#BE – Finance

Tag: #BE – Finance

Job-search websites reviews

There are many job-searching platforms out there. Some are bigger, such as LinkedIn and Indeed, and some are smaller. Although using the bigger platforms is important to network, meet people, and build relationships, knowing about smaller platforms that are focused on specific niches can be to your advantage when looking for a job. In this article, I tried to find some of these smaller platforms to see what advantages there are about using them, why you should sign up for them, and if they are worth the money they ask for.

Ihire finance

If you are looking for a job in finance, IHire Finance is very directed towards finance jobs. On this platform, you will find job opportunities from Budget Analysts, Corporate Financial Consultant, Investment Banking Analyst, Equity trader, compliance managers, and even VPs of Finance. Although this platform focuses mostly on higher-paying jobs for more experienced people, I was able to find some entry-level jobs as well as even internships related to finance. While this platform offers a lot of very good information about the jobs and gives very useful insights, it does come with a cost. The cost to become a premium user for IHire Finance is $35/month and it comes with resume guidance, your resume will be highlighted to employers, a dedicated support team ready to assist you, and salary insights. If you are looking for a job in Finance, I would recommend signing up for this platform as it could be a good investment to find the best fitting job for you.

Link to iHire Finance website

Pathrise

If you really want some extra help in finding the best possible career in industries such as software engineering, marketing, data science, or sales, Pathrise offers a service in which you will be able to work 1-1 with a personal mentor that will help you focus on what you need to do in order to land your dream job. Based on their website, their service is free until you’ve already landed a position at a top technology company. Pathrise has both customers that have many years of experience and want to try to get a better job and customers that are right out of college and want to try to find the best fitting job for them. Although I personally didn’t try this service, it might be interesting to work 1-1 with an expert to see what they think you need in order to get to the next level and find the perfect job.

Link to Pathrise website

MarketingHire

MarketingHire is considered one of the best Job Boards for Marketing and Advertising Professionals. If you are looking for a job in Marketing or Public Relations, this free website is a great tool that you could use. Based on their website, companies like Microsoft, 3M, General Electric, Google, and many more posts their job offers on this platform. Applying to these postings on a smaller platform could differentiate you from other people. This website is useful for both higher-paying jobs and internships.

Link to MarketingHire website

SalesJobs

SalesJobs.com is a leading job board that works with more than 200 partner websites to promote job ads. It offers a wide array of useful resources, such as a resume database, candidate matching, and ATS integration. SalesJobs. com is helpful for someone looking for a sales job in the future, as it features opportunities for sales professionals in various industries and locations.

Link to SalesJobs.com website

Many other job searching platforms could be useful to find your dream job. Although I tried, finding the perfect one isn’t easy. The best thing to do is to try them out for yourselves, see if there are opportunities on some of these smaller platforms that you think could be good for you, and apply. Platforms like LinkedIn and Indeed are very important and you should always keep using them. However, having another way in through a smaller platform will show employers that you are looking for new ways, you are doing your homework and you are willing to be different than everyone else and go the extra mile to find the job you want.

If you have any questions about these platforms, or you would like to talk to me about more platforms that you found that could be useful for other students, please don’t hesitate to email me or schedule an appointment with me.

Oliver De Croock ’24, Student-Athlete at Lawrence University majoring in Economics and Data Science. Oliver works as a Career Peer Educator at the Career Center and is the President of the Lawrence University Business Networking Club. Connect with Oliver on LinkedIn.

Python: A Quick Intro

Adapted from futurelearn.com 

Python is an object-oriented (focused on data) that’s easier for people to understand because it’s also a high-level programming language. Because of how relatively intuitive it is to write and understand, it’s a widely used programming language and great for those who want rapid development. So what’s Python used for exactly? It’s used widely for a variety of things. Here’s a list of applications. 

AI and machine learning  

Python is quite flexible and simple to use and for a lot of machine learning and artificial intelligence projects. Python is widely used by data scientists and there are many Python machine learning and AI libraries and packages available.  

Data analytics  

Much like AI and machine learning, data analytics is another rapidly developing field that uses Python. We’re creating more data than ever before, which is why there’s a need for those who can collect, manipulate and organize the data and information. When working with large amounts of information, it’s useful for manipulating data and carrying out repetitive tasks because of its flexibility and of how easy it is to use. 

