Finance

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What can I do with a Major in Finance?

Corporate and Public Finance

Job Types

  • 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

  • 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.

Banking

Job Types

  • 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

  • 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.

Insurance

Job Types

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

Employers

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

Strategies

  • 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.

Personal Finance Planning

Job Types

  • Sales
  • Customer Service
  • Operations
  • Portfolio Management

Employers

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

Strategies

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

Real Estate

Job Types

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

Employers

  • Real estate brokers
  • Commercial banks
  • Appraisal firms
  • Apartment and condominium complexes
  • Developers
  • Real estate investment trusts
  • Mutual funds

Strategies

  • 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.

Investment Banking

Job Types

  • 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

  • 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.

Money Management

Job Types

  • Research
  • Trading
  • Marketing
  • Portfolio Management

Employers

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

Strategies

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

Strategies for Placement in Finance

  • Quantitative skills are extremely important. Take additional courses in math, statistics, and accounting.
  • Many positions in finance require the ability to analyze and interpret data.
  • Develop strong interpersonal and communication skills. Cultivate an eye for detail.
  • Gain experience through internships, summer and part-time positions.
  • Read the Wall Street Journal and other financial news magazines to stay abreast of current events and to learn more about the industry.
  • Join student professional associations in the field of finance.
  • Several professional designations and licenses, e.g. Chartered Financial Analyst or Certified Financial Planner, are available to finance professionals working in a particular area. Earning these designations may help one obtain advanced positions.

Prepared by the Career Planning staff of Career Services at The University of Tennessee, Knoxville. (2005) UTK is an EEO/AA/Title VI/Title IX/Section 504/ADA /ADEA Employer

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