Rewarding as it may be, searching and applying for investment analyst jobs is usually about as much fun as having teeth pulled. Not that it’s a tiresome process for the most part, but rather due to the fact that there’s such huge competition out there it can be tricky not to lose hope having become all-but lost in the crowd. You all have great qualifications and you all know this is what you want to do with your life, but at the same time there are only so many posts up for grabs – how can you make sure one of them has your name on it?
Well, tenacity and persistence will always pay off, but at the same time there are certain rules to follow in order to give your chances a shot in the arm. And just as there are rules to follow, there are also certain pitfalls and common mistakes that are guaranteed to hold you back – the following representing perhaps the most common and detrimental of all:
All Eggs in One Basket
First up, just because you’ve found yourself a great online portal or resource for job-seeking does not mean you shouldn’t also be tapping into others. Do you honestly think there’s a single online resource that posts every single vacancy that could possibly be of interest to you? Of course not, which is why it’s a good idea to extend your search as far as possible and include a variety of resources and search services. The more you access and utilise, the more chance you’ll have of finding what you’re looking for – think of it as the old ‘all eggs in one basket’ scenario.
Not Going Direct
Still on the subject of jobseeker portals online, never for one minute fall into the trap of thinking that such services are the be all and end all when it comes to the jobs on the market. Statistically speaking, the vast majority of posts you’d give your high teeth for never in fact appear on such sites as they are either allocated to candidates prior to being advertised publicly or are offered to those already known to the company. So this should really tell you exactly what you need to do – that being to get yourself known to the company you’re applying to. To reach out to them directly and to build meaningful connection with current employees is to stand the best chance possible of being at the front of the queue for anything that comes up going forward.
Sitting Around and Waiting
It can be tricky to stay motivated in the gaps between sending out applications and hearing back from those you’re trying to impress. Nevertheless, perhaps the worst thing you can possibly do in all such instances is to sit around and do nothing. Not only is every minute wasted a minute that could have been spent looking for new opportunities, but it’s also a wasted minute that builds a larger blank spot on your CV. CV gaps are unattractive to say the least, so whether it’s unpaid work, private study or anything else of genuine merit, you need to make sure you do at least something better than sitting around and waiting.
Thinking Merit Speaks For Itself
You may have a great CV with a solid education and a good track record, but chances are so too does everyone else applying for the same role. More often than not, things like this simply serve as basic tick boxes to get your application heard in the first place – then comes the time to wow them with you unique selling points. Put simply, never think your educational and personal merit will speak for itself – show them why you’re the right candidate for the job.
Being Too Picky
If you’re too selective in terms of the posts you are and are not willing to accept, chances are you’re in for a long and painful dry spell. By contrast, if you’re willing to start out a little lower than you’d have liked and summarily work your way up, you stand a much better chance of getting a foot in the door and being able to show them in-person who you are and what you can do. Suffice to say, any foot in the door is better than gaining no access at all.
Being Unprepared
Last but not least, if you aren’t already a genuine expert and authority in both the line of work you’re in and the company you’re applying to, you won’t get further than the interview stage at best. Fail to prepare, prepare to fail – the mother of all clichés that couldn’t be more accurate.