2) new job opportunities (e.g., digital
product management, chief data officer) and (3) jobs that require incumbents to
adjust (e.g., investment banking, underwriting) to technological changes.
Some key technologies that will influence jobs include:
Mobile Technology
Everyone uses mobile communication devices on a regular basis, so what better
way to get financial products in front of this mass audience than by exploiting the
necessity to stay up to date. In financial services, these tools can be used for a wide
range of purposes from making personal budgets to creating savings goals, investing
money and borrowing funds to start a business and can be easily and conveniently
tailored to users’ individual requirement. As a result, mobile technologies are having
a huge impact on existing jobs in the retail and even commercial financial services
space. Prospects that have experience with e-commerce, digital transformation,
automation and process improvement will see an abundance of opportunities in
applying the same in the retail financial services space, especially in the following:
• FAST AND EFFICIENT MONEY MANAGEMENT
Many applications are faster than their desktop counterparts and have been
designed for user-friendly and quick transactions. With these apps providing
precise and popular functions, users can complete transactions efficiently.
• PERSONALIZED CONTENT
Despite consumers’ general hesitation to give companies access to their individual
preferences, these preferences enable financial-services providers to personalize
the content of their communication and services to their clients’ individual
needs. Fintech is increasingly providing the opportunity to gain user interest and
customize based on experiences, which give consumers the ability to pick and
choose based on several factors such as location, interests and online behaviour.
Technology is changing the way we do things in every
aspect of our lives. Innovative ideas and new
developments are coming onto the markets every day
in a bid to create and meet customer demand and build
new experiences. The financial market is no exception.
CHAPTER
5
Disruption in the
Financial Services Industry
Driven by Technology
26
• INTERACTIVE ENGAGEMENT
In today’s rapidly changing consumer climate, having a brand persona has never
been so important. This identity helps people feel comfortable when transacting
for financial services and offers them a chance to interact on a personal level
and offer feedback. Mobile technology is one of the driving forces behind social
interaction and, since its inception on general social media platforms, Fintech
is making progress to ensure that applications are at the forefront of customer
engagement for all companies.
Insurtech
The application of technology in the insurance space will have a seismic impact on
all aspects of the insurance industry, from distribution to underwriting and pricing
to claims. Advanced technologies and data are already affecting distribution and
underwriting with policies that are priced, purchased and bound in near real time.
Some key areas impacted in the insurance value chain will likely include:
• DISTRIBUTION
Traditional agent-based distribution and the corresponding corporate-support
functions are being dramatically disrupted as technology is used to increase
productivity. Customer interactions today are shorter and more meaningful,
making digital channels ideal as primary channels. Thus, opportunities are being
created for candidates who have managed data-driven digital sales, customer
journeys and even smart contracts in favour of established distribution schemes.
• UNDERWRITING AND PRICING
Manual underwriting will cease to exist for most personal and small-business
products across life and property and casualty insurance as the majority of
underwriting will be automated and supported by deep-learning models built
within the technology stack. As such, opportunities will become prevalent in areas
of the financial institution that support data-driven decisions ranging from pricing
departments all the way to regulatory functions that review machine learning-
based models.
Cryptocurrencies and Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT)
Cryptocurrencies and DLT are relatively new concepts that are making waves across
the world, especially relating to the transfer of value from one party to another.
Some key areas of disruption for the financial-services space include payments
(retail and commercial), new asset classes in the wealth-management space and the
regulatory compliance burden. This creates a number of new opportunities across
a financial institution’s value chain, ranging from the building of new core banking
systems/money-transfer infrastructures all the way to cryptocurrency traders in a
bank’s capital markets division.
Conclusion
The financial-services sector is ever evolving and is digging deeper into the habits
and behaviours of businesses and consumers using the multitude of available
services. This insight will help grow this fast-paced and innovative industry and
will begin to see developments in other areas, such as virtual reality and machine
learning, to predict and analyze data for maximum effect. Fintech is changing the
way people carry out everyday transactions and this is set to become one of the most
significant changes to the industry over the next few years. Prospective students
should keep this in mind and be flexible to learn new skills and become technology
literate as they forge careers after their business education.
