Professionals in trade finance typically work for large financial institutions, such as banks, and assist professionals in securing payments and managing risks associated with business partners. A trade finance professional, for example, could assist an exporter in establishing a letter of credit with an importer and ensuring that all business partners have sufficient cash flow to pay for required goods and services. Recruitment for trade finance jobs frequently begins in college. Students in undergraduate economics, finance, and accounting programs, for example, may speak with trade finance recruiters looking for promising young talent.
Graduate level trade finance recruitment takes place as well. Indeed, it is common to find trade finance professionals with master’s degrees in fields like international finance. This is especially true in more competitive job markets, where job candidates’ qualifications are often very high. Because trade finance is a global industry, there are more people in job pools with a diverse set of qualifications and credentials.
Trade finance recruitment is frequently handled by a human resources (HR) professional at a financial institution. The qualifications he or she looks for in new hires are largely determined by the organization’s culture and job openings. One finance investment firm, for example, may prefer to hire young professionals who aren’t fully qualified. A company may pay for these professionals to complete Certified Public Accountant (CPA) training in order for them to become certified. In some cases, companies will fund graduate education for new hires if executives believe it is beneficial.
Trade finance recruitment, on the other hand, may be geared toward senior professionals with years of experience. In these cases, instead of communicating with HR representatives, job candidates may communicate directly with executives. Professional networking is a common way for people to land high-level positions.
Because trade finance is a global industry, knowing multiple languages can be advantageous. When a financial institution recruits for trade finance, they may look for candidates who are fluent in the languages spoken in the countries where their companies do business. In most cases, you’ll need to know how to communicate in business English.
Interviews are almost always required as part of the trade finance hiring process. Job candidates who dress professionally and demonstrate a strong understanding of the inner workings of a financial institution are the most successful. A trade finance job candidate can prepare for an interview by learning about the various clients a financial firm serves as well as different aspects of the firm’s organizational culture, such as values and priorities.