Optimise your UK finance careers job search: 5 strategies for success

In 2022, the UK’s financial industry produced £278bn of economic output, 12% of the entire UK’s economic output, and £100bn in tax revenue. 

This sector is highly profitable, attracting top talent from all around the world, and offers ample opportunities for finance professionals in the UK. 

These opportunities are spread across many businesses ranging from public to private sectors - offering financial professionals a huge range of roles and progression options to choose from. 

Here, we explore 5 of the best ways to maximise your finance job search: 

1. Identify your goals

You can’t achieve your financial career goals if you don’t know what they are. The first step to success is working out exactly what it is you want to achieve this year. 

This may seem simple, but clearly defining your goals will make it much easier to create a plan in order to achieve them. 

To define your goals, consider where you want to be in 5-10 years, think long-term, then break down what you need to achieve in the next 12 months. Create SMART goals for these. This will make it easier to measure your progress and know when you have achieved what you set out to achieve.

2. Refresh your CV and cover letter

However impressive you are in interviews, you simply won’t get the opportunity to show it if your CV isn’t up to scratch. 

Before you start your job search, take some time to refresh your CV and cover letter. This will drastically increase your chances of making it through to the interview stages.

The majority of finance roles will receive a high volume of applications. This means that recruiters will need to either quickly skim-read each CV or use CV software to help whittle down applications. 

When reviewing your CV and cover letter ensure that:

• You include relevant keywords 
•  Format them in a clear and easy-to-follow way 
•  Include only essential information 
•  Highlight the most important information in relation to the role you are applying for
• Think about how your day-to-day experience relates back to the job you are applying for

3. Proactively networking can lead to uncovering great unadvertised opportunities 

Browsing job ads is an essential part of a successful job search. But this is far from your only option when seeking out new opportunities. They say that ‘the best jobs don’t get advertised’, so taking a proactive approach can pay dividends. 

For example, you may reach out directly to the businesses you are most interested in working with. This could be done at trade events, through their website or by identifying hiring managers or recruiters and reaching out via platforms such as LinkedIn. 

This networking may help you uncover some great, unadvertised opportunities. But even if it doesn’t, it will help you build a network which you can leverage once an opportunity does become available.

4. Strengthen your online presence

You don’t need to be a social media ‘influencer’ to get a great job. But you should apply time and care to develop a strong and respectable online presence. 

This is now more important than ever as more and more employers are doing online research into potential hires.

Although the scope of online personal brand building is practically infinite, instead focus on using the most relevant platforms, making them look great and keeping them up to date. 

For most in the financial sector, this is as simple as properly populating your LinkedIn profile with your latest skills and experiences.

5. Keep abreast of finance industry news and trends

The finance industry is developing at an incredible rate with new technologies such as blockchain and AI being consistently applied to new challenges. 

Businesses are looking to employ individuals who know where the market is going and can help lead them into a better position to benefit from future opportunities. 

Being aware of the latest trends in the financial sector can help make you a lot more appealing to potential employers. 

This can be as simple as following financial media sites and blogs, keeping up to date with the latest technologies and identifying areas where these can be applied to your role or industry.

Build a career in UK finance with Marks Sattin

In the dynamic world of finance careers in the UK, embracing proactive strategies is paramount to unlock the best opportunities. Take these 5 steps to improve your chances of landing your next finance role. 

If you are a finance professional who wants to excel in your career and ready for your next challenge then we have some great finance opportunities here at Marks Sattins, find out more and apply today.