I am a Business Executive in the financial services sector. I have been operating in this capacity for about 15 years.
I manage clients and help to create financial plans for new ones. My work includes creating financial plans for individuals and businesses. One of the biggest misconceptions about business executives is we are all lazy and fly private jets. Most of us are pretty average, hard-working wage earners.
On a scale of one to 10, I would rate my job satisfaction as a 10. I enjoy helping others meet their financial goals and working with new clients on a regular basis. I think a less demanding work schedule and a better work/life balance would allow me to unleash my full enthusiasm.
I have been in finance for as long as I can remember. I've always been interested in running a business, and I studied all that I could about the world of finance. When I started college, I knew I wanted to be a business executive, and I genuinely feel that it is my sweet spot in life.
One of the things that is unique about my situation is that I was not always on the track to working in the corporate arena. I originally wanted to be a small business owner and work in a local community as an insurance agent or . A summer internship was my discovery into the world of corporate finance.
I studied finance in college, and dug very deeply into the field of study. I took a summer internship at a large investment bank and learned everything I could about the field. If I could go back and do things differently, I would have taken a second internship and branched out into other areas of business management.
In this job, there are many hard lessons to learn. For one thing, nothing is guaranteed. I have found out the hard way that it is not wise to make promises to clients that you can't keep. I lost a major client for the company when an expected transaction didn't turn out the way we had promised.
The single most important thing that I have learned outside of school about the working world is that learning doesn't stop when you graduate. You have to keep up with changing technology and new information or you will be left behind.
The strangest thing that has happened to me in this job was a prospective client who insisted on meeting me in his home to discuss his portfolio. It was definitely a departure from the norm, but we accommodated him. He turned out to be one of our best clients.
I get up and go to work each day to make a difference in other people's lives. I really feel good or proud when I see my account executives working hard to make people's financial goals come to fruition. With the economy's challenges, it's great to be able to help hard-working people get their financial lives back on track. It's also a source of pride to help small businesses flourish and thrive in the community.
There are many challenges associated with the job. I have to deal with very high, pressure-cooker situations on a regular basis. Some factors are out of the realm of the company's control, and it makes you want to tear your hair out daily. Market fluctuations, natural disasters, international events---there are many things that can affect your work and make it more difficult.
On a scale of one to 10, I would say the stress level of being a business executive is about a 10. There are all sorts of situations that need your attention, fires to put out and problems to solve. During some periods, I work 70-hour weeks. It doesn't allow for a healthy work-life balance. The important thing is to be aware of when your stress levels are high and deal with them before they become a problem. It's a high-stress position, but I enjoy every minute of it.
A rough salary range for the position I hold is around $250,000. The position also includes a generous benefit package, commissions and bonuses. The starting salary for my position is around $175,000 and increases with experience. I believe I am paid enough, and I am quite happy living within my means. I will admit it takes a lot of "paying your dues" to work your way up to my position, but our company definitely rewards you for your hard work. Many of our executives started off as interns, assistants and entry-level account executives.
I am allowed up to four weeks vacation every year. I usually don't take all of my vacation days, especially during busy periods at the office. I know it is better for me to take my vacation time to recharge, but I find it hard to completely disconnect. Even when I am not in the office, I'm checking e-mail, sending out updates, and delegating tasks. Next year I plan to take a luxury cruise with my wife--and leave my cell phone at home!
This is a true story as told to JustJobs.com, where you can find helpful career interviews and job search advice to break into the career field you've been looking at. Visit to find an interview in your desired field today.JustJobs.com is ajob search engine that finds job listings from company career pages, other job boards, newspapers and associations. With one search, they help you find the job with your name on it.Business executive job image from Shutterstock
Is your job search turning into a grind with no end in sight? It may be time to take a step back and reevaluate your entire approach.
In cold weather climates, the beginning of spring is a time to clean the house and get organized—a practice known as spring cleaning. Through the years, spring cleaning has taken on a larger meaning with people using the time to organize and declutter things in their lives.
For professionals on the job hunt, a little spring cleaning (metaphorically speaking) could be a great way to reinvigorate your job search. Here are a few strategies your job search spring cleaning should include.