Chapter 5: Disruption in the Financial Services Industry Driven by Technology
27
Carrie Chai (MBA ’11)
PAST POSITION:
Senior Manager, Internal Ratings
Management, Scotiabank
CURRENT POSITION:
Director, Internal Ratings Management,
Scotiabank
Richard Digioacchino (MBA ’03)
PAST POSITION:
Vice President, Exposure and
Capital Analysis, Scotiabank
CURRENT POSITION:
Vice President, Trade Floor Risk
Management, Scotiabank
Finance is an industry with many positions that fit
people with different skill sets and different interests.
The most critical step in my view is to get entry into
the industry. Once you are in, you’ll have tons of
opportunities to try and work in different areas if you
are a quick learner and like to challenge yourself.
If you choose a career in Finance, select as many finance
courses as possible and do well in each course, which
will equip you better in applying to your entry job.
It is very important that candidates can present themselves
well in networking/interview settings. This shows that they
understand social cues and can fit into a team workplace
environment. My advice would be to focus on soft skills
during networking and not try to impress recruiters with
technical questions. Recruiters are looking or people who can
fit in with the dynamics of their teams.
Candidates should also be honest with themselves in terms
of where their interests lie. If someone is not interested in a
field, it becomes readily apparent in an interview. An honest
self-assessment of skills and interests is imperative to finding a
good fit for employment.
Finally, candidates need to make sure they are prepared for
interviews. They should research the company, department
and interviewer as far as they can through publicly available
information and contacts. This shows interest.
Being a few steps ahead in our career paths, contributing alumni would like to
offer a few words of personal and heartfelt advice to you, our future alumni,
and we hope that you will find them beneficial and inspiring. Their full inputs
can be found at schulich.yorku.ca/sfaafocused.
FROM THE FINANCE-FOCUSED TEAM
Link to detailed inputs from the Team: schulich.yorku.ca/sfaafocused
CHAPTER
6
Personal Advice
from the
Contributing Alumni
28
Valeriya Kolobashkina (MF ’14)
PAST POSITION:
Senior Manager, Exposure and
Capital Analysis, Global
Risk Management, Scotiabank
CURRENT POSITION:
Senior Manager, Exposure and
Capital Analytics, Scotiabank
Conrad Fernandes (MBA ’15)
PAST POSITION:
Associate Director, Trading Credit
Risk & Collateral Management,
Royal Bank of Canada
CURRENT POSITION:
Associate Director, Group Risk
Management Credit, Royal Bank
of Canada
While at school or on the job, do not be afraid to raise your
hand and take on more responsibilities – this is how you
get valuable experience and improve your self-awareness
and understanding of what you like and where you want to
move next. Be vocal and let people around know what you
are passionate about and how much you have done to get
prepared for the job – you never know where an opportunity
may come from. Be yourself – we are all humans and work
in teams, no matter how many acronyms follow our names.
You are selected for an interview based on your skills and
experience, but are offered a job based on your personality.
Every person has a unique value proposition to offer. It is
imperative that you demonstrate a strong understanding of
yourself, express the willingness to embrace change and your
ability to articulate and infl uence individuals as a stakeholder.
Moreover, whether we are taking graduate courses,
participating in extra-curricular activities or even engaging
in networking events, make sure you are doing them with
intention and purpose.
Rick Kotick (MBA ’06)
PAST POSITION:
Senior Analyst, Competitive Intelligence,
RBC Asset Management
CURRENT POSITION:
Head, Competitive Intelligence & Sales
Enablement, RBC Global Asset Mgmt
Gregory Pau (BBA ’88, MBA ’89)
PAST POSITION:
Senior Vice President, Corporate Ratings,
DBRS Limited
CURRENT POSITION:
Lecturer in Finance, Schulich School
of Business
Follow your passion and your career will never feel like work.
Realize that no matter how much you know, there is always
more to learn. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, even the most
basic ones. No one will ever fault you for asking questions,
asking for guidance or suggestions on how to proceed.
Work hard to improve your soft skills, these are the true
differentiators in your job search. The ability to communicate
with confi dence in a concise manner is something that
will always be in demand. I wish you the best of luck in your
career path and remember that fellow Schulich alumni are
here to help!
Follow your heart and mind when selecting your career
path because you will learn fast and perform best in the career
that suits your strengths and interests. If you choose a
focused career in Finance, select your courses wisely to build
the foundation to learn and seek internship opportunities.
