7 Ways to get that Bay Street Job

1. Be Passionate – Bay Street hires leaders. This is not a place for finding a ‘job’, it’s about starting a career. As such, the hiring manager wants to meet people who know the business like the sports crazed fan knows their team.
   
2. Be Honest – Bay Street is small. Any untruths in career path, education, relationships, etc. WILL come to the surface. This is a trust-based industry; break that trust and it is game over. Be honest about who you are, where you have been and what you have done.
   
3. Build Relationships. Many people call us, introduce themselves and ask if there are opportunities. All things being equal, we will bias those candidates with whom we have a long-standing relationship. Find ways to add value to the recruiter and in turn, they will likely push your name more often.
   
4. Be Specific. Candidates often provide a grocery list of roles they would consider. The thinking is that they don’t want to miss any opportunities. However, career management requires time and energy – two limited commodities. Consider the analogy of casting a net: If you don’t cast it far enough, there might not be fish. On the other hand, if you cast it too far the mesh will be stretched open and fish will swim through (not a perfect analogy but work with me here). In short, by spreading your interests too wide, you will not demonstrate the focus needed to land the job.
   
5. Be Ethical. A client hires a recruiter because they want to focus on their day job and allow the recruiter to find the talent. If you’re interested in the role, let them help you. If you’re not interested but want to tell a friend, suggest they go through the recruiter. It’s how we put bread on the table. Trying to wiggle in without recruiter involvement more often than not results in tarnishing your reputation with the client and the recruiter.
   
6. Practice – Know your story cold. You lived it but how often have you told it? I mean really told it. That includes reciting it to people who don’t know you or might not like you, or may think you’re hiding something. Pretend you’re telling your story to a reporter who wants to rip you apart. Then you can firm up the answers. Recording an interview is also amazingly helpful. This might sound pedantic, but if you want one of the most lucrative jobs in Finance, you can’t assume that ‘Ok’ is good enough.
   
7. Be Realistic. Hiring is a risk management decision as much as it is a revenue decision. You might think that your MBA at little-known-school was great or that your top 1% in the company in selling painting services makes you unique. Truth is, everyone is unique. Bay Street is looking for the best and there’s a long line up at the door. Listen to the feedback. Learn from others’ experiences and tailor your approach. It’s an industry that produces the 1%, which means 99% don’t make it.

For more information like this, consider joining the Executive Career Academy, powered by Vlaad and Company. This program runs over three days and fully explores best-practice themes, methods, and initiatives to use when transitioning into a superior career stream, re-entering the market, or simply finding a better career.