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How can I break into the compliance field?

Veteran

Dayron Alvarez Passaic, NJ

I am really interested in the financial compliance field. I have experience in credit analysis and portfolio administration but those fields do not interest me any longer. Any advice?

20 May 2015 14 replies Career Exploration

Answers

Advisor

Marlene Boychak Newark, DE

Social Media - LinkedIn is a good place to start. Connect with recruiters looking for people with your skills and have then market you resume. You will find a lot of resources available to you.

Advisor

Robert Jurasek Hollywood, FL

Hello Dayron,

A search of usajobs.gov, using keywords: "Financial, Compliance," returned 1,434 job announcements. By reading the Duties, and Qualifications Required, listed in the announcement, you may be able to get a better feel for the wide range of positions available, and the experience or education requirements for each position.

Once you find job titles of interest, then you can add geographic filters to search for job openings in your area. When conducting the search, be sure to check "Federal Employees" under "Who May Apply," as this will include applicants with Veteran status.

Thank you for serving and good luck with your job search!

Best regards,
Bob Jurasek

Advisor

Melinda Long West Des Moines, IA

Good Morning Dayron,

I am a risk and compliance recruiter for Wells Fargo and handle positions all over the US where we have major hub locations for Wells Fargo. If you would like to send a resume to my direct attention, I will review and we can schedule some time on our calendar to try and help you with your career path into compliance. I handle entry level and very senior level positions which will allow me to walk you through what a future may look like with a larger bank such as Wells Fargo.

My email: melinda.long@wellsfargo.com

Thanks,
Melinda (Mindy) Long

Advisor

David Leibowitz Short Hills, NJ

Dayton- I was a Compliance officer for 25 years, some as the global head of compliance in the financial services field. You seem to have skills suited for a compliance role. There are recruiters that handle Compliance openings- Robert Half being one, that you should contact. Also, several of the larger investment banks like JP Morgan, are hiring compliance staff, so you should contact their HR departments. Good luck!
David

Advisor

David Leibowitz Short Hills, NJ

Dayton- I was a Compliance officer for 25 years, some as the global head of compliance in the financial services field. You seem to have skills suited for a compliance role. There are recruiters that handle Compliance openings- Robert Half being one, that you should contact. Also, several of the larger investment banks like JP Morgan, are hiring compliance staff, so you should contact their HR departments. Good luck!
David

Veteran

Dayron Alvarez Passaic, NJ

@Ric, yes I would like to talk. Thank you everyone for your replies.

Advisor

Richter Yeske New York, NY

Dayron,

I work with our Compliance team on a daily basis and I have some other contacts from my past. Let me know if you would like to talk and if it would be helpful to put you in touch with some people in this role today.

-Ric

Veteran

Dayron Alvarez Passaic, NJ

Thank you for your responses. I really appreciate them.

Advisor

A. Andra Grava Allen, TX

As mentioned above the compliance world is becoming more important. While you have experience with one of the largest organizations in our industry have you thought of looking at smaller Broker/Dealers. The path for advancement will be quicker and less bureaucratic. There are several Linked In groups that post insurance and related executive positions but even networking with some BD execs at industry meetings could open some doors. FPA meetings in the NY area should be attended by not only planners but owners of firms that could use your talents.

Advisor

Cheryl Parks Milpitas, CA

Hi Dayron and thank you for your service! Have you considered working on the supplier side of the business? Iron Mountain is a great company to work for (my employer). The company has made a commitment to hire 100000 veterans and military personnel over the next few years.

Good luck to you and feel free to reach out if you'd like support/direction. Happy to help!

Cheryl

Advisor

Jerry Ballanco Hoboken, NJ

Hi Dayron,
Dodd-Frank has resulted in a surge of demand for compliance jobs in Financial Services. There is a ton of information on the rule and regulations if you do a Google search. I know JP Morgan Chase and Citi have openings and believe they have good dealings with veterans. You can use the free information to brush up on the concepts, perhaps dive into specific details that interest you, then look for matching positions.
Good luck!
Jerry

Advisor

James Walker Franconia, NH

I am NOT an expert in your field, however, my wife is a very experienced commercial lender and she indicates that smaller banks (community banks) have a great need for credit analysis and portfolio management. Her bank is looking right now for a position to fill in Northern New Hampshire.

So, you may want to explore opportunities with smaller, community banks. The big boys may have automated these functions or outsource it, but smaller banks still do all the analysis and leg work.

Veteran

Dayron Alvarez Passaic, NJ

Thank you Robyn, I really appreciate it.

Advisor

Robyn Warr New York, NY

Dayron,

First off, thanks for your service!

In terms of compliance, I think you could possibly transfer your skills in credit analysis into transactional analysis positions in the financial services world. This would involve review of reports/account activity for suspicious activity. Most organizations required previous experience in banking or financial services for these positions, with knowledge of compliance regulations. But if you focus on your analysis abilities and communications skills (written and verbal), this could be a help. This is usually the first step in the compliance ladder.

Good luck on your search!

Robyn

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