Blog Post: Careers In Finance

A career in Finance can be very exciting and rewarding.  There are a tremendous number of avenues that can be taken.   There are opportunities in commercial banking, financial planning, financial analysis, accounting, as well as many others.  If you have decided to pursue a career in Finance, it is important to do your homework.  Think about the area you would enjoy and what fits your personality.   Many think that Finance is just number crunching.  There are definitely aspects of this, but not every career requires a lot of a number crunching.  For example, a consumer banker may look at the finances of his or her clients, but the level of analysis is very different from a financial analyst.   A consumer banker at a branch may look at bank account statements and loan documents to help a client determine the correct course of action.  The level of number crunching versus customer interaction may be low to moderate.   A key attribute of this job is customer service skills, and these skills may be used as much or more than number crunching.

On the other hand, a financial analyst may use financial information, such as the income statement of a corporation, to develop financial models.  He or she will spend a tremendous amount of time analyzing the numbers to understand them.  Analysis is generally high for this position.  There may be little to no customer interaction in this position.  Therefore, a person in this position should be very analytical

You should do your homework to determine what skills are needed for the financial job you want to pursue.  Some key skills in finance are analytical ability, organizational skills, financial software aptitude (e.g. Excel), and communication skills.  Some of the popular financial jobs are:

·    Commercial Banker

·    Financial Analyst

·    Consumer Banker

·    Financial Planner

·    Credit Analyst

·    Accounting Analyst

There are several other areas that a finance professional can go into.  Please do your research before deciding which area you want to pursue.  Determine the specific skills required for your chosen career.  Consider whether you have these skills and are willing to use them on a daily basis.