1.01 Finance careers
This field includes those career opportunities that relate to making strategic decisions to report, obtain, save, protect, and grow the financial assets of businesses and individuals. Individuals working in finance must have strong computational, analytical, and interpersonal skills.
There’s a wide variety of jobs you can pursue in finance. Take a look at the following categories:
- Accounting
- Banking services
- Corporate finance
- Insurance
- Securities and investments
Let’s dig a little deeper into each category.
Accounting. Accounting encompasses careers that record, classify, summarize, analyze, and communicate a business’s financial information and business transactions for use in management decision-making. Accounting includes such activities as bookkeeping, systems design, analysis, and interpretation of accounting information. Accountants work in a variety of industries and may go by many names and job titles, including:
- Accountant
- Accounting clerk
- Auditor
- Bookkeeper
- Cost analyst
- Controller
- Tax accountant/preparer
- Government accountant
- Internal accountant
- Management accountant
- Public accountant
Banking services. Primarily concerned with accepting deposits, lending funds, and extending credit, banking services include cash management, short-term investments, mortgages and other loans, credit cards, and bill payment. Banking services are delivered via a number of different institutions, from commercial banks (the largest group) and other traditional means (savings and loans associations, credit unions, and local banks) to newer ventures through insurance companies, brokerage houses, and the Internet. Job titles in banking services may include:
- Financial manager
- Loan officer/counselor
- Credit analyst
- Trust officer
- Mortgage broker
- Acquisitions specialist
- Branch manager
- Relationship manager
- Financial planner
Corporate finance. The corporate finance function in a company is to manage policy and strategy for (and the implementation of) capital structure, budgeting, acquisition and investment, financial modeling and planning, funding, dividends, and taxation. A financial clerk may prepare bills and invoices for a company. A corporate treasurer oversees a range of financial activities, including risk management, investments, and cash flow. Learn more about this particular career by reviewing the information and accompanying video by Career One Stop Links to an external site..
Other job titles in corporate finance may include:
- Cash manager
- Capital budgeting specialist
- Capital expenditure manager
- Financial analyst
- Project analyst
- Project finance manager
- Treasurer
- Foreign exchange manager
Insurance. The insurance industry, which exists to protect individuals and businesses from financial losses, delivers “products” that transfer risk from an individual or business to an insurance company. There are many careers you can choose to pursue in insurance. Insurance agents sell policies and may specialize in certain types of coverage. Underwriters have many responsibilities, including calculating the risk of loss, establishing premium rates, and designing policies. More job titles you’ll find in the insurance industry include:
- Insurance broker
- Claims adjuster
- Compliance specialist
- Loss control manager
- Branch manager
- Financial planner
- Special investigator
- Benefits consultant
- Producer
- Product manager
Securities and investments. The securities and investments industry consists of brokerage firms, investment banks, and stock exchanges, all of which support the flow of funds from investors to companies and institutions. Related services include financial planning, asset management, mutual- or hedge-fund management, and custody services. A securities sales agent/broker trades securities for clients. Careers available in this field include:
- Financial consultant
- Investment banker
- Mutual fund manager
- Financial analyst
- Trader
- Financial planner or advisor
- Real estate developer