LITUANUS LITHUANIAN QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES   Volume 31, No.2 - Summer 1985 Editor of this issue: Antanas Klimas ISSN 0024-5089 Copyright © 1985 LITUANUS Foundation, Inc.

MONEY JOBS!

Marti Prashker and S. Peter Valiūnas Crown Publishers, Inc., 1984 $7.95, soft cover

This is a publication on careers in the financial services market. Although the major concentration is on the jobs and training programs in the financial sector, it is also a valuable guide to any college graduate seeking his or her first career position. The authors combine a thorough investigation of the professions and their own personal experiences into a unique book that forms the bridge from the completion of academic studies to the entry into a career path in the commercial environment.

The first part of the book is a guide to the process of finding and acquiring a job. This part takes a general approach and is applicable to any career position. A preparation phase is described, integrating course work, extracurricular activities and sources of leads into an action plan for the job-seeking activity. The topics of resume writing and personal interviews are covered from the viewpoint of the expectations of the interviewer, resulting in sound guidelines for the first time job seeker. The resume preparation is particularly well done. This is usually a difficult step for the job seeker and the suggested accent on responsibilities and results is very appropriate.

The second section, which covers the jobs and training programs in the financial services market, forms the major portion of the book. The market segments of commercial banking, investment and securities houses, accounting firms, insurance companies, as well as the new financial hybrids are described. The overviews of each market segment present the basic services that are provided, the interaction of the institutions with the business community, and the general functional structures found in these institutions. For each market segment, the major participating companies are described. There are over 150 descriptions of individual companies, giving their basic business, the types of training programs and such helpful information as entry level salary ranges. This section shows a significant amount of research in compiling the specific career opportunities in the numerous companies described.

It would have been helpful to career-seekers if the book contained a better explanation of the expected career paths in the industries and companies that are described. The process of selecting the proper industry and training program can best be evaluated through an understanding of the direction and potential of the career paths that they represent.

This book is an excellent guide in helping the college graduate to make the first transition into a working career. It is of specific value to those seeking financial and business careers, but it also contains substantial general interest topics applicable to any type of profession.

Arvydas Tamulis