Sign up for Banking and Finance Career News in WildcatLink

For additional information regarding jobs, internships, events, alumni networking opportunities and resources in this and other career fields, be sure to select your career fields of interest in WildcatLink. To sign up, simply log in to WildcatLink and go to the Academic tab in your Profile.

Explore Career Options

Career Information Guides:

Accountants and Auditors
Appraisers and Assessors of Real Estate
Budget Analysts
Cost Estimators
Economists
Financial Analysts
Financial Examiners
Financial Managers 
Insurance Underwriters
Loan Officers
Personal Financial Advisors
Securities, Commodities and Financial Sales Agents 

Careers-in-finance.com - This site is designed to help you find rewarding and interesting jobs in finance in fields such as corporate finance, financial planning, investment banking, insurance and real estate.

Vault.com for jobs, careers, top employers and education programs, job search advice, salary info, job listings, employee message boards and surveys. Click on the icon and create an account using your Davidson email address to view guides on the following types of employers and career fields:

• Investment Banking Guide
• Middle Market Investment Banking Guide
• Sales and Trading Guide
• Hedge Funds Guide
• Private Equity Guide
• Investment Banking, Asia Pacific Edition Guide
• Financial Services Diversity Programs Guide
• Finance Interviews Guide
• Finance Interviews Practice Guide
• Top 25 Investment Management Employers
• Top Private Equity Employers
• Top Financial Services Employers
• Top 50 Banking Employers
• Top 25 Banking Employers, European Edition
• Top Banking Employers, Asia Pacific Edition

Prepare for Jobs, Internships or Graduate School

Banking Resume and Cover Letter Advice
Investment Banking Resume Template (From Mergers and Inquisitions)
Investment Banking Cover Letter Template (From Mergers and Inquisitions) 

Organizations at Davidson

• Pre Business Society's Investment Banking Club
• Davidson Investment Financial Association (DIFA)

How to Read the Wall Street Journal and Banking Prep Tools

Located in the "Documents" Section of WildcatLink: A helpful resource was provided to Davidson students by a faculty member on how to make the most of the articles and data presented in the Wall Street Journal and on tools to use to understand company valuation and Excel.  

Useful Websites

• Mergers & Inquisitions (Download their Banking Job Search Guide and sign up for their emails)
• Wall Street Oasis
• Wall Street Journal
• Bloomberg
• TheStreet.com
• The Economist
• Yahoo Finance
• Stock Screener
• Investopedia
• Khan Academy

Books to Read

• Investment Banking: Valuation, Leveraged Buyouts, and Mergers and Acquisitions, 2009 by Joshua Rosenbaum and Joshua Pearl (Available in Career Services Library)
• Valuation: Measuring and Managing the Value of Companies, University Edition, 5th Edition, 2010 by McKinsey & Company (Available in Career Services Library)

Davidson Coursework
You do not need to major in Economics to enter the banking and finance profession, but courses such as Introductory Economics (ECO 101), Statistics (ECO 105), Introduction to Accounting (ECO 211), Intermediate Accounting (ECO 212) and others are recommended.  Consult with faculty in Economics for more information on course offerings.

Find Jobs and Internships

The resources below will provide you with leads on internships and jobs, but the most successful students will tap into Davidson's alumni network and/or your own personal network to help open the doors to opportunities.

OneWire
A top destination for jobs in the finance industry

Finbox
Currently lists just under 40,000 jobs and internships specifically in the financial industry. 

InRoads
The mission of InRoads is to develop and place talented underserved youth in business and industry and prepare them for corporate and community leadership. Students are placed into a paid, multi-year internship with a leading company and receive mentorship and business training.

Sponsors for Educational Opportunity (SEO)
SEO provides superior educational and career programs to young people from underserved communities to maximize their opportunities for college and career success. The program includes a premier summer internship in banking, finance, or accounting

Suggested Timeline for Banking Interview Preparation for Rising Senior Summer Analyst Positions

Freshman Year

• Start reading the Wall Street Journal and other news sources on a regular basis
• Work hard in the classroom. Investment banks and financial services firms typically hire students with strong GPAs (Many Wall Street firms will want GPAs of 3.5 or above)
• Get involved - join clubs, play sports, etc. Banks and financial services firms like to see diverse interests, potential for growth, and demonstrated leadership

Sophomore Year

• Continue reading financial news sources and books
• Read the Vault resources from Career Services on your own
• Network with Davidson alumni and parents
• Don't worry about being an economics major if you don't want to be. It is more important to do what you enjoy and show a passion for it.  Take to a professor about Economics classes you can take - regardless of whether you select Economics as a major
• It is helpful if you can get a finance-related internship for the summer, but certainly not necessary. Don't be afraid to apply to summer internships for major investment banks as a sophomore - motivated and well-qualified sophomores often have the potential to obtain full internships. In addition, many banks have sophomore-specific summer programs
• Get in contact with current seniors and other people who have worked in the field you are interested in
• Learn about the different divisions within investment banks and financial services firms (Equity Research, Sales & Trading, Wealth Management, Corporate Finance/Investment Banking, etc.)

Junior Year - Fall Semester

• Perfect your resume and interviewing skills - have your resume ready by September 15 for early application deadlines
• Continue networking with Davidson alumni, parents and seniors