Area

Employer

Information/Strategies

Sub-Area:

• Financial Analysis
• Cash Management
• Credit Management
• Budget Analysis
• Investment Management
• Investor Relations
• Financial Reporting
• Payroll
• Benefits
• Real Estate
• Risk Management

Employers:

• Private businesses of all sizes and types
• State and local government entities
• Federal agencies including:
  • Internal Revenue Service
  • Treasury Department
• Schools and universities
• Non-profit organizations
• Foundations
• Hospitals

Strategies & Information:

• Complete a related internship.
• Develop strong computer skills, including spreadsheets, databases, and presentation software.
• Sharp analytical skills are crucial in this industry.
• Earn an MBA to reach the highest levels of corporate finance.

Sub-Area:

• Corporate Credit Analysis
• Commercial Lending
• Trust Management
• Capital Services and Mergers & Acquisitions
• Mortgage Loans
• Originations and Packaging
• Branch Management
• Operations
• Cash Management
• Credit Scoring and Risk Management
• Private Banking

Employers:

• Commercial banks
• Credit unions
• Savings and loan associations
• Savings banks
• Mortgage banks
• Captive finance companies
• Regulatory agencies including:
  • Federal Reserve, FDIC, OCC, OTS

Strategies & Information:

• Develop a solid background in business including marketing and accounting.
• Get experience through part-time, summer or internship positions in a financial service firm.
• Develop strong interpersonal and communication skills in order to work well with a diverse clientele.

Sub-Area:

• Claims Analysis
• Underwriting
• Risk Management
• Sales
• Actuarial Science
• Loss Control

Employers:

• Life insurance firms
• Property and casualty insurance firms
• Commercial banks
• Savings banks

Strategies & Information:

• Complete an internship with an insurance agency.
• Talk to professionals in the industry to learn more about claims, underwriting, and risk management. Many good, entry-level positions exist in these areas.
• Initiative and sales ability are necessary to be a successful agent or broker.
• Develop strong communication skills, as many positions require interaction with others and the ability to explain information clearly and concisely.
• Take additional statistics classes to prepare for a career in actuary science. Prepare to take the first in a series of actuarial examinations.

Sub-Area:

• Sales
• Customer Service
• Operations
• Portfolio Management

Employers:

• Brokerage firms
• Trust companies
• Financial partnerships
• Multi-line insurance firms
• Sole practitioners

Strategies & Information:

• Gain experience in sales.
• Demonstrate a highly motivated and entrepreneurial personality.
• Research how one obtains the Certified Financial Planner (CFP) designation.
• Develop a solid personal network.

Sub-Area:

• Residential Brokerage
• Commercial Sales
• Appraisals
• Property Management
• Real Estate Portfolio Management

Employers:

• Real estate brokers
• Commercial banks
• Appraisal firms
• Apartment and condominium complexes
• Developers
• Large corporations: real estate departments
• Real estate investment trusts
• Mutual funds

Strategies & Information:

• Obtain sales experience through part-time, summer or internship positions.
• Research how to become a real estate broker through the National Association of Realtors.
• Develop an entrepreneurial spirit.
• Research apprenticeships in appraisal.

Sub-Area:

• Corporate Financial Analysis
• Mergers and Acquisitions
• Equity and Debt
• Underwriting
• Institutional Bond and Equity Sales
• Retail Bond and Equity Sales
• Business Valuation
• Business Sale Transactions
• Currency Trading
• Derivatives, e.g. options
• Trading
• Venture Capital Fund Management
• New Venture Analysis

Employers:

• Investment banking firms
  (Changes in laws have created a fluid situation in this industry; Mergers and acquisitions continue to take place.)
• Financial services firms
• Insurance firms
  (The Gramm Leach Bliley Act of 1999 allowed financial services firms to acquire or build investment banking subsidiaries and vice versa.)

Strategies & Information:

• An M.B.A. is required to move beyond the entry-level analyst position in investment banking. Investment banking is highly competitive.
• Be prepared to work many hours of overtime per week, start at the bottom, and pay your dues.
• Develop strong analytical and communication skills.
• Cultivate personal ambitiousness.
• Obtain a Series 7 License for both institutional and retail broker sales positions.
• Work toward the CFA designation.

Sub-Area:

• Research
• Trading
• Marketing
• Portfolio Management

Employers:

• Portfolio management firms
• Commercial banks
• Investment banks
• Federal Reserve banks
• Insurance firms

Strategies & Information:

• Most positions require an advanced degree in economics, finance or business and many years of financial experience.

Sub-Area:

• Corporate or Government Including:
  • Financial Management
  • Financial Reporting
  • Cost Accounting
  • Tax Planning
  • Research

Employers:

• Companies of various sizes, in all industries
• Federal agencies and departments including:
  • Federal Bureau of Investigation
  • Internal Revenue Service
  • Department of the Treasury
  • Office of Management and Budget
  • Securities Exchange Commission
• State and local agencies

Strategies & Information:

• Sometimes opportunities in accounting exist in government and corporate settings for finance students.
• Take more than the required amount of accounting classes to supplement finance curriculum.
• Maintain a strong g.p.a.
• Complete an internship in a government agency and become familiar with the government application process to work in the public sector.