Evaluate job descriptions and highlight your relevant
experiences to the job requirements in your resume before
applying. Once you get your fi rst job, keep absorbing
knowledge like a sponge and be proactive in applying what
you learn. All the best in your studies and good luck in
your job search.
FROM THE FINANCE-FOCUSED TEAM continued
Chapter 6: Personal Advice from the Contributing Alumni
29
Raj Ray (MBA ’09)
PAST POSITION:
Vice President, Precious Metals & Mining,
National Bank Financial
CURRENT POSITION:
Vice President, Precious Metals & Mining,
Desjardins Securities
Andy Thi (BBA ’12)
PAST POSITION:
Assistant Vice President, Global Energy
Corporates, DBRS Limited
CURRENT POSITION:
Credit Analyst, Fixed Income,
Foyston Gordon & Payne Inc.
Success in any field requires preparation, perseverance
and patience. In addition, it requires smartness to realize
one’s strengths, interests and competitive advantage and
act accordingly. Make use of every single resource at your
disposal and be proactive in your job search. Whether
you are looking for an internship or a full-time job, it is
important to cast your net wide enough to be able to catch
every single opportunity that is out there. Stay focused
and motivated and don’t give up until you have met your
objective. Best of luck for your studies and job search.
To find the right career path for you, it is important to be
honest with yourself and to truly reflect on your strengths,
weaknesses and interests. What are you really good at?
What do you find challenging that others might be stronger
at? What do you enjoy reading about? What excites you?
By answering these questions honestly, you will be in a
better position to find a career path that you are genuinely
interested in and that aligns with your core strengths –
hopefully leading to a long and successful career.
June Wang (MF ’11)
PAST POSITION:
Senior Consultant, Financial Risk
Management Consulting, Ernst & Young
CURRENT POSITION:
Senior Financial Analyst, Valuation
Analytics, Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan
I started my career as a consultant in a Big Four accounting
firm. The opportunity allowed me to gain experiences in
derivative valuation, risk management and capital adequacy
through international engagements and to become a subject-
matter expert over the years. Keenness to learn, willingness to
work with others and persistence are the key skillsets which
consulting firms, or any firms, are looking for from their
employees. Long hours and travel outside country for long-
term projects can be exciting, yet challenging depending on
one’s lifestyle and other commitments. My advice to students
is stay connected, be humble and always be willing to give.
FROM THE FINANCE-FOCUSED TEAM continued
30
Chapter 6: Personal Advice from the Contributing Alumni
Taha Amiralli (MBA ’14)
PAST POSITION:
Product Manager, Game Consoles, AMD
CURRENT POSITION:
Senior Product Manager, Digital Banking,
Scotiabank
Mandeep Anand (MBA ’13)
PAST POSITION:
Consulting, Corporate Banking at ICICI
Bank Canada
CURRENT POSITION:
Assistant Vice President, Commercial
Associate, Bank of America Merrill Lynch
Invest the time in discovering the balance between what
you are passionate about and what your natural talent lends
itself well to. The sooner you can fi gure out this balance, the
more time you have to make the decision to close experience/
skill gaps. This effort should primarily be focused on doing
as this is the only sure method of truly fi guring out what is
involved and, more importantly, convincing others of your
interest. Finally, change is the only constant in today’s world so
make this discovery process a lifelong journey. It is important
to dedicate time to update this career map to continuously
improve and remain relevant in the marketplace.
Over the last few years the Finance industry has evolved
signifi cantly and I believe it offers exciting and challenging
opportunities for new grads. I would advise new grads to
explore opportunities in Fintech in addition to traditional
banking jobs. I don’t foresee Fintech replacing current
fi nance jobs completely but believe it will create a whole
complementary industry requiring a different skill set than
what traditional banking jobs require. Additionally, the
only other advice I would like to give to current students
is that give equal (if not more) importance to what you do
outside of class.
