Building Self Confidence:

First it’s important that you stop worrying so much about what others think. Take a more objective viewpoint of yourself and situations. You are your own worst enemy and are likely making a mountain out of a molehill. Your unease though will come across when interacting with others; so it’s important that you maintain a positive mindset. Think about productive and positive results achieved so your discussions with others start on the right foot.

Confident Personality Skill Building:

It takes skills to emerge as a confident personality. It doesn’t just happen one day. It is also a skill that needs continual refining. Avoid being self-deprecating. When someone pays you a compliment accept it graciously. I cannot tell you how many times I have paid a compliment to someone. Instead of a simple thank you, I get an entire diatribe about someone else who did it better in some way. Immediately that person has reduced their power and their positive presence. Maintain a relaxed and engaged mannerism. Have a problem? Look for solutions instead of indulging in self pity, which will not solve the problem and certainly will not facilitate constructive resolution. Take control of yourself and your emotions. Success is a ladder best climbed when you are secure and in command.

Happiness Brings Confidence:

Being happy makes things look better and will allow you to act in your own best interests. How you approach situations is entirely in your control. An optimistic approach will likely yield better results; being open minded will allow you to view situations from different perspectives. And, you never know what you might find! There are always choices. Yours is the right to choose. No one is good at everything. They say that anything worth doing is worth doing well. Challenges are a part of life – embrace them and set your standard for personal success. Set your goals, assess your abilities, and build a program to continue to build your confidence.

Improve Your Communication Skills:

Interact with people on a regular basis. You don’t need to be the life of the party, but engaging with others and maintaining a lively style will build your confidence. Other people will enjoy your company and view you as pleasant with an easy going style. As you communicate with others and experience positive interactions, you will help build your confidence. Consider joining some business or networking groups to help you practice interacting with others.

How you feel about yourself comes across in everything you do. You will improve your opportunities and experience benefits not only in your career but also in social circles. People are drawn to those that are confident. This is an area where practice definitely makes perfect!

Managing your relationships: There are three types of friends: friends for a reason, friends for a season, and friends for a lifetime. When it comes to job search and networking, you really need to provide people a reason to help you. Reaching out to a ‘friend’ that you haven’t spoken to in two years is probably not going to get you much help. After all, it looks like you have an ulterior motive – and you do. Want to get back in touch – which I strongly encourage that you do, do it with the intention of providing value for someone else. It’s not all about you. You need to give a little to get a little. Managing your relationships is critical to job search success. What have you done for that person lately? Probably nothing since you haven’t spoken in so long. Use this as an opportunity to rekindle a friendship. You can help each other in ways that you aren’t even aware of. Even better – you now have established a connection with someone that was previously a part of your life.

Getting a mentor: A mentor can really provide you with an objective perspective regarding your personal and professional efforts. This relationship requires that each of you select each other. Mentors like to work with people with whom they have something in common. A good mentor will challenge you and engage you in thoughtful exercises to help you develop a focused game plan. Remember, you will also want to provide value to your mentor. This is a two way street.

Expanding your connections: You might be wondering how you should start expanding your connections. It takes courage to reach out to people that you don’t know. You need to establish a plan to generate connections, including meeting new people on your own and also gaining introductions through third parties. I know this can be daunting; but it is completely worth the effort. Consider joining some industry associations, and attend business and cultural events – all of these things represent networking opportunities. You have the power to make your connections work for you. You must nurture those connections – polish them as you would a diamond in the rough. Above all you must be willing to help someone else – do something or provide them with something valuable. Be prepared to walk away with nothing for yourself.

Establishing your Reputation: Wouldn’t it be nice if everyone you met spoke glowingly about you behind your back? The art of relationship building and connecting is predicated in part by what people say about you. Always, always strive to ensure your reputation is great. Offer to help people when you can, pay attention to situations around you. You never know when an opportunity might arise for you to add value for someone else. You want people to want to connect with you. Providing value will definitely establish your reputation as someone that other people are interested in connecting with.

You can make opportunities for yourself by simply extending yourself to others. It is really quite easy if you think about it. Do unto others, and they in turn do unto you.

What they are looking for: As a member of an investment bank, you can expect to do a lot of research. Oftentimes candidates are hired after completing an internship with a firm. Many firms do not require a financial background but look for young people with drive, determination and potential. Firms look to shape their candidates and are interested in those that are passionate about the financial markets, exhibit personal commitment, and strong academic performance.

Preparing for the Interview: Investment banking firms (like all companies) really appreciate candidates that understand the corporate culture. In fact, this understanding is even more important within the banking environment. Many firms encourage interaction with former interns and existing employees to get a real sense of the interviewing and hiring process. The first interview with a firm will generally be more of an overview of previous experiences and determination of fit within the organization. Subsequent interviews will be more technical in nature, including a candidate’s understanding of general financial principles and practices.

The Analyst Experience: As an analyst you will likely do a lot of research. While you build your internal network through interactions with your peers and superiors, you will also be challenged to complete projects on your own. A big part of working within a firm is interacting with internal and external clients and the firm’s experts. Make no mistake though – you will work – long and hard. There are many late nights in investment banking. Some days you might find yourself working on pitchbooks and other times you might find yourself formatting an Excel spreadsheet. Like many professions, there is a rite of passage that you will have to endure as you claw your way up the food chain.

