As we continue our job search strategy using Boston as the geographic area, let’s identify the possible employers. Here is a sample of the employers listed in The Boston Job Bank that would be appropriate for our search for analyst positions in the Boston area.
Use the above list as your guide to find other industries in other similar publications that are also indexed by geographic area. Search for listings of marketing research firms. Companies turn to these firms for contracting out for services rather than supporting their own marketing department. Explore financial services, advertising, and those manufacturing firms' producing consumer goods. Consulting firms, investment banking, and brokerage houses offer excellent employment prospects for analysts. A variety of government agencies provide the largest number of positions, but don't overlook economic consulting firms or financial institutions.
In The Boston Job Bank, many of the employer listings offer a comprehensive list of possible positions under the phrase "common positions include." Look for market/financial analyst and research/business analysts in these sections. Just a quick check in this publication under the industry listing "Advertising, Marketing, and Public Relations" found the following listing (we've added the italics)
Prepare the Job Search Tools Design your resume to focus on the skills of the position description. Write cover letter that targets the benefits of hiring you and describes your math education, skills, and experience in a way that draws parallels to the needs described in the position listing. If the hiring official finds a match between your skills and the employer s qualifications and needs, there is a good possibility they will ask to interview you. If an interview confirms the match between the skills and qualifications, then the final goal will likely be achieved-being hired!
Begin the Networking Process Now that you have identified your skills, located the jobs and possible employment sites, and you have your job search tools ready to submit, you can begin to make telephone calls to your contacts and begin a network. In addition to your list of contacts, use your personal and professional contacts including your college math professors, students in your courses, colleagues from clubs on campus, and fellow members of organizations on and off campus. Let everyone know what positions you are searching for and in what geographic area. At the end there is a section that lists professional associations that have job listings, so check on the website listed to see if they publish job postings in their newsletters or journals-or on-line.
Strategies for Market Analysts and Financial Analysts
Most analyst positions are found in metropolitan areas. Analysts work in large organizations whose success depends on acknowledge of the general business and financial climate. Major corporations, financial institutions, major teaching and research hospitals endmost, brokerage firms, investment companies, pharmaceutical concerns and major transportation systems are but a few examples. No matter where the analysts work, their role is generally the same. Analysts (market, financial, or research) help to provide the expert advice that will help their employer or their employer's clients to invest wisely with the best return on their money or to anticipate or solve a business problem. The job titles for these positions include market analyst (MA) or financial analyst (FA) in many investment banks or investment banking departments of commercial banks and research analyst or research associate (RA) in management consulting firms. Because these analyst positions have a variety of job titles, it's best to focus on the job description and not what the job is called. Here are actual postings for analysts found on the Internet.
Strategies for Research Analysts and Associates Research analysts and associates help put together proposals, case studies, or analyses designed to help the consultant's client solve problems, determine future strategies, or implement programs. These jobs are often seen as opportunities to gain experience that leads to increased responsibility. Most research analyst and associate positions are designed to work either in a team or under collaborative supervision with a more senior team member. These positions appeal to graduates contemplating advanced education because the experience is applicable to their math background and turnover in these positions is normal and expected as job holders often move on to graduate school or more senior positions. As you begin to review research analyst and associate positions, pay very close attention to the skills required. On-the-job training is very common in these positions, and you will want to devote some interview time to exploring how new analysts are trained in the firm you are speaking with.
Once again, we direct your attention to the importance of teams, collaboration, presentations, and writing in both these job postings. Using the job title "analyst" as our search discriminate on the Internet, the position listed below was found. As you can see, this position specifically speaks to the math major as an analyst.
This mathematician/statistician position is interesting for more than just the use of your major in the job title. It's an analyst position with a job title that does not include the word analyst, yet the job description is similar topmost market analyst roles; in this case, focusing on fuel oil energy markets. The employing firm is certainly committed to hiring a math graduate.
Jobs such as the ones listed above are highly desirable because of the quality of the training provided. After all, the results of this training will stay with you throughout your career. Firms spending this much time and money on your training have every reason to assist you in your career progress with their firm. They want you to succeed. On the other hand, you need to know that positions providing this much training is highly competitive, the selection process may be lengthy and rigorous, and your application and candidacy will come under close scrutiny.