Diana Arsenyan (MBA ’14)
PAST POSITION:
Biology and Neuroscience
CURRENT POSITION:
Senior Accountant, Assurance Services,
Ernst & Young
Heston D’Souza (MBA ’15)
PAST POSITION:
Assistant Manager, Capital Projects,
Reliance Infrastructure
CURRENT POSITION:
Relationship Manager, Corporate
Banking, ICICI Bank Canada
Start networking with an open mind. As much as you are
interested in securing that next internship or full-time
position, gaining an understanding of the specifi cs of the fi eld,
each person’s career path and why they chose that particular
path could be quite valuable in helping you make your own
career choices. Sometimes, unexpected opportunities come
your way – take them! I never thought that I was going to
work in a fi nancial institution, but that opportunity gave
me tremendous exposure and in-depth knowledge into how
the industry operates, which I use today on the other side to
provide better services for our clients.
Those with successful careers nearly always have a great
combination of a curious mind and a dependable network of
peers. In a fast-changing world, it is imperative to be up-to-
date on the latest developments while having a pulse on the
changes in industry through other professionals. Organizations
are always short of leaders who can help them navigate
change; this is where managers can make the greatest impact.
FROM THE FINANCE-VERSATILE TEAM
Link to detailed inputs from the Team: schulich.yorku.ca/versatile
31
Cindy Jin (MBA ’17)
PAST POSITION:
Analyst, Leveraged Finance, ORIX USA
CURRENT POSITION:
Associate, Private Equity Sponsor
Coverage Group, Scotiabank
Tej Kumar Mehta (MBA ’12)
PAST POSITION:
Assistant Relationship Manager, Corporate
& Investment Banking, ICICI Bank Canada
CURRENT POSITION:
Client Manager, Global Banking &
Markets, HSBC Bank Canada
Meggie Lee (IMBA ’12)
PAST POSITION:
Transfer Pricing Analyst,
McCain Foods Limited
CURRENT POSITION:
Senior Analyst, Statutory Transfer Pricing,
Royal Bank of Canada
There is no shortcut in finding the most ideal job and there
is no such job as a “right” role. If you are not sure what
to do, reach out and talk to as many people as possible in
the industry to learn about their job functions/required
skill sets and do not limit yourself in one field. Do not ever
say “Anything. I just want to work in a bank.” It is your
responsibility to figure out where your interests and strengths
are before anyone else can help you. Be proactive and always
be prepared to tell your story that’s consistent with your
knowledge, skillsets, interests and passion.
At school, you will have tons of opportunities to do many
things. The key to choosing the right things is very simple.
Focus on your long-term priorities and then ask yourself if the
option in front of you will make sense five years down the
line. Do this two to three times to be sure – you will know
what you have to do. Be focused.
Having said that, pick up a hobby and go nuts! Add this hobby
to your resume; make sure it is a differentiator. In case it helps,
I picked up long-distance running. You can choose to pick up
beer tasting (better be a champion at it). Doing this brings out
your character. The street likes this – everyone has an MBA,
CFA, etc. Character is unique and if you can align it with the
position for which you are applying, you will have arrived.
There are multiple ways to get your dream job. If the
straightway does not work now, try different ways! If you
think of changing your career, understand what you are
getting into and how your past experiences can be
transferrable. Networking will be a great help to understand
your situation and where you are lacking. Remember that
you do have transferrable skills to perform in a new job.
Try to put together your story – what you have done and why
your past experiences can bring new ideas to the team.
Trust yourself! Good luck!
FROM THE FINANCE-VERSATILE TEAM continued
32
Shiva J. Srikantan (BBA ’11, MBA ’15)
PAST POSITION:
Account Manager, Commercial Banking,
TD Bank Financial Group
CURRENT POSITION:
Associate Relationship Manager,
Corporate Banking, MUFG Bank
There’s no one way to do it, so always learn and continue
improving day by day at whatever you do! Your education
gives you a level playing field and what you do with it after
dictates how far you go in life with a little bit of luck. I come
from an immigrant family, so I work with an attitude that I
have been afforded opportunities that people who are a lot
smarter and more hard-working than me have not been given
simply because of circumstances in life. So, it’s only right that
I fully leverage my opportunity at success to better myself and
keep “paying it forward.” Finally, I won’t say find your passion
and make it a career because many of us don’t have the luxury
of time to find our life’s calling. So, find something that you’re
at least a little bit interested in and keep getting better at
it. Always remember “success” is different to each person,
and make sure you find your own definition and not what’s
advertised! Good luck to you all.
