Million Signatures

Archive for January, 2010

If you are a newly graduate, your ideas about the world are still naïve. You might still be dreaming about the land of the happy ever after. But you have to perform a reality check if your goal is to obtain a finance career.

This may be one of the hardest jobs there is. This involves everything in relation with mathematics which most people love to hate. You are also required to analyze the market. You also need to develop your problem solving skills.

Problem Solving Skills

You need not fear the thought. This doesn’t mean that this industry is that problematic that is why you are getting this advice. But it is better to be prepared for the worst. So that when a problem presents itself to you, you will no longer be surprised and you will know what to do.
Every day in the finance industry will pose a challenge for you to decide on. All you have got to do is pause and analyze things over and over again. Do not fear to take the risk if you have to. And choose the best option for you according to what both your heart and mind say.

Adult Coach

To succeed in this field, it is also recommended to have an adult to serve as your coach. This person should present as a model that you can pattern your career path from. Choose somebody who will accept you. That somebody should be wise in terms of knowledge. But they should also be wise enough to agree to share on that brilliant knowledge for starters like you.
A mentor will be helpful especially if you don’t have any idea at start on where to go and who to ask. You will be lucky to find one who will be generous with such knowledge in the industry that may guide you to your own success. Read the rest of this entry »

Those who are good with numbers may have future careers in finance. This is because most businesses need talented individuals who can manage and at the same time administer money that was entrusted to them in order to post a profit.

But can anyone do it? The answer really depends on the person. In order to get a head start, you need to get quality education. After secondary school, you need to go to college and graduate with a bachelor’s degree in accounting, economics, finance, math or statistics to learn the fundamentals used in the corporate world.

When you graduate from college, you can apply for work in a bank, in a credit agency, insurance, sales or securities.

For those who choose to work in a bank, they will often have to start out as a trainee then be promoted to either approving loans or selling financial services to clients. Some examples of these include bank transfers to financial management.

Credit agencies just like banks offer similar services to clients. The only difference is that their policies with regards to lending are more flexible thus making them friendlier to potential clients.

With healthcare being so expensive, people need insurance coverage and after getting your license, you can go out there and sell these to potential clients.

How can sales jumpstart your career in the world of finance? Simply because people buy things and if these cost a lot of money, someone with your skills can help them plan how they can pay for it. Examples of these include a new home or even a car.

Securities is another field you can get into because the purchase and sale of bonds and stocks increases the value of the client more than keeping money deposited in the bank.

But in order for people to excel in this field, they have to overcome another hurdle and that is to complete graduate school. Why? Because the market is very competitive and there are always new trends and methodologies being discovered that makes you a better professional.

A lot of experts say that a future career in finance also requires a few personal skills. The most important is “people skills” because you will be working with colleagues and dealing with different clients.

You will have to be resilient because when you pitch a sale and things don’t work out how you planned, you have pick yourself up again and be optimistic about the next client that comes your way.

It will also be challenging especially when you will need to work beyond regular hours on occasion to meet the deadline or have a night out with a client. This means you have to be committed if you plan to stick to this career in the long term.

The financial services sector has been growing even before the attacks of 9/11 and will continue to do so in the foreseeable future. Again this path is not meant for everyone but if you are good with numbers and are a people person, you may just have what it takes to excel in this profession.

If you are still unsure, look at your grades in math and talk with your guidance counselor. This person will be able to point you in the right direction then it is up to you whether or not you believe that you have a future career in finance.