Follow5 Top Careers in Finance
- Investment Banking
- Trading
- Financial Analyst
- Financial Adviser
- Financial Media
Careers in finance can be as varied as the individuals who enter the field. A fast-growing and lucrative sector, finance offers many opportunities including those in the careers discussed below.
1. Investment Banking
Global investment banks are among the top employers in this sector, but they are by no means the only ones. A career in investment banking could also involve working in smaller boutique banks or even multinational companies that act similarly to banks because of a focus on mergers and investments. Investment bankers usually specialize in a certain area such as venture capital or private equity. Among careers in the financial sector, investment banking is one of the most demanding, but it can also be one of the most financially rewarding.
2. Trading
Trading is another one of the high stress, high reward financial careers. Traders buy and sell investments including commodities, currencies and stocks. The types of places that may employ them include banks, hedge funds and asset management firms. For very successful traders, the career path may include eventually creating their own hedge funds. The most successful traders are often people who are passionate enough about the field that they tend to spend a great deal of their off time reading about and analyzing markets.
3. Financial Analyst
Financial analysts may work in a bank or another financial company, but they may also work at companies outside of the financial sector. At financial organizations, the job usually involves advising portfolio managers and traders about investments. At other types of companies, the financial analyst usually focuses that analysis on the business itself, its investment and its budget. Financial analyst may be a good job choice for a person who enjoys working with mathematical models and analyzing investments who would prefer to not work with the public. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts above average growth in the area of financial analysis over the next decade.
4. Financial Adviser
A financial adviser performs some of the same analysis as a financial analyst, but in contrast to most financial analyst positions, financial advisers tend to work with the public to discuss how they should manage their investments, budget and plan for retirement among other tasks. Furthermore, while many finance careers require a person to reside in a large city, a person may work as a financial adviser in a variety of different geographical areas. Forbes reports that openings for 40,000 new financial advisers are expected to open up in the next decade. A career as a financial adviser may be the right choice for someone who is looking for a flexible and less competitive job in the financial sector.
5. Financial Media
People may move into this hybrid of journalism and finance from either field. This is an excellent finance sector career for people who are good communicators in addition to being passionate about finance. Skill in explaining complex topics is essential. People who work in financial media might build a substantial and lucrative career through blogging, vlogging and other technology. They might also work as television commentators, or they may primarily do in-house communication at large financial institutions.
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Most finance jobs require at minimum a bachelor’s degree in a related field. With so many career paths to choose among, an individual can easily find a job that offers the degree of security or volatility and challenge desired.
