Financial Analyst Job Search Tips & Best Practices

If you’re an aspiring Financial Analyst on the job hunt, you’re likely consulting multiple job sites to find open positions. But how can you know which ones are the most useful and most likely to help you find a job in finance? You may already be familiar with sites like LinkedIn and Indeed, which are popular with individuals across industries and professions. However, other job sites focus entirely on careers in finance that you may not be aware of. Read on to learn more about which job sites to consult to begin your career search for a position as a Financial Analyst.

LinkedIn

LinkedIn is one of the most popular job search sites available. More than 875 million members in 200 countries use LinkedIn for professional tasks like networking, job hunting, and messaging. In the past two decades, LinkedIn has grown from a job search platform into a versatile tool for continued learning, research, job hunting, and job posting. 

Financial Analysts who create and maintain an active LinkedIn profile with a catchy headline, professional headshot, and relevant work samples are much more likely to be noticed by employers than those who simply apply for jobs. An estimated 87% of recruiters consider LinkedIn the most effective platform for finding job applicants. In addition, nearly 60 million businesses maintain active LinkedIn accounts, which makes it a great resource for connecting to potential employers. Regularly signing onto LinkedIn is essential to stay up-to-date on financial analytics job openings in real time.

Indeed

Like LinkedIn, Indeed is another excellent resource that professionals in all industries use to find jobs. Indeed is currently the most popular online job board in America, with over 60 million monthly users. Both job-seekers and employers in the finance sector use Indeed for their professional needs. There are many benefits to using Indeed. It’s easy to post job openings on Indeed and to invite specific applicants to apply. In addition, those searching for a job in financial analytics can elect to receive alerts that make it simple to find posted jobs.

Another feature Indeed offers is skill assessments for job seekers. You can take an assessment that tests your cognitive ability, personality, work samples, or hard skills, among others. Recruiters can see any skill assessments job applicants have passed, which can help them vet potential applicants before the interviewing process. Another benefit of working with Indeed is that it’s easy to navigate job posts; users can use a one-click option for applying.

eFinancialCareers

If you want to search for jobs specific to the finance industry, eFinancialCareers is a great resource. This site posts a range of jobs in North America and abroad. If you’re looking for a position as a Financial Analyst, you can pursue openings in a range of fields, such as business analytics, actuarial, or investment banking. In addition, this site provides helpful discussions on how you can best manage your career, as well as how different niche markets are currently doing with respect to hiring. Currently, over 12,000 jobs are listed on eFinancialCareers. You can also search for job openings by company name.

Association for Financial Professionals

The Association for Financial Professionals (AFP) is a career center that posts mostly mid-level and executive jobs in finance. It’s free to log into AFP, and once you do so, you can post your resume or begin searching for jobs specific to finance. One of the best features of this site is that users can sign up for job alerts, which send them an email notifying them of relevant job openings. In addition to helping qualified financial professionals post or find jobs, AFP offers continued learning features. Live virtual courses, self-paced courses, exam prep, webinars, and corporate training options are all available from this career center.

FinancialJobBank

A great resource for narrowing your search for a job as a Financial Analyst is FinancialJobBank. This site is primarily geared toward financial professionals in the U.S. who are searching for both entry-level and advanced finance and accounting positions. Job seekers can create an online Career Portfolio on this site to attract the attention of recruiters. In addition, FinancialJobBank has a blog that offers a range of tips to help you get a job in finance, such as writing a strong cover letter or navigating a job fair. This site currently has over 94,000 finance jobs posted, 5,400 of which were added this week. Aspiring Financial Analysts can search for job postings based on those that are the most recent, as well as by company name. In addition, this site also offers job notification emails for those who sign up, which is a great way to stay on top of financial analytics jobs that were just posted.

Financial Analyst Salary and Job Outlook

Financial Analysts guide their organizations with financial decisions that can help them make a profit. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor & Statistics, the median pay in 2021 for Financial Analysts was $96,000. Financial analytics is ranked as the 13th best business job currently available. This profession has a high level of upward mobility, with incentives such as raises and career advancement for qualified individuals. 

The job outlook for Financial Analysts from 2021-2031 projects a 9% growth rate, which is faster than the national average. Approximately 32,000 Financial Analyst job openings are expected each year throughout this decade. In part, this expansion is due to an increase in economic activity, as well as emerging industries that need Financial Analysts to help direct their growth. Globalization also contributes to this trend; as markets around the globe develop, many organizations seek Analysts to help them decide how best to expand and where to invest. This is why Financial Analysts with a background in cultural, political, or economic trends in a given geographical location are currently in-demand.

While the estimated growth in financial services is expected to lead to new job creation, the number of individuals who wish to enter this field is currently greater than the number of available jobs. Despite this projected growth in financial analytics, securing a position is still considered competitive. For this reason, pursuing a graduate degree or earning a certification can be a great way to distinguish yourself from other applicants on the job hunt.

Read more about Financial Analyst salaries and the job outlook for a Financial Analyst.

Learn the Skills to Become a Financial Analyst at Noble Desktop

Noble Desktop, an educational provider located in New York City, offers a range of classes devoted to financial modeling and analysis. Financial Modeling Bootcamp is a hands-on, 18-hour course that teaches students fundamental financial concepts, such as corporate valuation, accounting, and finance. Participants in this small class create their own discounted cash flow using Microsoft Excel. Over three days, expert instructors also help students develop a comprehensive financial model for an actual company. As a prerequisite to this bootcamp, students should have intermediate Excel proficiency.

Noble also has a Financial Analyst Training Program that provides expert instruction on timely corporate and financial concepts, such as making a full valuation model. Those enrolled in this intensive program receive instruction on fundamental Excel skills, such as using shortcuts and PivotTables. Advanced Excel techniques are also covered in this 30-hour program, like Goal Seek and cash flow projection tools. All learners also receive instruction on creating a three-statement financial model for a public restaurant company.

In addition to the Financial Modeling Bootcamp and Financial Analyst Training Program, Noble Desktop also has in-person and live online financial modeling training courses. The

Excel Bootcamp offers 18 hours of instruction on core business Excel skills like working with VLOOKUP, INDEX, MATCH, and What-If Analysis for Goal Seek. FinTech courses are also available, like Algorithmic Trading with Python, Python for Data Science Bootcamp, and FinTech Bootcamp. This course provides students with hands-on training from expert instructors in FinTech skills like working with Python and SQL for data analysis, creating machine learning models, and working with different data types like integers, floats, and strings. All students have the option of a free course retake for up to one year, as well as one-on-one mentoring.