Show me the Money: As a first year analyst the starting salaries for those with a bachelor’s degree after bonus range from $60,000 to $70,000. While it is no doubt harder to break into the industry now due to the economic downturn, there are firms that are hiring. Consider focusing your efforts on the boutique firms, since they have not been as impacted by the financial crisis. It might take a bit longer, and you might need to bite the salary bullet a little bit, but over the long-term the markets rebound, and so too will your compensation.

It definitely requires diligence, commitment, and long nights when you are starting out. The world of investment banking is dynamic and highly challenging, to say the least. You can become involved in multi-billion dollar high stakes deals. Early on you will need to take direction well, pay close attention to the details, and generally be willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done.

Negotiating can be done in a way that basically bulldozes your way to get the answer you want, or in a way that focuses more on collaboration, cooperation, and communication. It is advisable to take a combined approach to ensure your negotiations are fruitful and effective for you.

Life in general is competitive. Professional life, much more so. You want to achieve results – tip the hand in your favor, so to speak. When handling matters of compensation there are a few key competencies that you need to understand:

Your desired salary – a salary that you need or want. This does not matter. What does matter is what the potential employer thinks is a fair salary for the position. Oftentimes a budget is already established – but you are not privy to that information. Prepare for this conversation by doing your homework. You need to understand the industry and what other companies are paying for positions with similar responsibilities. Once you are armed with some knowledge, you will be in a better position to represent yourself and obtain a salary that is in line with your expectations.

Consider intangible components – vacation time, external training / education, stock options, and bonuses are some things that you can negotiate to make up for compensation. These things have a tangible value. You should consider them when evaluating what you want. You might be willing / able to reduce compensation requirements for additions or guarantees in these areas.

Gear up for the tough questions – you will likely get the following question: “What is your current compensation?” Try to avoid answering this question. How you ask? Indicate that you would like to find out additional information about the role to ensure your competencies and the company’s goals are aligned. It is at this point that you can also respond by asking the salary range that the position fits into. Yes, this is a bit of a calculated risk. However, it is one that you should take. Be polite – you want to maintain the advantage here. Getting a salary range – or better a number will allow you to evaluate if the salary is something you would consider. I know it’s tempting to want to avoid that uncomfortable silence – but hold out. The potential employer will likely speak first.

There are options – If you find that the information presented by the potential hiring manager is not acceptable, you can simply express disappointment at the proposal indicating that with your experience and achievements, you think that a salary of (put in a range here) would be more acceptable. Expressing disappointment is non-confrontational and a demonstration of your feelings. Otherwise you can present an alternative whereby you would be considered for an increase after six months based on your meeting established performance benchmarks. If you produce results and meet the targets, it will fully demonstrate your value. A little flexibility and creativity will help you get what you want.

Present your case in a clear and compelling manner; remain calm and collected. This is business. Come prepared to explore and present ideas that will put you in a position of authority and give you the leading edge!

But just because a job search is not served up with much glitz and glamour doesn’t mean it has to be a bad experience. In fact, there are ways to make the process flow a little smoother. Let’s take a look at four of those ways:

Conduct a Self Assessment

A great way to help you feel your way through your job search is to conduct a self assessment to analyze more specifically what your short- and long-term goals are, as well as your personal preferences in relation to your career. If you are in between jobs, sometimes it’s good to take a step back to decide whether your current career path is the right one for you. After sitting down and taking note of your true desires, you may find that the skills you’ve acquired to date – in conjunction with your personal goals – may be pushing you toward a new direction in your current field, or even toward a new field altogether.

Take a Closer Look at Your Finances

Something many job seekers don’t think to do during their employment search is take a closer look at their financial responsibilities. But if the search stretches from weeks to months with no income, it’s good to begin making plans on cutbacks where you can – as well as acquiring Cobra benefits (laid-off employees usually have about 60 days of eligibility with Cobra), and unemployment, if eligible.

Don’t Be Afraid to Network in Unusual Places

As you have probably already guessed, the more effort you put into your job search, the greater probability you’ll have of acquiring a great job. So while applying for jobs online and in person is great, in a tough economy, it’s important to spread your wings even further by networking where you normally wouldn’t. You might try meeting new people at church functions, at your child’s school, or even through social networking websites. The more places you’re willing to connect with people, the greater the odds of you getting a great tip on a job opening.

Keep Researching Your Field

Staying abreast of what’s going on in your field is important even when you are employed, but it’s especially crucial when you’re in the midst of a job search. If there have been any adjustment in trends, then you need to know about them. You may need to take a class or two to keep up, which you can do because you’re not working. Or you may need to include certain terminology in your resume and cover letter to show your depth of knowledge. Whatever you need to do, your time between jobs is a great time to do it.

Conducting a job search can definitely be an arduous task, but it can be made simple by keeping a positive attitude, and most importantly, not giving up. So no matter how grim it may look, keep forging ahead. You’ll be able to reap the rewards of your hard work in the end.