Job Search Tips in the Investment Ops Market

 The Investment Ops market can prove to be a tricky one to navigate as a candidate. It’s important that, if you are choosing to make a career move, that you are armed with the best possible information to help make your decision. In such a niche industry, it can seem daunting to choose between one company and another; to know how to communicate your long-term goals. Owing to the small nature of the market, I encourage my candidates to work exclusively with me in order to avoid issues like duplicate applications for certain roles. When preparing my candidates for potential opportunities, I talk them through several key factors that can impact their job search in a positive way. Here are my top tips for job searching within the Investment Ops market: Be courteous at interview Many of the hiring managers within Financial Services have worked for two (or more) of the big name brands. This means that you are likely to see the same faces on interview panels. So, it’s really important that you show up on time and make a good first impression. You don’t want to be facing the person you ghosted a couple of years ago – because they’ll remember. Show off your skills At lot of businesses are considering candidates who demonstrate the right attitudinal fit as well as technical fluency. This means you will have to sell your “soft skills” at interview, as well as professional qualifications. Firms are looking for candidates who blend in well with their existing teams and demonstrate excellent communication. Consider a contract If you are looking for a new challenge and a higher salary, it might be worthwhile considering contract work. These roles typically pay a high day rate, but also have the added benefit of offering you insight and experience into some truly unique project work. They also tend to move through the hiring process more swiftly. Long term goals Think about the future. Even if Job A is offering your £22k and Job B is offering £30k, where will you be in five years’ time? You will often find that taking the slightly lower wage allows you to pursue professional qualifications that would be expensive to fund yourself. Don’t discount There are recruitment horror stories almost everywhere. Just because you’ve heard of one bad experience through the grapevine, doesn’t mean it’s all true. You should never discount a business based on hearsay. Attend your interview, at the very least, and make up your own mind as to the culture and colleagues. Communicate To start off with, communicate what you can do! Make sure your CV is fully fleshed out and add all of the details that elevate you to a stand out candidate. Similarly, if you get further along the process and you’re met with a counter offer from your existing employer – let your recruiter know and keep all lines of communication open. If you would like to speak to me about Investment Operations roles across Scotland, I would be happy to have a confidential chat to discuss your career plans. Click here to see my details.