Entering financial markets right after completing our degree course is hard, unless you come from a top-tier business school or university. But, what about those who had graduated from comparatively less-renowned educational institutes? It’s not that you cannot succeed in the finance sector if you do not possess a degree from the best of universities and schools in the world.
One can still make it to the investment banking sector with a regular college degree, given that he is knowledgeable enough to understand the functioning of the markets, and possesses a few basic skills required.
Educational Background
Education plays a vital part in building your career in investment banking right from high school. However, the formal degrees that are considered most-apt for a career in finance include business studies, mathematics, finance, calculus, statistics, and economics. But, one must start preparing for his dream career in investment banking from high school.
The better your grades in high school, the brighter will be the probability of getting admission into an Ivy League College. And while studying at an ivy league school, you will get a lot of opportunities to network, and finding mentors. In fact, your teachers can provide for mentorship, and can guide you to a rewarding future career if you happen to build great relationships with them.
Even better would be to finish school while securing the highest of grades possible. Try to become the one who tops the batch with the highest percentage of marks. It will eventually help grab the attention of recruiters from top banks worldwide.
In the investment banking sector, companies look for the brightest of minds, and good grades will surely be reflective of that!
Career Options in the Financial Sector
Multiple segments of financial markets open before you to choose from after completing your degree in business, or finance.
Banking
Endless choices in terms of the role you would want to take up exist in the banking domain. They are:
- Customer services
- Trading
- The Treasury, also known as the foreign currency management
- Investment management
- The IT department
- Human resources
- Prevention of money laundering and sponsoring terrorists.
- Financial control
- Managing processes
- Compliance
- Legal work
- Accountancy
- Advisory positions
- Audit
- Transaction supervision
Insurance
In insurance domain of the financial sector, you can secure the following job roles for yourself being a fresh graduate. May be, you will need to apply for an internship role at first, if you happen to be a degree-holder from a regular institution, and not a top-tier business school.
- Legal advisor
- Insurance manager
- Compliance
- Underwriting
Financial Investments
The investment sector is full of opportunities for young finance graduates. One part of this segment of capital market deals with clients while other part shoulders administration duties and responsibilities. In either of the roles, you will be supporting customers and companies in your bank’s portfolio. You will be required to make market research on investment opportunities in the stock markets so as to provide expert advice to your clients who are usually big institutional investors. Investment risk management will come under your day-to-day tasks in this specific job role.
Credit Finance & Leasing
The job roles under this division of financial markets will comprise:
- compliance and regulations
- financial analysis
- customer service
- auditing
- credit risk assessment
- Administration
- legal counselling
- accounting
Career Opportunities in Industries Other than Banking
Non-banking organizations will offer you similar roles as what you were being offered in the banking firms. The difference you will witness while working in a non-banking institution is that they don’t accept deposits. Instead, they lend money and deal heavily in foreign exchanges.