Reevaluate Your Job Search Approach
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Make a list of the last handful of jobs you applied for and see if you can identify any positive or negative trends. Consider things like:
How did I learn about this job?
How did I apply for the job?
Did I earn an interview?
What was the ultimate result?
A lot can be learned about your job search approach just by answering these questions and identifying patterns. For example:
Negative Trends
You discovered five jobs through job boards, applied to all of them via the job boards, and never heard back from any of them.
The common pattern here is applying through job boards. This isn't to say that job boards don't serve a purpose in the job search process, but they have their limitations, and you can't run your job search entirely off of them. When you apply through a job board, there's a good chance that your materials will never get past the applicant tracking system (ATS) and never be seen by an actual person.
One simple fix is to research who the hiring manager or recruiter is that posted the position and email your materials to them directly.
The more efficient fix would be to take a proactive approach by putting together a bucket list of companies that you want to work for and start making connections on LinkedIn with people who work at those companies. You may already know some people who work there or have connections that can refer you to some individuals.
This is a great way to network your way onto a company's radar.
Positive Trends
You applied to three jobs via referral, were invited to two job interviews, and made it through multiple rounds of interviews for one of the jobs before being passed over for someone with a little more experience.
The pattern here is that getting referred to a job by a professional acquaintance is a great way to land a job interview. This indicates that you're leveraging your network well and you should continue to focus on your networking efforts.
The next step is to review the interview process and determine what went well and what needs to be improved. Sometimes the interviewer will provide feedback, and that feedback can be valuable. However, not everyone is comfortable with giving feedback.
Chances are you probably have a good idea about areas of improvement and the skills you need to gain. Put together a plan for addressing those shortfalls.
The good news in making it deep into any interview process is that it indicates that the company likes you as a potential employee (even if the timing just wasn't right) and the experience could be a roadmap to a job with that company at a later date, or another similar opportunity elsewhere.
Give Your Resume & Cover Letter Some Much-Needed Attention
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Are you continuously sending similar resumes and cover letters to each job opening with only minor adjustments? If so, your strategy needs some serious spring cleaning.
The reason why it's so important to tailor your resume is that throughout your career, you acquire numerous skills, but the job you're applying for may only be focusing on 6-8 of those skills. In that case, those skills must rise to the top of the resume with quantifiable examples of how you successfully used those skills at previous jobs.
Remember, recruiters go through hundreds of resumes. They need to be able to tell from a quick glance whether or not you're a potential candidate for the position.
While updating your resume, you could also spruce up your LinkedIn profile by highlighting the skill sets that you want to be noticed for by recruiters.
As for writing a good cover letter, the key to success is writing a disruptive cover letter. When you write a disruptive cover letter, you're basically telling a story. The story should focus on how you connect with the particular company and job position. The story could also focus on your personal journey, and how you got to where you currently are in your career.
If your resumes and cover letters aren't unique, now is the time to clean things up and get on track.
Build Your Personal Brand
Just because you're looking for work doesn't mean that you don't have anything to offer. Use previous career experiences and passions to build your personal brand.
Ask yourself, "How do I want other professionals to view me?"
Pick an area of expertise and start sharing your knowledge and experience with your professional network by pushing out content on your LinkedIn and social media accounts. Good content can include blogs, social media posts, and videos.
By sharing content about your experiences and passions, you slowly build your personal brand, and others will start to notice. The content could lead to good discussions with others in your network. It could also lead to reconnecting with connections that you haven't spoken to in years, or making new connections.
You never know when one of these connections could turn into a job lead or referral. The trick is to get on people's radars. So, when you're cleaning up your job search, be sure to build a plan for personal branding.
Maintain Healthy Habits During Your Job Search
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Your job search is important, but it's even more important to know when to pull back and focus on personal health and spending time with family and friends.
There are actually things that you can do for your own enjoyment that could help your job search in the long run, such as:
Grab coffee with a friend - It's good to engage in light conversation with friends during challenging times. And if your job search does come up, remember that most people have been through it themselves and you never know when a friend may provide you with a good idea or lead on a job.
Volunteer - Volunteering is a great way to get involved in the community and help others. In addition, if you develop a little bit of a career gap while looking for a job, you can always talk about how you filled that time volunteering, if you're asked about it during a job interview.
