Hot Tip -- by Emma Geoghegan

The hidden job market, you always hear about this, so what is it?

These are all the positions that are not advertised, which is approximately 80 per cent of the work out there. That's right, the advertisements you read represent only a small fraction of the positions that exist.

I spoke to three young Calgarians who cracked the hidden job market in the financial field. They utilized all the best job search strategies! They kindly explained how they found work and provided information about what employers are looking for in potential candidates. Their stories and insights, along with links to additional occupational and educational information, should help clarify whether this line of work would be a good fit for you.

Bill Tribe, a 27 year old Financial Consultant

Bill's first position in the financial industry was working as a marketing assistant for a stockbroker, a job he obtained through a personal contact. Contacts are the number one way people find work! This position entailed calling individuals to see whether they wanted assistance developing a financial plan. Bill said he worked hard in this position trying to prove himself.

After a year-and-a-half he thought he had accomplished this and assertively asked his manager if he could become a financial consultant. He's now been working as a financial consultant, also known as a stockbroker, for three years at Merill Lynch.

Bill helps people make investments, monitors these investments and the market, as well as meeting with clients on a regular basis to review their portfolios. What he likes about the job is he gets to help people and make a difference in their lives. The only down side is it can be stressful ensuring he's doing the best for his clients.

When asked what the key skills are for this position he stated it is important you are personable, energetic, laid back, possess strong written and communication skills, and are able to think on your feet in order to provide appropriate feedback and information to clients. Before applying for this position Bill suggested having a bachelor of commerce degree, preferably specializing in finance and to complete the Canadian Securities Course and the Conduct and Practices Handbook Course (CPH).

Brian Boulanger, a 25 year old Senior Investment Analyst

In the third year of his bachelor of commerce degree, labour market research and a lot of persistence allowed Brian to attain his first position as a summer student at ARC Financial Corp. Brian read a newspaper article about the company and decided that was a place he wanted to work. He called and called and called until finally someone returned his messages. Persistence pays off! This approach of contacting companies, even though they have no job postings, is the second most common way to find work.Check out our website for hints on contacting employers.

Brian was hired to work full-time after completing his degree and has been promoted to senior investment analyst. This position requires Brian to invest money from large organizations by financing oil and gas companies he and his teammates identify as a good investment.

Brian stated that people interested in this occupation must have strong communication skills, the ability to accurately "read people," be decisive, possess an interest in the stock market, work well under pressure and have knowledge about financial theory. Click here to view more information about the educational requirements and for a full description of this occupation.

Kellie Manchester, a 22 year old Investment Relations Consultant

Kellie worked hard researching companies for almost a month. One company she kept coming across in her research was the Howard Group, so she sent an email to find out more about the company. At this point she was told to send in her resume, which she did, and three interviews later Kellie was hired. An important component of Kellie's successful job hunt was that she started to look for work early! Kellie began her job search six months before she graduated with her bachelor of commerce (specializing in finance).

Of the three people I spoke to, Kellie did the most research and has the most unique job. She is responsible for gaining funding for the businesses her company represents. Other components of her job include responding to inquiries from both clients and investors as well as writing weekly newsletters sent to investors.

Qualities that would make you a strong candidate for this position include; the ability to work independently, strong written and verbal communication skills, self-motivation and organizational abilities.

There were several things that made these people successful in gaining employment. It was a combination of effective job search techniques, hard work and perseverance. For more helpful hints regarding conducting a more effective job hunt click here, the hard work is up to you!

(Emma Geoghegan is a career counsellor at the Calgary Youth Employment Centre.)