How I reached out to an employer – and secured my dream graduate job

We spoke to Chris Black, a recent BA Economics and Banking with Placement graduate, who landed his dream role as a Graduate Financial Planner after reaching out directly to Daintree Wealth Management, a local wealth management company. Read on to find out what steps Chris took to make this possible.

Learn from experience

We all know employers value work experience – but experience is also valuable for you to learn about what you enjoy and don’t enjoy, and what type of career and employer is right for you.

Chris found that getting experience, both before and during his time at university, helped to confirm which career sector was right for him:

‘I have always known since a young age that I wanted to pursue a career in the finance industry. During my A-Levels I shadowed a Senior Partner at a wealth management company in Liverpool, which helped me develop an understanding of the sector. This initial experience made me realise that this could be something I would want to pursue post-university.

‘However, I entered university with an open mind and still had an interest in going down the Corporate Finance route. I decided to do a placement year related to accountancy. Whilst the experience was great, I learnt that Wealth Management was the route for me. Therefore, after finishing my placement year, I immediately went on to do a weeklong internship at an investment management company and got a real life insight into the investment world.’

Chris emphasises the importance of experience for anyone who is potentially interested in working in wealth management – though his advice may apply just as easily to working in any industry:

‘The most important thing is experience - make sure you have exposure to wealth management and make sure you enjoy it before applying. This will also look great on your CV and be attractive for employers as you have shown an interest for the industry prior to applying.’

 
Develop relevant transferable skills

Gaining work experience also helped Chris to develop valuable skills that would transfer well to working in his chosen sector:

‘I gained a lot of skills including business etiquette, communication, teamwork and independent learning. All of these skills are key when entering the wealth management industry as our role as advisers should be to take care of the client and to communicate effectively, not only with clients but with colleagues as well.’

Chris’s example shows that gaining experience within a specific industry – whether through shadowing, a placement or an internship – can help you to develop relevant skills for working in that industry.

However, you can also develop transferable skills such as communication, teamwork and independence through a range of other activities and experiences in addition to your degree. These can include part time jobs, volunteering, participation in societies, extracurricular courses and hobbies.

 
Research employers of interest

Looking for jobs can feel overwhelming - which is why it’s important to whittle down your options, find your focus and research employers in the industry that you want to work in.

Chris took time out to research graduate employers in the wealth management industry: ‘I spent time looking into Wealth Management companies in Manchester and Liverpool and also spoke to professionals in the industry to find out about any smaller, exciting, respectable companies.

‘It was important for me to find companies that matched my goals and ethical values. I have been fortunate enough to experience polar opposite working environments within Wealth Management at a young age. With these experiences in mind, it was evident to me that I wanted to work for a company that was ethical and had the clients’ interests at heart.’

Ultimately, his research paid off. Chris discovered that the company values of Daintree Wealth Management (where he eventually secured his graduate role) aligned with his own values: ‘working with integrity; working for a company that is client-oriented, honest and transparent; and ultimately working for a company that has my interests at heart as well. From the start, Daintree Wealth Management gave me the feeling that I would be a crucial part of the team.’

Read our guide for more tips on researching employers.

 
Don’t give up!

‘Obviously, no one could have predicted the current circumstances and the impact it would have on graduate recruitment,’ says Chris, speaking from personal experience: his job applications at a number of major companies were withdrawn early due to pandemic-caused recruitment freezes.

However, Chris persisted in looking for jobs in spite of these challenges, advising that ‘in the current situation it is important not to be affected by setbacks.

‘Additionally, it is important to stay positive whilst going through the period of applying for graduate roles. Some companies will give you a simple “no”, with no reasoning and explanation into how you can improve. Therefore it is key to stay positive and accept there are always going to be setbacks when applying for competitive graduate roles.’

Chris also suggests that ‘there is also no harm in reaching out directly to employers. The worst reaction you will get is a no, so there is no harm in trying.’

 
Use your contacts

Chris used personal connections and contacts resourcefully in order to discover opportunities for work experience and graduate jobs.

‘I believe the finance industry involves a lot of networking prior to getting experience. For instance, I found two out of three of my work experiences on my CV through people I know. Try to make as many connections as possible in this area as these will open doors for you in the future.’

After doing some research and speaking to professionals in the industry, Chris decided to reach out directly to Mark Parello, the Managing Director of Daintree Wealth Management.

‘In early February, I initially sent an email to Mark, stating my current position, my passion for wealth management and where I would like to see myself in the future.

‘Mark wrote back to me saying he would like to meet me and get to know me better. After a successful first meeting, we stated we would keep in touch and speak again in the future.

I reached out to Mark again in May, letting him know I was about to start my exams and I gave him an update of where I was with other applications. We had another successful meeting, before I received invitations to individual interviews with the rest of the team.’

Chris was offered a graduate role at Daintree Wealth Management in June and began his new job on Wednesday 1st July.

 
In conclusion…

By gaining experience, developing relevant skills, researching employers, not giving up on your goals, and using your contacts and networks wisely, you can discover some incredible career opportunities that will be a great fit for you.

Chris’s experience shows that you don’t have to rely on applying for advertised vacancies. In fact, you can make a positive impression on an employer by reaching out to them directly – but if you do apply speculatively, make sure that you demonstrate a clear understanding of the industry and the employer, and a clear idea of why you want to work for them.

For more tips on making speculative applications, read our guide to finding work.

Special thanks to Chris Black for sharing his story with the Careers team and for his contributions to this article.