FROM THE FINANCE-VERSATILE TEAM continued
Chapter 6: Personal Advice from the Contributing Alumni
Ken Shen (MBA ’03)
PAST POSITION:
Manager, Strategy and Planning
(Aftersales), BMW Canada
CURRENT POSITION:
Independent Management Consultant
Congratulations on your completion of the successful
academic journey at Schulich School of Business! To start and
sustain a successful professional life, career-planning and
management skills are definitely crucial. The CDC can help,
but the ground work has to be yours. Similar to running a
business, starting with a clearly defined vision and mission
statement for your career will differentiate your form the
crowd. However, it will be a journey, so do not be afraid to ask
questions and sometimes make tough decisions. We have been
living in a world with constant changes, and the inevitable
changes may impact your professional career development
and management as well, so I strongly recommend that you
start early and step back and reflect on your key strengths
and career positioning in the context of market demand
and opportunity. Be flexible to adjust based on your unique
situation and external environment.
33
Note: These resources are provided as a reference only. Schulich Alumni and Schulich do not endorse or recommend any external materials.
CHAPTER
7
Glossary of
Useful Resources
Financial Services Industry
ORGANIZATION DETAILS WEBSITE
Alternative Investment
Management Association
Information on alternative
investments
www.aima.org
Breaking Bay Street (BBS)
Job postings in capital
markets and investment
banking career resources
breakingbaystreet.com/job-postings
Canadian Pension Funds
List of top
100 pension funds
www.benefitscanada.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/
BC0617_Top100Pensions-CHARTS.pdf
Canadian Securities
Institute (CSI)
Financial Services
Career Map
www.csi.ca/student/en_ca/careermap/index.xhtml
Career Connections
(Insurance)
Careers in the property &
casualty insurance industry
www.career-connections.info
eFinance careers (U.S.) Careers in financial markets bit.ly/1qDZMQv
Portfolio Management
Association of Canada
List of member portfolio
management firms in
the association
www.portfoliomanagement.org/firms/?all_firms=true
Mergers & Inquisitions
(U.S.)
Articles on roles in U.S.
capital markets and
investment banking career
resources
www.mergersandinquisitions.com
The Investment Funds
Institute of Canada
List of member investment
fund managers in Canada
www.ific.ca/Companies/CompanyDirectory
Top 40 Money Managers
List of top 40 money
managers in Canada
www.benefitscanada.com/wp-content/uploads/
2017/12/Top-40-Charts.pdf
Toronto Financial Services
Alliance (TFSA)
Explore in-demand careers www.explorefinancialservices.com/Careers
Vault Guides (U.S.)
Vault Career Guide to
Commercial and Investment
Banking
CareerQuest Resources Student Resources Vault
34
Extra-Curricular Activities
AVAILABLE TO ALL UNDERGRADUATES MASTERS
• Bloomberg Aptitude
Test (measures critical
thinking in finance
and capital markets;
Bronfman Library)
• Bloomberg Essentials
Training Program
(Bronfman Library)
• Marquee Financial
Modeling Workshop
• Association of Canadian Intercollegiate
Investment Clubs
• DECA Stock Market Challenge
• Junior Achievement
• RISE Finance Case Competition
• StockTrak Investment Competition
• Undergraduate Business Society
• York Entrepreneurship Society
• York Finance Club (M&A Competition,
Stock Market Competitions, Capital
Markets Certified)
• York University Student
Investment Fund
• Graduate Business Council
• Schulich Asset Management Association
• Schulich Asset Management
Competition
• Schulich East Asian Business Association
• Schulich Finance Association
• Schulich Investment Banking Club
• Schulich Real Property
Students’ Association
• Schulich Women in Leadership
• York Consulting Group
Industry Associations
ORGANIZATION FOCUS DESIGNATION WEBSITE
Canadian Bankers
Association
Banking – cba.ca
CFA Society Toronto Financial services
Chartered Financial
Analyst (CFA)
www.cfatoronto.ca
Women in Capital Markets Financial services – www.wcm.ca
Canadian Venture Cap and
Private Equity Association
Private equity – www.cvca.ca
The Risk Management
Society (RIMS)
Risk management
(insurance)
Canadian Risk
Management (CRM)
www.rims.org
Global Association of Risk
Professionals (GARP)
Risk management
Financial Risk
Management (FRM)
www.garp.org
Professional Risk Managers
Association
Risk management – www.prmia.org
Note: These resources are provided as a reference only. Schulich Alumni and Schulich do not endorse or recommend any external materials.
