Nearly everyone who graduates from college does so with a concentration in a particular subject area. Whether they focused on certain disciplines to prepare themselves for a successful job search, to learn more about their interests, or simply to avoid large amounts of reading, the impact of their degree doesn’t end on graduation day.
If you have invested in a finance degree, you have placed yourself in the minority of candidates for finance and accounting jobs that have immediate, relevant experience for entry-level positions. While you will learn much of your job function specifics on-site, there are some simple ways you can leverage your degree for maximum impact.
Go Where You’re Valued
In short, you will rise to the top quicker if you put your skills to work. Though a finance degree could indeed prove useful in other fields, you’ll have the best chance of a successful match with a company who needs your particular skill set.
Utilizing your experience in Excel or other modeling software, your understanding of accounting concepts, or your view of the financial markets you honed during school can help you make an immediate impact at the firm. Choose opportunities in which your skills can shine, and you’ll advance.
Build Upon Your Knowledge Base
The sad truth about education is that the brain not only learns – it forgets. The longer the gap between initial exposure to a concept and its reinforcement, the more likely you are to slowly lose the mental connections you’ve made.
While you can, take the opportunity to leverage your finance degree into smooth and steady upskilling. Your recent dealings with both theoretical and technical financial concepts can be utilized to further your skills with accounting software, financial analysis, and even trading systems and algorithms. Take advantage of your existing synapses and continue to learn as you go, reinforcing old knowledge while making yourself more valuable.
Craft the Right Narrative
Finally, take the time to properly convey your knowledge in your professional marketing materials. Your resume should speak to the concepts you learned during your education, and more importantly, how you can apply them in the workplace.
Those applicants that can succinctly articulate how their degree will make them an asset to the firm will be sifted to the top of the pile. Throughout your online applications and interview prep, harken back to your studying days and leverage your knowledge to speak in terms of the firm’s goals and priorities.
The right executive search professional can help you craft the narrative that puts your best foot forward. Working with a recruiter not only helps you portray yourself effectively, but it also opens the door to opportunities you never would have encountered on your own.
Level Up Your Career
There is a finance or accounting job out there right now that fits your experiences and will set you on a positive trajectory towards the career you’ve dreamed of…and we want to help you find it.
At AP Professionals, we pride ourselves on being an executive search firm with deep local experience and a robust national network. With more than 25 years as a leading talent provider in the Rochester area, the recruiters at AP Professionals will help you leverage your degree and land a role at the right firm.
To learn more about the hiring market or start your search journey today, get in touch with us here.