Inside, you’ll find a breakdown of the different finance career paths available to students after graduation, as well as the salaries and other key benefits on offer for those entering the sector. You'll find out what makes finance a top career path, learn which skills you need to successfully navigate a career in finance, and uncover your prospects if aiming to begin your finance journey today.
Plus, we also provide key insights from career experts and business school alumni on how to launch your career in the sector, including advice from previous students now working with the likes of Citi, HSBC, and Wells Fargo.
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Careers In Finance: 5 Top Skills
1. Attention to detail
Investment bankers often present decks of 50 pages or more to their clients. Investment managers make buy or sell decisions based on in-depth investment analysis. Those in corporate finance must also pay close attention to their allocation of resources to ensure stability. Attention to detail is paramount for virtually all jobs in finance.
2. Analytical thinking
If you’re considering a career in finance, you’re probably already an analytical thinker. However, this is a skill that must be refined if you plan to embark on this career path. Whether your job involves dissecting financial statements or performing financial modelling, you need a strong grasp of fundamental theories and concepts to analyze effectively.
3. Communication
Finance professionals typically spend their days interacting with a variety of stakeholders, ranging from their own internal team members to highly influential clients. The ability to communicate in a clear and concise manner when pitching a new investment or summarizing a piece of analysis is integral in the day to day of a finance career.
4. Resilience
Different paths impose different demands: investment bankers must be able to handle frequent 2am finishes, while investment managers must navigate the complexity of working with influential and high net worth clients. Bouncing back from a challenging day is important for longevity in the financial sector.
5. Teamwork
The high stakes involved when carrying out a large deal or making an investment on behalf of a client means working in finance brings pressure. Dealing with that requires a collaborative effort and many of those working in finance today identify the need to be able to work in a team as one of the key skills required for success.
For more info about what it's like to work in finance, the perks and salaries you could gain, and tips on how to successfully land jobs in finance, download our BusinessBecause Careers In Finance Guide