Data visualization  

Data visualization is another rapidly developing area of interest. Python provides a variety of graphing libraries with all kinds of features like Pandas Visualization and Plotly which allow us to create simple graphical representations or more interactive plots. The possibilities are vast, allowing you to transform data into meaningful insights.  

Programming applications  

A general-purpose language like Python can be used to read and create file directories, blockchain applications, audio and video apps, or machine learning applications.   

Web development  

There are many Python web development frameworks to choose from, such as Django, Pyramid, and Flask which have been used to create sites and services such as Spotify, Reddit and Mozilla. Extensive libraries and modules that come with such frameworks allow us to create functions like database access, manage content and authorize data.  

Game development  

While Python isn’t an industry-standard in game development, it is also still used. Because of its simplicity, it can be used to quickly develop a prototype.  

Language development 

Python has been used as a basis to create new languages such as Cobra, CoffeeScript, and Go. This makes Python a useful gateway language so understanding Python can help you branch out into other languages easily.  

Finance  

As previously mentioned, Python is great for working with big data sets and there are many libraries that compile and process information. For this reason, it’s becoming one of the preferred languages in the finance industry as it’s a valuable tool in determining asset price trends and predictions, as well as in automating workflows across different data sources. 

Search Engine Optimization 

While it’s surprising, Python is also used in search engine optimization. This field benefits from automation which Python is good at doing. Whether it’s implementing changes across multiple pages or categorizing keywords Python is helpful. Additionally, new technologies like natural language processing are important to those working on search engine optimization. Python can help develop these skills and understand how people search for results and how search engines return them. 

Design   

Python can be used to develop graphic design applications. It’s used with 2D imaging software like Paint Shop Pro and Gimp. It’s even used in 3D animation software like Lightwave, Blender, and Cinema 4D.  

As shown above, Python can be used for a variety of applications because of its wide support network and a diverse range of libraries. If this is a language that interests you, Lawrence offers certain introductory courses to Python like “Introduction to Scientific Programming” or you can use online course website like Datacamp and Coursera to do so. 

Career Spotlights: Banking

Banking can be a lucrative career for anyone in the business and entrepreneurship career community. However, there are many different types of financial institutions, each serving their clients in different ways and working in different areas of finance. Unsure on what kinds of customers you want to serve or what aspect of finance you want to work with? Here are some types of banks and organizations to help you see which one interests you the most.


Traditional Banks: Consumers deposit funds in checking and saving accounts. Most big banks in America like Wells Fargo, JP Morgan Chase, and Bank of America fit into this description. These banks are regulated by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) which insures deposits in banks against losses in bank failures to maintain economic stability.


Commercial Bank: They offer services to both personal consumers and businesses by making short-term loans to both groups. There is a lot of overlap between traditional and commercial banks as many of the traditional banks mentioned above operate as commercial ones by giving out loans.


Credit Unions: Credit Unions have members who can borrow from a credit union’s combined deposits at a low interest rate. They are typically non-profit and members are their shareholders. The National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) regulates and supervises federal credit unions.


Investment Banks: These types of banks help companies determine how much they should pay when buying another company, new ways to invest their profits, or advise companies on borrowing money. They also advise clients on selling stocks and bonds.


The Federal Reserve: The Federal Reserve or the Fed regulates banks and determines monetary policies to stabilize inflation, reduce unemployment and moderate long term interest rates. If you’re interested in working at the policy level when it comes to finance, working for the Fed could be an option.


Micro Credit: Typically, micro credit or micro loans are small loans given to people who don’t have collateral or a lot of money to pay back huge sums or interest. These loans are often used to encourage entrepreneurship and help people out of poverty. If you’re someone who is interested in combining your interest in finance with economic development, micro credit could be an interesting field for you.


Online/Virtual Banks: Banks that operate exclusively online and don’t have branches.

Raisa Fatima ’23 is a Physics major with interests in research and engineering. She enjoys painting, reading and playing games like Stardew Valley in her spare time. Raisa works as a Career Peer Educator for the BE and PHN career communities so if you’re interested in anything PHN or BE related, or you just need some general advice on anything professional development related like resumes, cover letter etc. you can schedule an appointment here.