Need Some Career Advice

[stalian999]

I will be graduating in a month with a major in Finance and minors in Entrepreneurship and Leadership. I have a very respectable 3.66 GPA and the University of Florida. Finding a career in Finance has absolutely sucked. People are getting fired from the banking industry like its going out of style. CNN reported that the banking industry will see 200,000 job cuts this year. I have applied for over 100 jobs and am not getting a single one. When I check the status of my applications, most say the position has been terminated. The market is killing me. I love finance and its a great degree to have but the timing absolutely sucks. What other options do you think I have?

I have looked into getting my MBA with a specialization in Real Estate Development. By the time I graduate it would be between 12-18 months down the road and hopefully some of this would blow over. The only bad part about doing this is I would have to financially support my MBA as oppose to a company paying for it. The tuition is around 30,000$ a year for the MBA program I am looking at.

Does anyone in the Finance industry have any recommendations about any other options I may have? I have also applied for many corporate finance positions that are not in the banking realm but it has been very difficult.

Thanks for the help!!!!

 

[Posi]

Hell if I was you I'd change majors and stay in school. Pick something that you know is going to be around. If you don't do it now you'll never go back and do it.

 

[stalian999]

I can't do that. I'm currently taking my capstone course for my major. Once you complete that class you must graduate. Its a way for the school to make sure there are no 8 year students. Plus, my scholarships are only for 120 credits so I would have to pay the full tuition rate.

 

[INFAMOU$]

Damn bro... that sucks.. Kind of reminds me of back when i graduated back in '03 from Computer Science when the market got completely saturated.. All i can say is either you'll have to take a shitty job to start and work your way up and hold it out.. Or.. try to use some of your skills in a different field and then come back to your field later??

 

[Blkss13]

Damn bro... that sucks.. Kind of reminds me of back when i graduated back in '03 from Computer Science when the market got completely saturated.. All i can say is either you'll have to take a shitty job to start and work your way up and hold it out.. Or.. try to use some of your skills in a different field and then come back to your field later??

Very true. Should should use some of your other skills to get another job. Once the economy gets going again, then go back to what you know.

 

[stalian999]

I am the type of person who loves to be in charge and would love to start my own business. I am a very entrepreneurial type of person. Problem is, I can't decide exactly what I would open. My parents would help me get going and all and I would just pay them back if I did do that.

 

[Quadcammer]

there are plenty of finance jobs that are not in banking. Think about every publicly traded company in the united states. They all have a finance/accounting department.

Don't go to a second rate 1 year MBA just because you can't find a job right away. You should have been applying to jobs in september of last year, not now. Don't worry about finding your dream job right now, just get something somewhat related to your future interests, so that you have some relevant experience.

 

[stalian999]

I have been applying since last september. The problem with the publicly traded companies is that they are looking for more of an accountant role for their finance/accounting position. Thats not really what I am looking for.

 

[Coiled03]

I have been applying since last september. The problem with the publicly traded companies is that they are looking for more of an accountant role for their finance/accounting position. Thats not really what I am looking for.

Beggars can't be choosers, dude. Take what you can get, for now. Your first job isn't a lifetime committment.

 

[.n0b.]

Beggars can't be choosers, dude. Take what you can get, for now. Your first job isn't a lifetime committment.

+1

 

[astrodudepsu]

I'm not in finance, but rather Astrophysics. All I can say is, if you think there are no jobs out there right now for you, there are even less for me. But as was mentioned earlier, it is all about using those skills you have earned in a creative way.

I have a job that will start in September, that has nothing to do with Astronomy or Astrophysics. I got the job because my degree instilled me with problem solving and interpersonal skills working with a wide variety of people from all walks of life.

That is what employers want to see, at least in my experience. Good luck.

 

[Quadcammer]

I have been applying since last september. The problem with the publicly traded companies is that they are looking for more of an accountant role for their finance/accounting position. Thats not really what I am looking for.

well, you have to ask yourself: would you rather work as an accountant with room to move to other areas with a good salary, benefits, 401k, etc, or work at burger king?

you're down in florida, what about raymond james.

Are you willing to relocate?

Have you tried regional banks?

How about being a retail broker, should be an easy enough job to find.

 

[snake134]

Very true. Should should use some of your other skills to get another job. Once the economy gets going again, then go back to what you know.

.....

 

[stalian999]

I dont want to take a job just to have one. I want a job that I believe will be the best for me. My parents are very supportive and until I find a job that I believe will work the best for me I can work for my dads company. I have heard horror stories from other kids who have taken jobs just to take them and have spent years of wasted time and have nowhere to move.

