Finance

Career Opportunities with a Major in Finance

Many jobs require a college educated individual. College graduates can use their education in a wide variety of occupations.

A career in finance offers many rewards: the opportunity to achieve financial success, a challenging and interesting business environment, and the satisfaction of a meaningful role in a dynamic field. Finance encompasses a broad spectrum of positions, including real estate, corporate financial management, investements, banking, insurance, and personal financial planning. A career in finance concentrates on the process of managing the funds of individuals, businesses and governments. Career opportunities are available in the fields of managerial finance and the financial services industry. The field of managerial finance deals with managing the financial affairs of businesses and governments and includes such activities as budgeting, financial forecasting, cash management, credit administration, investment analysis and funds management. Careers in the financial services industry include positions in banks, savings and loans, other financial institutions, brokerage firms, insurance companies and real estate. The most dramatic increase in career opportunities is in personal finance planning, where professionals are needed to provide advice to consumers on the management of their persnal financial affairs.

SKILLS RELATED TO FINANCE

• Ability to organize, analyze and interpret numerical and financial data

• Sound decision-making abilities

• Aptitude for accurate detail

• Proficient in oral and written communications with ability to explain complex financial transactions and data to others

• Knowledge of financial and economic history, practices, and trends

• Knowledge of economics and accounting in addition to finance

The following list is a representative sample of job titles for individuals with a finance major. The list represents some, but certainly not all, careers which finance majors may consider.

Some of these jobs also require education beyond a bachelor's degree.

EMPLOYERS IN FINANCE

• Advertising Firms

• Airlines

• Banks

• Colleges/Universities

• Computer companies

• Engineering firms

• Government agencies

• Hospitals

• Insurance companies

• Investment firms

• Manufacturing firms

• Private industries

• Professional journals

• Research firms

• State/Local grant agencies

• Utility companies

WEB SITES RELATED TO FINANCE

Metro State Department of Finance Website

• Accounting

• Associations Unlimited

• Bloomberg.com

• Career Bank

• Careers In Business

• Career Guide: Financial Planners & Business Managers

• Financial / Accounting / Insurance Jobs Page

• Finance Center

• FinWeb

• FinanceNet

• Financial Job Network

• Financial Jobs

• International Monetary Fund

• Jobs In the Money

• United States Senate Committee on Finance

• Yahoo! Finance

PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS IN THIS FIELD

• American Finance Association

  http://www.afajof.org

• American Financial Services Association

  http://www.americanfinsvcs.com

• Association for Financial Professionals, Inc.

  http://www.afponline.org

• Colorado Treasury Management Association

  http://www.ctma.org

• Information Systems Audit and Control Association

  http://www.isaca.org

• The Financial Planning Association

  http://www.fpanet.org

The above information is collected from alumni surveys of numerous colleges, professional associations, and multiple print and online resources.