Breaking into Finance: Kenyon Alumni Rubin Miller '06 and Katherine Guerard '10 Share Advice on Resumes, Cover Letters, and Interviews

By Charlie Woolsey ‘19

In the world of finance, as in any profession, the way you present yourself as a candidate is critical to getting an interview and eventually to getting a job. Details as seemingly small as the formatting on a resume or sending a thank you note or email after an interview may play a role in distinguishing one candidate from hundreds and sometimes thousands competing for the same position. To find out more, I got on the phone with Rubin Miller ‘06 and Katherine Guerard ‘10, two Kenyon alumni who have firsthand knowledge of the finance industry’s hiring practices.

Rubin Miller is a Regional Director at Dimensional Fund Advisors in Santa Monica, California, a firm that provides strategic investment advice to professional financial advisors and institutions. After initially working in investment management in Chicago, Rubin received his MBA from the University of Southern California in 2015, and began working at Dimensional shortly after. Rubin primarily works in relationship management, helping financial advisors seeking evidence-based solutions for their clients. He is experienced in hiring and reviewing job applications.

Katherine Guerard is a Lead Training Specialist at FactSet Research Systems, a financial software and analytics company, whose solutions are used by professionals across the finance industry. After Katherine graduated from Kenyon in 2010, she was hired by Teach For America, where she assisted in the candidate interview process. She went on to join the FactSet consulting team in 2013 before moving to FactSet’s training team in 2016. Katherine’s role at FactSet allows her to see the finance world from a different perspective as FactSet serves the diverse needs of a variety of clients across the industry.

I asked Rubin and Katherine to tell me about what candidates can do to put forward a great resume, cover letter, and interview.

Resume

“A resume is just a tool to get an interview,” Rubin told me. It’s the first impression you give the reader, and therefore it should present the very best version of yourself. “You have to display some level of uniqueness. You have to be a competitive candidate. I want to see awards, what you did in college, and how you spent your time. Everyone I’ve met from Kenyon has something they can put on there that highlights their ability.”

The keys to a good resume are content organization, formatting, phrasing, and simplicity. Undergraduate resumes should never be longer than a page and should be aesthetically pleasing to the reader, who is likely to be reviewing hundreds of other resumes for the same position. Font, organization, and format should be simple, not fancy, but the language should be sophisticated. List your awards and accomplishments, as well as your GPA if it’s notable.

“I should be able to get a good idea of what your accomplishments are right away” Rubin told me. He emphasized that most resumes tend to be “dry and mechanical” and neglect to show off a candidate’s top accolades for fear of appearing too boastful.

Many students make this mistake unintentionally by listing only what they did, and neglecting to mention the results of their actions in their resume bullet points. This is often difficult to condense into a single page, however, according to Rubin, “You don’t have to spill all your secrets, or explain what the awards are [in great detail].” “You can’t lie, but you can certainly dangle fruit in front of resume readers, where they want more.”  

For companies that require a more technical background, such as FactSet, a substantial hard skills section is critical for further consideration. Katherine explained that it is important to research the company and position for which you’re applying, and ultimately determine the skills required for the job. If you don’t possess the skills necessary for the position, Katherine recommends taking classes to achieve proficiency before applying. This ultimately “shows someone that you care, [instead of] just saying that you do,” she told me.

Often, the strongest candidates distinguish themselves through avoiding common resume mistakes such as bad grammar, misspellings, or poor phrasing. Mistakes such as periods after some bullet points and not others are also common.

“You can make any job sound interesting...Use your peers and mentors to think through how to polish up [and] how to describe things,” Katherine said.

Students who are considering a career path in finance should first consult the Career Development Office’s resume guide and meet with a career advisor to create a polished document before reaching out to Kenyon alumni on the Kenyon Career Network (KCN) for input from an industry insider.

Cover Letter

While the resume provides the first impression, the cover letter is your opportunity to show your enthusiasm about the company and the position for which you’re applying. A cover letter should be no longer than one page, and should concisely highlight why you are a strong candidate. Most cover letters tend to be too formulaic and vague, which can suggest to the employer that the candidate is not very interested in the position.

Instead of using a template cover letter, research the company before writing out a unique letter for that position. This extra work will be noticeable in the final product.

“It’s worth dropping a little knowledge that you’ve done your homework,” Rubin said. However, it’s best to avoid going overboard with enthusiasm. “You have to find that perfect balance between showing that you’ve actually read what they’re looking for...but not acting like you were created for this role.”

To start working on a cover letter, consult this cover letter guide.

Interviews

There are two types of interviews every candidate should pursue: informational interviews and job interviews. Informational interviews can be requested by job seekers to learn about a sector of finance or a specific company. Through informational interviews, a prospective candidate can ask for more information on a company or industry, receive advice on applying or presenting oneself, and ultimately make a connection with someone working in the field. (For more on informational interviews, click here.)

A job interview is requested by the prospective employer after the candidate has submitted an application. An official job interview may seem more important, as it can lead directly to a job offer, but both instances require honesty, thoughtfulness, and etiquette.

In order to be successful in an informational or job interview, extensive preparation is essential. Interviewees should research the company and industry, and come up with specific questions based on that research.

“In investment management, you need to be versed about the company's philosophy and how it differentiates from competitors” Rubin told me. Similarly, it’s important to be able to articulate why you’re different as a candidate. “[In my job,] I paint a picture to clients why my competitors don’t do it as well as we do it. [Likewise,] what about your story as a candidate is compelling?”

Rubin also discussed how many recent college graduates feel the need to pretend that they are highly experienced and qualified in a job or informational interview. Instead, it’s better to do as much research into the field and the company as you can, then be as honest as possible with the interviewer.

“No one expects a 22-year-old to know about the workforce. I’m looking for honesty and integrity,” Rubin told me.

Being honest with your interviewers from the start, even if you might not be the most qualified candidate, can go a long way in building a strong relationship with a potential future employer. That honesty can be intimidating for candidates with liberal arts degrees competing against graduates from specialized finance programs or business schools. However, Rubin told me that a liberal arts degree is highly valuable, when you know how to sell it.

Every Kenyon graduate understands the value of a Kenyon degree, however, potential employers may need more extensive explanations of how transformative life on the Hill can be.

Rubin advised to present Kenyon in a way that allows the interviewer to understand in concrete terms why it’s special. Think carefully about how to describe Kenyon to people who don’t know the value of the small liberal arts experience and how small classes paired with interdisciplinary study have prepared you to engage in a multitude of different topics. In a field as competitive as finance, the way you describe your Kenyon education could be critical in setting you apart as a candidate. In terms of general skills that translate well to the workforce, Katherine emphasized that “being able to write, communicate, and research effectively are the key aspects of a Kenyon education that serve people well” long after graduation.

Ultimately, candidates who are gritty and eager to learn are the most highly desired of the college graduate bunch, according to Rubin.

“I want you to be intellectually curious because the job requires so much onboarding and investment at the start,” Rubin said. Every entry-level position involves a learning curve, and a potential employer wants to feel assured that the candidate in front of them has the energy and drive to commit to the company.

Becoming a good interviewee requires practice and preparation. Resources such as the Career Development Office’s interview guide may provide further advice and tips as to what to expect in more formal job interviews. There’s no substitute for getting advice from someone who’s working in the industry, though. Hundreds of Kenyon alumni, like Rubin and Katherine, are willing to help students prepare for the job market by connecting through the Kenyon Career Network (KCN).  Be sure to update your KCN profile before reaching out so alumni know a bit about you. Here is a social media professional profile guide to help you get started.