Teresa Said:

careers in banks....?

We Answered:

I'm not sure where you're based country-wise, but I am in Australia and an employee of a leading bank myself. There are many opportunities for advancement with my employer, it's a great idea to keep an eye out for positions that become available internally on the careers website of your bank if you have one, even set it up to receive alerts when jobs become available, then you can keep your eye out for more advanced jobs that interest you.

It's my personal opinion that any extra qualifications can't hurt when you're applying for any position, but I would speak to your supervisor about their thoughts as to whether or not it will be of benefit to you, my guess is that it would depend on where within the bank you wish to "progress" to.

The most valuable piece of advice that I can give you is to speak with your supervisor, ask them honestly what they believe your strengths and weaknesses to be, and honestly tell them that you would like to progress further in your employment with them and what they feel you need to do to improve your skills to work towards this.

Most of the leading banks in Australia encourage job growth, offering opportunities to be a mentor, step up team leader, etc and other programs to further your skills. But again, it will depend on your particular bank's staffing policies.

Good luck!

Peggy Said:

Lucrative careers in banks?

We Answered:

To be honest, there are tons of good banking jobs out there. You can work on the brokerage side or sales and trading, if you are interested in stocks (they tend to work market hours +). Otherwise, there are operational jobs that you can do starting out that are 9-5 that pay a bit less, but have lots of upside if you get promoted into management positions.
Corporate banking, which sells banks products to corporations is also a good segment, private banking and wealth management, if you are a good people person....
Good luck!

Try contacting HR to find out where the banks recruit and what the recruiting schedules are. You can try to get a summer internship while in an undergrad program, which helps when looking for a full time job.

Cassandra Said:

Do banks and corporate firms discriminate against people with dreadlocks during hiring processes?

We Answered:

I'm a 31 year old African American female and I've worked as a Librarian in corporate law firms for the past 8 years. I've always worn my hair natural since I was 18. I’ve had an Afro, dreadlocks, braids and even shaved my head bald once. Now I’ve settled on dreadlocks and I can assure you that there isn't as much discrimination against dreadlocks as people imagine there to be. I’ve seen black men and women with all types of natural hair styles working at all levels at the firm I am at now. It really depends on the how well you maintain your hair no matter what style you choose. Nowadays there are salons that cater to natural hair care for African Americans where you can go to groom your locks so that they look more “presentable.” You should also consider the culture of the particular company you want to work for some are going to be more conservative than others. So if it isn’t your hair they pick up on it might be something else. Your hair has nothing to do with your skills no more than your color or gender so if you feel discriminated against because of your appearance stand up for yourself. But also consider if that is really the type of company you’d want to work for in the first place? Good luck!

Mitchell Said:

Does a degree in economics limit me to banks or financial services careers?

We Answered:

If you are planning to run your own business you should definitely incorporate Marketing in your further education even if it secondary to economics.

It really depends on what type of business you plan to run as to whether you should study any subject in particular or even go to university at all. Economics is probably as good as any subject to study while you are keeping your options open.

Good luck.