Do you find yourself intrigued by stocks, bonds, financial markets and other investment vehicles? Do you also enjoy thinking about numbers? If you answered “yes,” then a degree in finance is certainly worth your consideration.
Finance, however, is known to be a fiercely competitive field to break into; after all, it offers high-paying jobs which are known to pay six- and seven-figure incomes plus bonuses for those who make it to the top. Even entry-level finance-sector jobs come with strong wage-earning potential when compared to other fields. In fact, the median annual wage for financial occupations is almost double the median annual wage of all other occupations.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment opportunities in business and financial operations is projected to increase by 10% in the decade leading up to the year 2026. Factors such as globalization, a complex regulatory and tax environment and a growing economy are expected to continue, leading to a high demand for auditors and accountants. There’s also a growing demand for market research analysts who are equipped to analyze data and market research and to evaluate marketing strategies.
Financial Career Opportunities
The finance industry is vast, offering a wide range of occupations. Although the entry-level position you obtain in the industry may not be your dream job, once you have your foot in the door, there are lots of opportunities to move around, evolve and find your niche. The hottest entry-level positions include analysts, financial advisors, auditors and tax associates. All jobs generally require, at a minimum, an undergraduate degree with math- and economics-oriented majors preferred.
Financial Services is a multifaceted industry, offering a wide range of career opportunities catering to a variety of interests and skills. It also has many sub-industries that include a variety of niche opportunities. Let’s look at some common career paths available in the finance sector.
Public Accounting
The public accounting field offers a substantial number of career opportunities. The duties of public accountants can include keeping track of financial for individuals and businesses alike by:
As an accountant, you would typically work in partnerships, beginning as a staff accountant. You could then advance through the ranks as an audit manager, then tax manager and then, with a lot of hard work, eventually become a partner in the firm.
Commercial Banking
Career options in the commercial banking sector include loan officers, operations and branch managers. Advancement opportunities could lead to positions in a bank's corporate headquarters, opening up a number of other niche career opportunities such as international finance.
Investment Banking
Investment banking offers some of the most glamorous—and intense—financial career opportunities within the financial sector. Positions in investment banking facilitate the issuance of corporate securities, making them available for purchase by investors, while also providing financial advice and trading of securities for both affluent individual investors and corporations.
Corporate Finance
Those who have corporate finance occupations find and manage the capital needed to run an organization while also reducing financial risk and maximizing corporate value. Corporate finance occupations are available in companies, both large and small.
More sophisticated positions involve acquisitions and merger activity, such as estimating the value of a business acquisition or establishing the value of a division for a spinoff. Additional corporate finance occupations include internal auditors, treasurers and financial analysts.
Hedge Funds
Careers in the hedge funds industry are considered by many to be mysteriously glamorous. These jobs allow you to buy and sell a wide variety of assets and financial products as you manage largely unregulated private investment funds. Typical jobs in the hedge funds industry include:
Venture Capital and Private Equity
Venture Capital professionals work mostly with startup companies or small businesses experiencing rapid growth. Venture capital firms evaluate companies before determining whether to make an investment. Venture capitalists put together deals that generally benefit the investor over the company receiving the funds. Although the failure rate is high, when successful, the rewards can be exorbitant.
Private equity professionals assist companies in finding capital for the running of current operations and future expansions, as well as, providing funding for various transactions such as restructurings and managed buyouts. A private equity position may require you to work as an interim executive for a company that is struggling, where your efforts can determine the fate of the organization.
Financial Planning
A job in the financial planning industry allows you to assist individuals as they plan for their present and future financial needs. A financial planner typically reviews financial goals in order to create individualized saving and investing plans, with a focus on investment growth, wealth preservation and/or estate and tax planning. Certified Financial Planners (CFPs) are in high demand.
Insurance
Insurance industry finance jobs—most with large insurance companies—help individuals and businesses anticipate potential risk and create plans to protect themselves from losses.
Financial Career Training at Geneva
Almost every company in practically any industry has a need for well-trained financial experts. Most financial jobs tend to be highly specialized, making it possible for you to find an exact niche and a specific job that fits your interest, experience level and training.
If you’d like to learn more about obtaining a degree in finance and any other professions that will enable you to serve wholeheartedly and faithfully in your life’s work or want to learn more about a biblically based, Christ-centered education at Geneva, we’d love to chat with you. For more information on how Geneva College can help you pursue your education goals, please phone us at 855-979-5563 or email web@geneva.edu.
Opinions expressed in the Geneva Blog are those of its contributors and do not necessarily represent the opinions or official position of the College. The Geneva Blog is a place for faculty and contributing writers to express points of view, academic insights, and contribute to national conversations to spark thought, conversation, and the pursuit of truth, in line with our philosophy as a Christian, liberal arts institution.
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