Elizabeth Said:

I am worried my credit score will hinder a job search. I am in a post-divorce financial nightmare. Is it true?

We Answered:

Unfortunately, credit reports are the first thing that some employers review as a way of filtering candidates. This is especially true for employers in the financing industry or if you are trying to be employed for a financial position. While it may seem unfair, it is simply the truth.

The good thing is that they are generally not able to see a FICO score. They will typically see your accounts and your inquiries. Most employers' hiring criteria based off of credit is something along the lines of "no more than 20% negative accounts". Or, in other words, if you have 5 accounts and 4 of them are positive - you pass (though I'm sure you could've figured out the math).

That's just an example. If you're concerned about your score, I wouldn't be. Be more worried about how many *negative* accounts you have :)

Hope this helps and I wish you the best of luck. I personally am not a fan of employers running credit checks though I can see from both perspectives.

Travis Said:

What is the best way to start a job search?

We Answered:

Just go to indeed.com. It gathers all of its job openings from sites like Monster and CareerBuilder (and a few more), and also from individual company websites like Citi and a slew of others like it. It's a one-stop shop. I always start there.

Charles Said:

How to get a job as a financial research analyst?

We Answered:

start off as a junior associate then work your way up to associate. headhunters will be more than glad to help you. you didn't specify whether you want to work for a sell-side fundamentals analyst or a buy-side quantitative analyst or something else. both types are research analysts and there are other types too. if you want to work for a quant analyst i suggest you take some refresher courses as a non-matriculating student to refine and/or refresh your quant knowledge. don't use monster use the new york times job search instead

Ella Said:

Cover letter advice for job search?

We Answered:

Write in the first person and keep it brief. No more than three paragraphs.

"I'm writing in response to the ad you placed in Easy Rider."

"My years of experience as a widget adjuster have taught me well and I'm eager to move on to your position."

"Thank you for your time and consideration."

Ruben Said:

Does anyone else feel intimidated when they do a job search?

We Answered:

I've read about this happening, but maybe you should consider a different country or location. Like another state, or perhaps Europe or Dubai. In the end its entirely up to you, but always remember never to give up. My uncle had an Engineering degree and for a long time he worked as a store clerk. Finally he relocated and got the job he's been waiting for. Sir good luck :)

Barbara Said:

Can anyone help me with my finance job search?

We Answered:

Have you tried posting you're resume on finance companies websites? Say you want to get into ING or Mellon financial You can post you're resume there all websites should have an area to do this. I would also try Networking in a group for instance
http://www.yourcareersource.com/
Each state should have a service like this and it will hold a networking meeting so you can get ideas off other people and give them ideas. Look on you're states homepage.

Christina Said:

Is it possible to pass a credit background search for a job in the financial sector, if you have collections?

We Answered:

Depends on the circumstances. If it's a $10 magazine subscription that you refused to pay and went to collections, probably wont affect you. If it's a repoed car , foreclosed house, and an outstanding $20k judgment against you then odds are you aren't getting the job even if you have a stellar academic and professional credentials under your belt.