careers 
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Getting a start in financial services
Starting a career in financial services is very similar to any other industry, although the wide variety of different jobs can make choosing a starting point difficult.
Getting a job involves a number of steps:
Making yourself employable
If you are looking for a career rather than a job, you are going to need the basic skills that employers can build upon through further training and education. Whether you want to enter a bank or insurer as a school leaver or as a graduate trainee, all employers are very aware that finance is about numbers, so maths to GCSE grade C is a fairly common requirement.
Obviously, if you want to be a call centre customer services representative (6 - Customer Service and Sales Representative – Call Centre), then your mathematical skills don’t need to be quite as sharp as they would have to be for someone going into trading in the City (11 - Trader) - so don’t get too stressed by these demands. Most people don’t need to be doctors of Mathematics!
English to GCSE grade C is another fairly common requirement, since accuracy in both verbal and written communication is also important.
You can also take steps to show your willingness to learn about the financial services industry – the most successful industry in the UK.
Formal qualifications
There are a number of ifs School of Finance qualifications for students aged 16-19 that you can ask your school to consider. These range from a foundation certificate to A-Level equivalents. The ifs has been working closely with schools and employers in the development of these courses, and a number of employers are using them as ways of feeding new employees into their training programmes.
For more information on these qualifications and how your school can participate, see:
http://www.ifslearning.ac.uk/financial_capability/14_-_19/fcpf/index.cfm
http://www.ifslearning.ac.uk/financial_capability/14_-_19/icpf/index.cfm
http://www.ifslearning.ac.uk/financial_capability/14_-_19/cefs/index.cfm
http://www.ifslearning.ac.uk/financial_capability/14_-_19/dip_fs/index.cfm
Choosing the career path you want
This is perhaps the most challenging part because there is so much variety. Some careers in financial services are highly technical, while others require a more entrepreneurial spirit. Some are office based; others involve lots of travel.
Read the profiles of the industries and careers we have listed on this site, and see what appeals and where your skills match up. But don’t be afraid to be guided by the banks and insurers themselves; they know which careers suit which type of person.
Marketing yourself effectively
Create an effective CV. There are many careers organisations that can advise you how to go about this. So, check out what some of the larger ones have to say about CV writing:
Learn Direct on writing a CV
Prospect
London University Careers Department
Getting yourself in front of potential employers
The ifs lists the websites of all major banks, investment banks and insurers in its industry profiles. Visit them and check out what positions they currently have available. Also, find out where and when they are recruiting (for example, the graduate Milk Round and the many careers fairs held around the country).
See:
For many people, their first port of call will be their local financial services company. All the major organisations have centres around the country, but with a little more going on in some areas than others. For example, HBOS has a lot of opportunities in Yorkshire and Scotland, but also has very large operations in London and elsewhere across the country. Nationwide, on the other hand, is more concentrated around Swindon and a few other sites. Wherever there is a centre of population, there will be some large financial services companies that can offer you opportunities – it’s not all about London!
