The best finance careers
Are you getting ready to embark on a career in the field of corporate or retail finance? If so, the timing is right. Capable professionals are in high demand as the global economy and corporate world continue to move from a labor-based to a service-oriented model. With the recent rise of digital currency, AI (artificial intelligence) in banking, fintech as an emerging sector in business, and other major developments in the field, there’s never been a better time to pursue a career in one of the many financial arenas.
Step one for succeeding is getting a college degree in a pertinent major. But even before classwork begins, it’s essential to figure out how to pay for an education. After school, consider some of the hottest and best paying pathways in the profession, including being a floor trader on a securities exchange, becoming a financial planner, working as a certified accountant, entering the hedge fund sector, and more. Here are some crucial details for anyone who wants to secure employment in finance.
Earn a four-year degree
Getting a degree in the financial field ironically calls for a few finance-related skills from the outset. In other words, before you can even take that first class, it’s necessary to arrange to pay tuition and other school expenses. That’s because paying for a four-year program and succeeding academically go hand in hand. The smartest way to begin is to work with an all-in-one website service that lets you find and apply for scholarships from a single platform.
Getting the money question out of the way early means you won’t have to worry about how to pay for next semester’s tuition. That way, it’s much easier to focus on earning top grades in the courses you have to take for four years. It’s also worthwhile to know that scholarships are not all-or-nothing affairs. Many applicants secure funding from numerous resources and are thus able to defray all or a portion of their total education expenses.
Floor trader on an exchange
Landing a job as a floor trader takes perseverance. Competition is stiff, and the openings are usually filled by people who have already served as interns. Begin by pursuing internships, paid or unpaid, that last about two months. After that, use the connections you’ve made on the floor to apply for full-time, permanent openings.
Financial planner
After obtaining a college degree, begin studying for the multi-part CFP examination. Certified Financial Planners do it all, so you can choose whether to work with individuals, small businesses, or larger companies. Expect to spend about a year studying for the exams and acquiring the necessary experience before earning the CFP designation.
Professional accountant and hedge fund manager
There’s a lot of overlap between finance and accounting, but many finance majors take CPA review courses after fulfilling the basic coursework prerequisites to sit for the CPA exam. After college, you’ll need about two years to build experience and study for the exam, which most people try twice before passing. You won’t need to be a CPA to work for a hedge fund, but it helps to have the in-depth experience of a sharp accountant to land hedge fund jobs in today’s competitive market.