TD Ameritrade and Scottrade are both hiring. Since you already have a series 7 license, you should be able to get an interview with either or both of them.
Why can't I get a job? Recent Grad, 3.7 GPA, Good Exp, Year and a half of searching..
- Thread starter INeedAJob
- Start date
There is no doubt PIMCO probably gets alot of resumes for a job like that, but they certainly would interview people as well, right? So, what is the OP doing wrong then - that is his question as well? They are finding some people to interview I'm sure, but the OP isn't even getting calls back according to what he is saying.
I have seen job ads that state very clearly MUST INCLUDE SALARY REQUIREMENTS. I am fairly sure I had a range on mine when I got my current job (about 10 years ago). I may have put it in the cover letter - I don't remember. Anyways, I am asking the OP the question - for all we know he is sending out resumes saying he wants to be paid in Mercury dimes or something
.JJacksET4
I think your issue is your location. Are you located where you're applying? If you're out in the sticks, I don't think you should expect a call back, because entry level jobs don't generally do the relocation bit. As a tip, I work at DST Systems part time and it's a great career path in the financial services back office. In fact half of the financial services industry, including all your big names are with DST. I realized part way through college majoring in Financial Economics, which did include expert level courses in Excel, SAS, and STATA, that while it was marketable it was unlikely to get anywhere with just an undergrad degree. My main realization was that anyone under 30 has been on the keyboard their whole life, and just needs to know how to type 60+ WPM and 10,000 keystrokes per minute on the 10 key. Have a look at dstsystems.com. They are hiring, but I don't think they would relocate you.
And all these stories about competition is true. I interviewed for a Vice President of Portfolio Management at CNBSnet.com, and you know who I was beat out by? Yep, a 10 year wall street bond trader. Needless to say just getting the interview says a lot about me, but I'm thinking something about your school is putting people off. The median GPA at Centre College was 2.3. It is a school with zero grade inflation in the last 80 years. The point is, I'm betting the value of your 3.7 is not the same as a 3.7 from a more reputable school.
But to your credit you have the series 7 and 63, I'd call Scottrade as someone suggested. I think your issue was you didn't understand what you can do with the econ degree. You can basically teach with it, and it's great preparation for grad school, or you can sell financial products. That's about it.
OK, few more quick ideas for OP if he is telling the truth about his situation.
- Check with your college and see if they have any companies interested in hiring grads with 3.7 GPAs in your field. Consider talking to current grads and seeing what they are doing. Make a few friends in the department if necessary.
- Do you have any friends or at least people you knew who graduated in your class or this year or the year before who got jobs? - Ask them and see if their company has any more openings or even openings lower then what you hoped for.
- If you feel getting any interview at all is the problem, go to something like a Job Fair where they are almost forced to interview you. At least you can bone up on the interview process for if you get a real one later.
BTW - I also though you needed a company to sponser you for series 7 and other tests - what is the deal here?
More BTW - When I got my first full time job - just after 1st Bush left and Clinton came in, the graduates in my class at that time were hearing over and over that it was the worst hiring environment in decades, but I certainly didn't have to send out 1000 resumes to get 1 call back.
I also wanted to say I agree with the comments from retaildaytrader - don't just send out 1,000+ resumes at random if that's what going on. Finding the one person who really needs/wants to hire is really what you need.
JJacksET4
- Check with your college and see if they have any companies interested in hiring grads with 3.7 GPAs in your field. Consider talking to current grads and seeing what they are doing. Make a few friends in the department if necessary.
- Do you have any friends or at least people you knew who graduated in your class or this year or the year before who got jobs? - Ask them and see if their company has any more openings or even openings lower then what you hoped for.
- If you feel getting any interview at all is the problem, go to something like a Job Fair where they are almost forced to interview you. At least you can bone up on the interview process for if you get a real one later.
BTW - I also though you needed a company to sponser you for series 7 and other tests - what is the deal here?
More BTW - When I got my first full time job - just after 1st Bush left and Clinton came in, the graduates in my class at that time were hearing over and over that it was the worst hiring environment in decades, but I certainly didn't have to send out 1000 resumes to get 1 call back.
