Meeting places
Steve Hemsley
Apparently 70% of jobs are never advertised, but are given to people because of who they know, says The Connect Programme. According to the outplacement company's managing director Phil Griffiths, "networking is the most important means to career development. There is another statistic banded about in the City that if you know five people you know the world." So if you're finding it tough moving up the career ladder, you might find the following organisations useful for cultivating networks
Career Focus
Contact: 020-7437 3337
website: www.amosltd.com
This specialist body, set up by diversity and recruitment training company Amos Recruitment and the Windsor Fellowship, links employers in the banking sector to graduates from black and minority ethnic groups. Sponsors include UBS Warburg, Goldman Sachs and Barclays Bank.
African and Caribbean Finance Forum
Contact: 020-7234 0345
website: www.acff.org
The ACFF was formed in 1990 by a group of banking professionals, to develop and advance its members' careers and make a positive contribution to the African and Caribbean community and the UK economy. It stages ethnic minority career fairs in London.
Women in Banking and Finance
Contact: contact.us@wibf.org.uk
website: www.wibf.org.uk
This body has been active since 1988 and was originally set up to encourage more women to take up banking as a career and to provide them with a support network. It has more than 700 members.
Aurora's Busygirl Network
Contact: 020-7908 8004
website: www.busygirl.com
This group is part of the Busygirl UK and pan-European corporate and entrepreneurial women's network sponsored by companies such as PricewaterhouseCoopers and HSBC. Its aim is the economic advancement of women through business and careers, and the website includes an online discussion forum.
SEO London
Contact: admin@seo-london.org
website: www.seo-london.org
Sponsors for Educational Opportunity London is a non-profit organisation that helps ethnic minorities gain a foothold in investment banking. It works with banks to recruit, select and mentor students from primarily African-Caribbean, Asian and oriental backgrounds.
UNIFI
Contact: 020-8946 9151
website: www.unifi.org.uk
UNIFI is the largest finance sector union in Europe. It is an important source of advice for anyone from a minority group who wants to or is already working in investment banking. The union has a network of regional offices covering the UK.
British Bankers' Association
Contact: 020-7216 8810
website: www.bba.org.uk
The British Bankers' Association represents the banking and financial services industry in the UK and is a useful point of contact for minority groups because of its links with government, the Financial Services Authority and key opinion formers, including the press.
Foreign Banks & Securities Houses Association
Contact: 020-7283 8300
website: www.fbsa.co.uk
The FBSA is the principal trade association for the foreign banking and securities community in the UK and offers job and networking opportunities. It was established in 1947 with the encouragement of the Bank of England, which wanted to maintain contact with the foreign banking community en bloc rather than on a bank-to-bank basis.
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