Finance Careers

If you enjoy working with money and numbers, there are many undergraduate careers in finance out there that may be suited to your interests. Finance careers often require a strong business background and good people skills. Types of finance careers include corporate finance, private equity, banking, insurance, financial planning and real estate. For most jobs you'll need an undergraduate degree.

Finance careers in commercial banking involve providing services to individuals and all types of businesses. Most employees start out in entry-level positions as tellers or credit analysts. Other finance careers in banking include mortgage banker and loan officer. For those looking to advance to management positions, branch manager is a popular choice. A branch manager oversees the operations of a bank’s branch. He or she oversees new accounts and loans and helps with customer issues. Most finance careers can be found in commercial banking.

Many finance careers also can be found in corporate finance. Corporate finance involves helping a company grow financially. You would help the company run its business and manage its money. Corporate finance careers are generally fairy desirable jobs because they allow people to work in teams and to travel. Those in corporate finance careers receive the satisfaction of knowing they helped solved a financial problem within their company. In addition, the pay is above average.

Some people may be surprised to know that the most rapidly-growing finance careers are in insurance. Due to the aging population, insurance is becoming more in demand. Insurance careers involve risk management. Those in insurance careers help individuals and businesses protect themselves in case of loss or death. They help clients with their insurance needs and fully explain policies that may fit their situations. There are several types of insurance, including, life, automobile, health and property insurance. The insurance industry not only offers finance careers, but also accounting, sales, management and customer service positions.

Finance careers in money management can be exciting. Money managers oversee stocks for clients and they use their intuition, as well as market trends, to determine when to buy and sell stocks. Some focus on securities and bonds, while others may specialize in small stocks and large caps (stocks in firms with a lot of capital). A strong background in portfolio theory and fixed income investments is highly recommended, as it is very difficult to get started in these types of finance careers. It is also important to learn the industry and start out in jobs with pension funds or insurance companies.