5 Finance Niche Career Options to Choose From After You Graduate

There are many career options that you can succeed in as a finance graduate. Some financial sub-fields require you to have further specialized knowledge beyond your degree. If you are targeting any such field, you have to invest further time and financial resources to get the necessary qualifications.

Below are some career options you should consider in the finance industry:

1. Corporate Finance

A career in corporate finance will put you in the center of creating value for the company you work for and managing the risks of running a business.

Some of the tasks you will perform include:

• Steering and implementing the company’s financial strategy
• Forecasting growth, profit and losses
• Preparing business financial statements
• Key player in company audits
• Getting credit for your company
• Mergers and acquisitions

You can launch a career in corporate finance in companies of different sizes and in almost any sector either as a financial analyst, treasurer or even an auditor.

2. Commercial Banking

If you like being at the forefront of service delivery, a commercial bank will give you the kind of environment where you can interact with people from different walks of life.

Commercial banks offer financial products and services to the end user such as loans, bank accounts and credit cards. There are various departmental choices available in commercial banking such as marketing, credit and risk, customer service, sales and operations.

One of the most important attributes you should cultivate if you want to work in commercial banking is the ability to give solutions. For instance, if a customer is concerned about credit card security, offering a credit card with GE Visa Features gives the customer a solution.

3. Investment Banking

Investment banking is unquestionably one of the most exciting finance niche careers available. As an investment banker, you will deal with corporate securities investment whereby you will trade securities to interested parties who want to buy. You will also act as a financial advisor to private investors and corporations.

Some of the divisions available in investment banking include mergers and acquisitions and stocks trading.

4. Hedge Funds

As a hedge fund manager, you will buy and sell investment assets using private funds. Hedge fund jobs include:

• Trading
• Financial and quantitative analysis
• Compliance and regulations
• Marketing
• Portfolio management

5. Private Equity and Venture Capital

When dealing with private equity, you will be helping businesses find capital to expand and finance their operations. Your job will also involve getting funding for corporate buyouts or business restructurings. Often times, you might be called to sit on the board of a struggling company to help turn it around.

As a venture capitalist, you will work with small to medium sized companies where you help them to get funding from potential investors. To be a good venture capital professional, you have to be able to weigh risks and be willing to take them if you want to get good rewards.

Bottom line

Any career option you choose in the finance niche will give you a good income, but to truly succeed, you have to have interest and passion for the field you choose.

To find what you are interested in, you have to research, find the right company that offers the niche opportunity you are looking for and then pursue that opportunity.

About the author

Alfreda Kline has worked in commercial banking for 15 years. She is solution oriented and is keen to promote product features such as GE Visa Features, which add value to consumers. Read her views on her blog to learn more.