Researching Roles & Companies

Researching roles and companies of interest is a critical step in the internship / job search, and it should not be overlooked. Many students who jump straight into the applying phase of the search wind up applying to roles and companies that they are not truly interested in. While researching roles and companies certainly requires a great deal of effort, it ultimately leads to a more targeted and successful search. There’s no shortage of resources available to help you gather the information you need!

VAULT / FIRSTHAND provides in-depth intelligence on what it’s really like to work within an industry, company, or profession – and how to position yourself to launch and build the career of your dreams. Vault is best known for its influential rankings, ratings, and reviews on thousands of top employers and hundreds of internship programs. Vault also publishes detailed guidebooks; below is a sample that may be of interest:

▪ Vault Career Guide to Commercial Banking

▪ Vault Career Guide to Investment Banking

▪ Vault Career Guide to Investment Management

▪ Vault Career Guide to Real Estate

▪ Vault Career Guide to Sales & Trading

▪ Vault Career Guide to Wealth Management

▪ Vault Guide to Top Internships

CORPORATE FINANCE INSTITUTE offers a number of free resources to help you prepare for your career in finance.

I highly recommend exploring the interactive Career Map. The Career Map divides the industry into four types of employers: Sell-Side Banks, Buy-Side Institutions, Corporates and Professional Services Firms. Within each of the four types of employers, there are several sub-categories. Each area is evaluated in terms of compensation, workload, competition, quant skills and soft skills. You can also get information on the key personality traits that lead to success in that role, compensation, and exit opportunities.

MAKE CONNECTIONS AND BUILD RELATIONSHIPS (AKA NETWORK)! Speaking with professionals is one of the best ways to get insight into roles, career paths, companies, industries and more. Not to mention, it’s a critical part of a successful internship / job search. Remember the “Path to Employment for 2021 Finance Graduates” on page 23? Refer to the “Building Relationships” section beginning on page 31 for more information on networking and conducting informational meetings.

GLASSDOOR offers and extensive and constantly expanding database of company reviews, CEO approval ratings, salary reports, interview reviews and questions, benefits reviews, office photos and more. Unlike other jobs sites, all of this information is entirely shared by those who know a company best – the employees.

ATTEND ON-CAMPUS AND VIRTUAL EVENTS! The Pulsifer Undergraduate Career Development Center plans and hosts many events that allow students to connect with professionals and learn more about their current roles, career paths, and companies, such as:

▪ Finance & Economics Virtual Career Fair (Mid-September): A mini Career Fair for students majoring in Finance, Economics-Finance and Corporate Finance & Accounting! Learn about open opportunities and network with company representatives to find out what roles might be a good fit for you.

▪ University Career Fair (Late September | Mid-February): Students should not miss the Career Fairs held in the Fall and Spring semesters! Each semester, 110-140 companies come to campus to recruit for open internship and/or full-time positions.

▪ Specialized Programming (Throughout the year): Connect with employers during 1:1 Coffee Chats, Information Sessions, and more.

In addition, many employers offer their own in-person and virtual event opportunities through Handshake or their own channels (company website, social media).

Actively monitor Handshake and CareerEdge for complete, up-to-date information about events hosted or facilitated by the Pulsifer Undergraduate Career Development Center.

THE BENTLEY LIBRARY is a wealth of information when it comes to company and industry research! Below are several helpful databases to utilize or consult with an experienced Bentley librarian for additional suggestions.

▪ S&P Capital IQ NetAdvantage provides access to S&P's Company and Industry Surveys, Stock Guides, Dividend Records, Mutual Fund Ratings, Corporation Records and much more. Industry surveys are updated twice yearly and provide key data on more than 50 industries from Health Care to Telecommunications.

▪ Investext from Mergent provides investment research reports written by analysts at leading investment banks, brokerage houses and consulting firms. Search for analysis on companies and industries around the globe by company name, ticker, contributor, industry code and country. Data is available for download in PDF and Excel formats.

▪ PrivCo provides private company financial data including M&A activity, investor information, private equity and venture capital data. It covers over 225,000 private companies, 11,000 investors, and over 80,000 private market M&A deals and funding rounds. Database strengths include the ability to search by niche industry for private companies, and to find specific investors for targeted industries.

GOOGLE IT! There’s not much that Google can’t answer, so be proactive and resourceful by searching for “entry level investment management roles”, “credit analyst responsibilities”, “what is advisory”, etc. Specific searches turn up lots of helpful information!