Finance Jobs London
As the booming international business and financial centre of Europe, London is rightly seen as the land of opportunity. At the epicentre of this financial hive, the “Square Mile” has a bigger economy than quite a few European countries, effectively affording professionals of all descriptions and experience levels the opportunity to launch stellar careers in the finance sector. Yet finding and securing a job in London’s finance industry is by no means a small feat, as thousands of highly qualified and experienced jobseekers from across the globe descend upon The City of London in search for the perfect position.
Invaluable International Experience
Few things look better than relevant international experience. Given the capital’s reputation as a global financial hub, it comes as no surprise that candidates with experience working in London’s financial sector are often successful over candidates who have not, both in the UK and abroad.
Not only are such candidates well versed with the latest industry developments, best practises and procedures as practised in London-based companies, but they’ve also had to beat candidates from across the world to land their positions here. Additionally, they’ve worked side by side with some of the world’s finest finance sector employees, a fact that increases their human capital value both tangibly and intangibly.
Getting The Perfect Job In London
LondonCareers.net is a premier publisher of finance jobs in the greater London, City of London and Canary wharf areas. Be sure to bookmark our RSS finance jobs feed to view positions as they are posted. Accountants might want to bookmark our Accountancy jobs feed.
Large corporations, based in both London and other global trading centres, may expect candidates such as auditors, managers, payroll administrators and risk managers to have extensive experience in issues that are unique to public firms, while also having been exposed to finance in the private sector.
The need for such a varied yet in-depth experience in a resume is one of the primary reasons for the fierce competition for jobs in London. Many candidates may also migrate between the London finance and public accounting sectors.
From Business Owner To Corporate Executive
As far as the crème de la crème of the London finance sector is concerned, former business owners and entrepreneurial candidates are often viewed as less preferable. In addition to having lesser degrees of corporate finance exposure in fields such as accounting, financial services and accounting finance, for example, such candidates will usually not have the systems exposure and large budget know-how of a graduate candidate with corporate exposure.
Although this does not mean that it is impossible to make the transition from private business ownership to fields such as finance, financial accounting, quantitative analysis or even management or business analysis in London, it certainly will pose a barrier to entry at certain levels.
Preparing For Interviews In London
As such, candidates wishing to move from owning their own companies to working in a big corporate environment will not only need the right finance-related qualifications, but will also need to pay acute attention to resume presentation (CV and cover letter), as well as interviewing skills, physical appearance, etc. Unless a very firm rapport is established from the outset, candidates with more suitable corporate and accounting experience may well clinch the position.
Given London’s oversupply of highly qualified and experienced talent, much focus is placed on aspects such as attitude, team fit and a range of “softer” criteria. As such, attention to detail and a good interview approach is not to be neglected in applying for a job. Doing research on the company offering the position could also give you a critical edge in securing a position in London.
LondonCareers.net deals with specialist and reputable financial recruitment agencies.
Structuring Your CV For London-Based Interviews
Your curriculum vitae or CV and cover letter are crucial marketing elements, as these will form the basis for all questions asked by your prospective employer – so make them count. Lucidly written, accurate and informative CVs secure interviews. Also be sure to add accurate dates to qualify the weight of your experience.
Always tailor your CV to feature the most relevant experience first, and use your cover letter to highlight your fortes and specialist skills. Cross-referencing your CV with the published job specification will give your CV a more “exact match” feel.
Dress to suit the London business environment, and look your best for the interview. Dress conservatively – especially for corporate finance vacancies in London. If you can create the perception that you have gone to much effort, you can use this to your advantage.
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