Chapter 7: Glossary of Useful Resources
35
Note: These resources are provided as a reference only. Schulich Alumni and Schulich do not endorse or recommend any external materials.
Interview Preparation
SOURCE WEBSITE
Breaking Bay Street Incubator (Canada) breakingbaystreet.com/products/products-incubanker/
IB Interview Guide (U.S.)
breakingintowallstreet.com/biws/breaking-into-
wall-street-courses/
Vault Finance Interviews Practice Guide CareerQuest Resources Student Resources Vault
Vault Guide to Finance Interviews CareerQuest Resources Student Resources Vault
Industry Reading
SOURCE WEBSITE
Financial Post www.financialpost.com
Wall Street Journal www.wsj.com
Networking
SOURCE WEBSITE
“How to Network your Way into Investment Banking
in 5 Simple Steps,” Brian DeChesare
bit.ly/1sHjHZD
“How to Rock your Informational Interviews” bit.ly/1TqqIOs
IB Networking Toolkit
breakingintowallstreet.com/biws/breaking-into-
wall-street-courses/
For these efforts and contributions, we would again like to say a particularly heartfelt
“thank you” to all. The Career in Finance Orientation Guide published in September
2016 received positive feedback from many students and recent graduates who have
successfully launched their careers in Finance. Some of them are now contributing to
this revised Guide with their own career experiences and insights.
We believe and hope that this effort by the alumni will continue to benefit you and
help launch your career and navigate the competitive job market. In the near future,
your own experiences and insights will benefit future students. This is how our SFA
community is built and will continue to be vibrant.
As a recap, the Alumni Team believes that the following key points will enhance the
chances of getting your first job after graduation and achieving subsequent career
advancements:
• Starting early to gain self-awareness by evaluating your strengths and interests.
• Targeting the career path (Focused or Versatile?) that suits you best.
• Pursuing independent research projects, internships, co-ops and part-time job
opportunities in relevant areas.
• Understanding your own skill sets (competitive advantage) and target your search
toward the job types in which such skills are required and valued. These skill sets can
make a difference in your job performance.
• Working relentlessly to learn about industry trends and challenges and acquiring
competencies to be career ready.
• Building relationships early and learning how you can add value by connecting with
industry professionals through networking.
• Once you get your first job, being prepared and eager to learn, work hard, perform,
contribute and be helpful.
We encourage students to review the Guide carefully and make use of the tools and
suggestions. More importantly, we encourage you to stay connected, participate in
events presented by SFA and SFAA and stay active. As and when you approach your
graduation, we will be delighted to hear about your job search experiences and career
success stories. Finally, we look forward to eventually welcoming you all to the SFA
community. In the meantime, we wish you all the best in your studies and careers.
As we did two years ago, this revised Career in Finance Orientation
Guide is a renewed collaborative effort by alumni, who generously
share their experiences and insights despite their busy work and
family commitments; advisors at the CDC, who contribute their
expertise; and students in the Schulich Finance Association (SFA),
who give feedback from their perspectives.
CHAPTER
8
Conclusion
The Schulich Finance Alumni
Association (SFAA) team
and CDC would be delighted
to have your feedback on
the usefulness of this Guide
and any other comments.
Please feel free to email your
feedback at:
CDC (Career
Development Centre)
or
Schulich Alumni Relations
36
Be a part of your alumni community:
Enroll in the mentorship program
Sign up to have a coffee chat with alumni
Attend alumni events
(special student pricing available)
Join the Schulich alumni online community
Your passport to the world starts here: 85
+
chapters in 60
+
countries
Follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter
Visit us at:
schulich.yorku.ca/alumni-services-for-students
Connect. Engage. Thrive.
Your alumni legacy begins now.
Schulich Global
Alumni Network
You’re a part of it
Global Reach. Innovative Programs. Diverse Perspectives.
Schulich School of Business
Seymour Schulich Building
York University
4700 Keele Street
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
M3J 1P3
The Schulich Finance Alumni Association (SFAA) has the objective of building a vibrant
community of Schulich alumni in the finance profession, providing networking and learning
opportunities among alumni and giving back to current students and recent graduates
in finance through career orientation and guidance.