Continue to focus on other passions - Are you a fitness nut? Blogger? Crafter? Continue to do the things that bring you happiness. And if you're in a position to profit from your passion through a freelance job or side hustle, even better!
Spring is the perfect time to clean up and improve your job search so you can land the job you want. If you're struggling to find a job, follow the tips above to reinvigorate your job search—and watch your career blossom!
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This article was originally published at an earlier date.
I am a Business Executive in the financial services sector. I have been operating in this capacity for about 15 years.
I manage clients and help to create financial plans for new ones. My work includes creating financial plans for individuals and businesses. One of the biggest misconceptions about business executives is we are all lazy and fly private jets. Most of us are pretty average, hard-working wage earners.
On a scale of one to 10, I would rate my job satisfaction as a 10. I enjoy helping others meet their financial goals and working with new clients on a regular basis. I think a less demanding work schedule and a better work/life balance would allow me to unleash my full enthusiasm.
I have been in finance for as long as I can remember. I've always been interested in running a business, and I studied all that I could about the world of finance. When I started college, I knew I wanted to be a business executive, and I genuinely feel that it is my sweet spot in life.
One of the things that is unique about my situation is that I was not always on the track to working in the corporate arena. I originally wanted to be a small business owner and work in a local community as an insurance agent or . A summer internship was my discovery into the world of corporate finance.
I studied finance in college, and dug very deeply into the field of study. I took a summer internship at a large investment bank and learned everything I could about the field. If I could go back and do things differently, I would have taken a second internship and branched out into other areas of business management.
In this job, there are many hard lessons to learn. For one thing, nothing is guaranteed. I have found out the hard way that it is not wise to make promises to clients that you can't keep. I lost a major client for the company when an expected transaction didn't turn out the way we had promised.
The single most important thing that I have learned outside of school about the working world is that learning doesn't stop when you graduate. You have to keep up with changing technology and new information or you will be left behind.
The strangest thing that has happened to me in this job was a prospective client who insisted on meeting me in his home to discuss his portfolio. It was definitely a departure from the norm, but we accommodated him. He turned out to be one of our best clients.
I get up and go to work each day to make a difference in other people's lives. I really feel good or proud when I see my account executives working hard to make people's financial goals come to fruition. With the economy's challenges, it's great to be able to help hard-working people get their financial lives back on track. It's also a source of pride to help small businesses flourish and thrive in the community.
There are many challenges associated with the job. I have to deal with very high, pressure-cooker situations on a regular basis. Some factors are out of the realm of the company's control, and it makes you want to tear your hair out daily. Market fluctuations, natural disasters, international events---there are many things that can affect your work and make it more difficult.
On a scale of one to 10, I would say the stress level of being a business executive is about a 10. There are all sorts of situations that need your attention, fires to put out and problems to solve. During some periods, I work 70-hour weeks. It doesn't allow for a healthy work-life balance. The important thing is to be aware of when your stress levels are high and deal with them before they become a problem. It's a high-stress position, but I enjoy every minute of it.
A rough salary range for the position I hold is around $250,000. The position also includes a generous benefit package, commissions and bonuses. The starting salary for my position is around $175,000 and increases with experience. I believe I am paid enough, and I am quite happy living within my means. I will admit it takes a lot of "paying your dues" to work your way up to my position, but our company definitely rewards you for your hard work. Many of our executives started off as interns, assistants and entry-level account executives.
I am allowed up to four weeks vacation every year. I usually don't take all of my vacation days, especially during busy periods at the office. I know it is better for me to take my vacation time to recharge, but I find it hard to completely disconnect. Even when I am not in the office, I'm checking e-mail, sending out updates, and delegating tasks. Next year I plan to take a luxury cruise with my wife--and leave my cell phone at home!
This is a true story as told to JustJobs.com, where you can find helpful career interviews and job search advice to break into the career field you've been looking at. Visit to find an interview in your desired field today.JustJobs.com is ajob search engine that finds job listings from company career pages, other job boards, newspapers and associations. With one search, they help you find the job with your name on it.Business executive job image from Shutterstock
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