Finance jobs offer good salaries and challenges, yet can also bring considerable stress and long working hours. Furthermore, this industry is often highly unpredictable.
Assuming you understand and share similar values and priorities, whether a career in finance is suitable for you will depend on what path is right for you. Before making your final decision, speak with an industry professional.
Careers
There are various careers available within finance that offer lucrative income, while others may provide more stable earnings. Finding your perfect one depends upon your individual personality and work style as well as what kind of job you seek.
One career option available to individuals is becoming a financial analyst, helping companies determine how best to invest their funds. This can be an ideal entryway into this field and eventually lead to more specialized roles at investment banks or other financial institutions.
As well as these careers, other occupations include auditor, tax specialist and credit analyst. Auditors review business financial records to ensure transactions are legal and legitimate while tax specialists assist individuals and businesses pay their taxes on time. Credit analysts analyze an individual or company’s finances to assess risk when lending money.
Economists specialize in studying the factors that affect an economy of any country or society, such as inflation and supply and demand. They may work at research labs, academic institutions or government agencies.
Education requirements
Finance jobs require experience and can be highly demanding. A great way to break into this field is with part-time or full-time internship, ideally while still in school. Furthermore, many finance professionals take additional courses and certifications in order to broaden their career options and expand upon those of previous graduates. A bachelor’s degree may be sufficient in some positions while master’s degrees could open doors to more senior-level roles.
Finance careers encompass jobs related to planning, services for financial and investment planning, banking, insurance and business financial management. It also encompasses roles like auditor, credit analyst and economist who research factors affecting society or nation economies like inflation or supply and demand – such professionals can work for government agencies, private companies or research labs; though these careers often carry heavy workloads with high stress levels they can also provide rewarding careers that often pay higher than other forms of employment.
Salary
Finance jobs offer competitive payscales that increase with experience, such as financial planners, personal financial advisors and management analysts. Some of the best-paying finance positions include financial planning, personal financial advisory services and management analytics roles requiring strong analytical abilities and attention to detail; along with an understanding of mathematical concepts.
Finance workers generally enjoy higher job security than workers in other fields, due mainly to its popularity among employers and employees alike. Furthermore, according to estimates by the Bureau of Labor Statistics business and finance occupations will continue to expand in future.
Finance jobs offer great earning potential, but they may not suit everyone. People who do not enjoy or tolerate consistency may find the work stifling; luckily there are other careers out there and finance jobs can also provide great options if someone wishes to relocate abroad.
Work environment
Finance professionals find work across a variety of industries and job settings. Nearly every organization, large or small, requires skilled financial professionals to oversee its budgets. Earning a degree in finance could open doors for careers as budget analyst, financial advisor, investment banker or portfolio manager or even chief financial officer.
Some jobs may require licenses or certification, such as being an insurance agent; an agent must pass a state exam in order to sell policies. While certification may not be mandatory in other areas, most employers recommend certification for various roles.
Finance jobs require highly specialized knowledge and are best suited to individuals who possess strong math and analytical abilities. Individuals considering finance as a potential field should carefully consider their long-term goals to assess whether this industry fits. Some popular finance careers include acting, financial planning, securities trading and quantitative analyst (aka “quant”). Furthermore, an advanced finance degree won’t guarantee you career advancement – interpersonal skills development will also be key in success!