I also wanted to say I agree with the comments from retaildaytrader - don't just send out 1,000+ resumes at random if that's what going on. Finding the one person who really needs/wants to hire is really what you need.
JJacksET4
3.7 at Stony Brook...good job. It's not the best school, but solid job nevertheless (I'm from Nassau, Long Island)
Anyways, if no one has mentioned it yet, the unemployment rate is almost 10% (9.7%). These are tough times.... and if you are pursuing anything finance related, that is even more difficult.
These events are cyclical. Try to get a internship anywhere. Work for free... get experience... perhaps even pursue a Masters if you get a scholarship or if money is not a issue (state schools are cheaper obviously, like S.B). The worst thing to do is to sit on your ass and not due anything. Invest 1k in a CFA level I, at worst. 1k is worst it on your resume, although its 99% irrelevant for trading.
Anyways, if no one has mentioned it yet, the unemployment rate is almost 10% (9.7%). These are tough times.... and if you are pursuing anything finance related, that is even more difficult.
These events are cyclical. Try to get a internship anywhere. Work for free... get experience... perhaps even pursue a Masters if you get a scholarship or if money is not a issue (state schools are cheaper obviously, like S.B). The worst thing to do is to sit on your ass and not due anything. Invest 1k in a CFA level I, at worst. 1k is worst it on your resume, although its 99% irrelevant for trading.
Don't know if the OP was bs'ing - he might have done a summer internship in finance a year or two back and (wisely) used that to get his series licenses.
The reality is that it is brutal out there - some of the bloggers I read suggest that the posted ads are fantasy - just used to keep the HR people employed and to show governmental agencies, "hey, we're hiring... we just can't find the right people... can we get more H1B's?"
My ivy league alma mater cited a number I couldn't believe for percentage of seniors having secured positions upon graduation. Granted, 50% of the graduating class goes on to law, medicine, business or other professional graduate school so half the class is spoken for, but for the rest of them - WOW. If those folks aren't getting entry level jobs, I feel bad for the folks from Hofstra, St. Johns, Fairlegh Dickinson, Boston College, UCLA. They might as well not have gone to college!
Much luck to those out there looking for a job. Hope that I don't end up in a similar situation myself.
The reality is that it is brutal out there - some of the bloggers I read suggest that the posted ads are fantasy - just used to keep the HR people employed and to show governmental agencies, "hey, we're hiring... we just can't find the right people... can we get more H1B's?"
My ivy league alma mater cited a number I couldn't believe for percentage of seniors having secured positions upon graduation. Granted, 50% of the graduating class goes on to law, medicine, business or other professional graduate school so half the class is spoken for, but for the rest of them - WOW. If those folks aren't getting entry level jobs, I feel bad for the folks from Hofstra, St. Johns, Fairlegh Dickinson, Boston College, UCLA. They might as well not have gone to college!
Much luck to those out there looking for a job. Hope that I don't end up in a similar situation myself.
Your expectations are too high
sweep some floors
wait some tables
eventually you will get what you want
sweep some floors
wait some tables
eventually you will get what you want
In Canada you can get admission to medical school with any degree, not just a science degree. Is it the same there? A medical science degree of course will give you the best preparation to write your MCAT.
Why not take an MCAT preparation course, (do a google search of MCAT preparation course) take your MCAT and then apply for medical school. I've never heard of a doctor that couldn't find a job.
You might have to borrow some money to continue your education but it shouldn't be hard to pay back with a doctor's salary.
You might find some area of medicine where your knowledge of economics would be useful.
Why not take an MCAT preparation course, (do a google search of MCAT preparation course) take your MCAT and then apply for medical school. I've never heard of a doctor that couldn't find a job.
You might have to borrow some money to continue your education but it shouldn't be hard to pay back with a doctor's salary.
You might find some area of medicine where your knowledge of economics would be useful.
Unlikely. He would have to go back and take a bunch of biology and chemistry courses that weren't part of his undergrad. Plus, he'd still be competing with people who hold biology and pre-med degrees. In most other countries, you can go straight to med-school after secondary school. That isn't the case in the US.