I have worked raymond james to get a financial advisor position but those positions are looking for more experience.

 

[Quadcammer]

I dont want to take a job just to have one. I want a job that I believe will be the best for me. My parents are very supportive and until I find a job that I believe will work the best for me I can work for my dads company. I have heard horror stories from other kids who have taken jobs just to take them and have spent years of wasted time and have nowhere to move.

I have worked raymond james to get a financial advisor position but those positions are looking for more experience.

that is a horrible attitude to have.

Finance/banking jobs are hard to find right now. So instead of taking a slightly less prestigious/fun job, but still related job at a different company, you are going to work for your father. Future employers will definitely give you more credit from getting out from under the comfort of a parents business.

You are not indebted to a company just because you work there for a few years. Take a job, bust your ass for a year or 18 months, then start looking for a new job.

Hey, id like to have landed a job at Goldman Sachs as an Ibanking analyst right out of college. But it didn't happen. Now, i've been at the NYSE for almost three years, and while im ready for a new challenge, its been a great experience. I'll leave the goldman job for 1.5 years when I graduate b-school.

get a better attitude

 

[RDJ]

I dont want to take a job just to have one. I want a job that I believe will be the best for me. My parents are very supportive and until I find a job that I believe will work the best for me I can work for my dads company. I have heard horror stories from other kids who have taken jobs just to take them and have spent years of wasted time and have nowhere to move.

I have worked raymond james to get a financial advisor position but those positions are looking for more experience.

You are a perfect example of what is wrong with kids today. Their sense of entitlement. the ol' "I will wait for the job I want, the one that has prestige and at a level that I want. And if I can't get that I will live off mommy and daddy until one comes along".

Dude .. take a freaking job ... get out of your parents pocketbook and make it on your own. You may not like your first job but it is a freaking job that you can pay your own damn bills. the so called "horror stories" are probably the kids that took jobs and quit looking or trying to improve themselves. They would rather spend their time boozing an whoring around with girls that their arrogant selves would not make wives out of.

 

[stalian999]

I am not on my parents pocketbook. I have a job now to cover my finances for college. I don't want prestige. Yeah I would like to work for a goldman sachs but I dont have to have it. I could care less about my salary right now either. I'm not worried about banking on money now, I know that will come with time.

Of all the jobs I have had, working for my parents has been the worst. I get treated as a normal employee out in the field. Since day 1 of college, I have done my best to cover my own ass in college. So why don't you not go ahead and assume I live off mommy and daddy.

 

[spike_africa]

Some UCF capstone action i see, im in that class to now, and with my degree in management and the way the economy is im having a very hard timing getting any good job offers.

 

[RDJ]

I am not on my parents pocketbook. I have a job now to cover my finances for college. I don't want prestige. Yeah I would like to work for a goldman sachs but I dont have to have it. I could care less about my salary right now either. I'm not worried about banking on money now, I know that will come with time.

Of all the jobs I have had, working for my parents has been the worst. I get treated as a normal employee out in the field. Since day 1 of college, I have done my best to cover my own ass in college. So why don't you not go ahead and assume I live off mommy and daddy.

any assumptions are based of your own damn posts. YOU are the one that said if you couldn't get the job you wanted at the salary YOU wanted you would go back and work for your "dads company".

YOU are the one that said you wanted to be in charge and that your parents would help you get off the ground financially. Those are YOUR words not my assumptions.

bottom line is that I don't care if you get money from your parents but dont pretend you aren't in their pocketbook. Your dad provides you with a job, you are in his pocketbook. Your parents give you seed money to start your own business .. nothing wrong with that either but you are still in their pocket book. your protestations notwithstanding.

You think you are too good to just take any job until you can find one that you will be happy in. Trust me when I say there is no job you are too good for including flipping burgers at burger king. A responsible adult takes a job to get the bills paid first then looks for something more to their liking.

 

[tommyhil4_6]

Do you have ANY background in any earth sciences? med science? chem/biology etc?

I know that there are times when pharmaceutical companys have hired people without science related degrees if you have some minimal background. They pay well, if you can get on.

That's why I never understood why alot of people go for such "common" degrees in fields that have fluctuating periods of good and bad. Although it may be their main interest, so that might be why.

Beautiful thing about a science degree, people always need docs/ pharmacist/ psychs/ physical therapist... Hell a lab tech postion of my university pays 28 bucks an hour to start with just a basic science 4 year. That's not to bad as a tech.

Go science!!