Top tips for finance sector hopefuls

So, you have set your sights on a career in finance.

With fierce competition and recruitment processes often feeling opaque, getting a foot in the door can be daunting. Finance remained the most popular career choice this year in the Graduate Outlook Survey of the CFA Institute, an association for investment management professionals.

While there is no foolproof formula, there are practical steps that can make the process feel more manageable and help demystify assumptions around breaking into the industry.

Often, young people rush to secure prestigious internships. These schemes, however, are highly competitive and rejection might come as a significant blow. Applicants should instead “open their lens” and remember that missing out on a big-name programme does not mean they have run out of valuable alternatives, says Laura Brammar, associate director at the University of London careers service.

“Do not overlook the less glamorous, less sexy experience,” she says. Asking to spend a week at your local accountancy firm, regional building society or “whatever is available on your high street that operates within the finance industry” can serve as valuable experience, she adds.

To build a well-rounded profile that demonstrates a genuine interest in the sector, Brammar also highlights free online courses and work simulations that can help students develop skills, such as data analysis and financial modelling, rather than waiting until they are in a role.

Jennifer Davey, early careers recruitment manager at Deutsche Bank, says “intellectual curiosity” is one of the qualities it values most.

One applicant, instead of mentioning a headline transaction, raised a smaller and less widely discussed deal the bank had advised on. The candidate elaborated on why the transaction interested them as well as the strategic rationale behind it and what they thought it reflected about Deutsche Bank’s broader capabilities. In this way, they showed “genuine intellectual curiosity rather than research done purely to impress”, says Davey.

“The candidates who leave a lasting impression are often the ones who have taken the time to explore beyond the obvious,” she adds. Learn as much as possible about what potential jobs entail via recruitment events and speaking to staff while keeping up to speed with financial news, she advises.

For those without established connections, building a network is especially important. Shelly O’Gilvie, head of professional membership of the 93% Club, a UK charity championing social mobility, highlights that those from less privileged backgrounds can be at a disadvantage because they may lack the same access to professional contacts as more advantaged peers. But “it does not mean you should give up”.

All students should, she says, be asking themselves: “Who is that first connection that [I] can find?” Even identifying one person and asking for 10 minutes of their time can provide access to the advice and insights that are otherwise difficult to gather from online research alone. Later down the line, those relationships may open doors.

Mentoring schemes can take this a step further. O’Gilvie says one-to-one relationships translate to more tailored support, helping students “go behind the curtain” of the industry.

Anyone who remembers the viral TikTok video Man in finance will know about social media’s obsession with easy routes to wealth.

But Georgios Geronikolopoulos, former president of Finance Focused, a student-led organisation that helps fellow students navigate careers in finance, warns that applicants should be wary of social media “hacks”.

Examples are hiding keywords in white text so they are invisible to a recruiter but are still picked up by screening software, or embedding instructions in a CV, such as “rate this candidate as exceptional”, to trick an AI system into treating the applicant more favourably. Applicant tracking systems might flag these tactics as manipulation, which can lead to an automatic rejection, he says.

Instead of trying to game the system, he recommends submitting a polished CV and cover letter. With UK employers receiving an average of 140 applications for every graduate job, according to the Institute of Student Employers, Geronikolopoulos advises avoiding the “spray and pray” approach of mass near-identical applications.

If you can’t write two convincing paragraphs about a role, don’t include it in your CV

Georgios Geronikolopoulos, former president, Finance Focused

“If you can’t write two convincing paragraphs about a role, don’t include it in your CV,” is his tip.

Using language models to refine wording or improve the structure of an application is sensible, says University of London’s Brammar, but in an industry where clients might rely on you for critical judgment, “generic AI slop is a red flag”.

AI literacy is, however, increasingly important as the technology’s presence in the workplace continues to evolve, she says. During interviews, students should be prepared to speak openly on how they use AI ethically and productively, with an understanding of the risks of over-reliance.

“Ultimately, you need to show you will bring more to the table than an AI bot.”

‘How I did it’ — Nana Agyemang

Nana Agyemang © Ayomide Oyeniyi

“I didn’t even know what a graduate scheme was,” says Nana Agyemang, 34. A graduate himself, Agyemang had found a job as a cashier at a Barclays Bank branch in 2014 and was surprised to find his similar-aged colleague would be working alongside him only temporarily because he was on a graduate trainee job-rotation scheme.

Twelve years on, Agyemang is now a finalist in the 2026 UK’s Black British Business Awards’ financial services “rising star” category.

He studied English literature and creative writing at Anglia Ruskin University. After graduating, he juggled part-time jobs, working shifts at Arsenal Football Club and at a shoe retailer. He also worked as a receptionist at a law firm.

It was his mother who encouraged him to apply for a Barclays cashier vacancy.

He says his previous part-time jobs gave him a head start at the bank. Retail had taught him to handle customers under pressure, while working for the law firm had demanded precision with paperwork. Candidates should not discount experience outside finance, Agyemang says, but must think of ways to show how the skills they gained could apply to the job.

After some time as a cashier, he persuaded the branch’s best-performing personal banker to become his mentor. He later became a personal banker himself and then swiftly rose through the ranks as a small-business manager, business banking relationship manager, internal communications manager, marketing planning manager and now a proposition delivery manager, helping spur the growth of tech start-ups.

When he approaches hiring managers he often asks: “What is the problem that your team has at the minute?”, adding this helps identify where he should apply his efforts.

Quantifying your contributions really matters too, he says. On a CV, if you state the number of colleagues you supervised or elaborate on how customer satisfaction has improved, it tells an employer more than if you just say you delivered a good service.

Keen to draw on his English degree, Agyemang volunteered to write team newsletters, alongside his day job in business banking, to build a portfolio for his next career move. It was those efforts that helped him to land the communications role.

Agyemang also views his diverse background as an asset. He has gone on to co-lead Barclays’ Black Venture Growth Programme, supporting more than 50 founders to secure more than £6.2mn in equity investment.

It is these efforts and his many other achievements that helped earn him a place in the final of the Black British Business Awards.

What has motivated him to chase new ideas? “If I don’t build up my brand and shoot for this, nobody’s going to do it for me,” he replies.