December 29, 2009

Wall Street has undergone a radical face lift this year, but finance industry recruiters are expected to stick to roughly the same formula when looking to fill entry-level positions with college graduates in the future.Wealth management, investment banking and research are expected to see a hiring surge in the coming years, according to Joseph Logan, founder and managing director of Pinnacle Group International, a New York executive recruiting firm specializing in the financial services industry.

"A strong background in accounting plus financial [knowledge in] evaluation is the key—and being well-rounded will help a lot," says David Smith, an associate professor at the McIntire School of Commerce at the University of Virginia who specializes in corporate finance and banking. Strong social skills and the ability to think creatively are important to round out more technical and quantitative talents.