University students who pursue degrees in the field of finance are almost guaranteed to find jobs as analysts, underwriters, and account executives. These careers are centered on what is known as corporate finance, and they are generally offered by banks, investment firms, and multinational enterprises. We can refer to these positions as being the bread and butter of the financial industry, but they aren’t exactly the kind of jobs that you would get excited about.
Any rookie financial analyst will tell you that their line of work is not necessarily fun. Account executives tend to enjoy more freedom; furthermore, they may work with clients whose profiles make them more interesting, but this is still a career with a high rate of burnout. As for underwriters and compliance specialists, the most fun they encounter is when legislators and financial regulators introduce new and unusual rules.
Working in the financial industry does not have to be a dull affair. There are more than a handful of fun and interesting career paths where your financial, analytical, and organizational skills will be highly valued. The four jobs listed below are not exactly linked to corporate finance, but they are certainly a lot more interesting than crunching numbers, running forecast scenarios, and filing compliance reports:
Managing Director
You will not be able to land this job upon graduation; becoming a managing director takes time because you are expected to have achieved a certain level of expertise in various fiduciary activities. Pursuing an additional law degree will certainly help, and it can provide a considerable boost in terms of compensation. Managing directors at investment banking firms rarely experience dull moments in the course of their duties; they are essentially in charge of advancing the industry, and their decisions can often turn the direction of the financial markets.
Entertainment Finance
The Hollywood film industry runs on money. Movies do not get made unless they have the right financing in place, and this requires the involvement of professionals who can provide investors with a detailed breakdown on how well the project can turn out. In other words, financial professionals in the entertainment sector are skilled in generating return-on-investment (ROI) reports. All the same, those who are in charge of entertainment finance are often expected to work with accountants and bookkeepers who manage the day-to-day cash flow of production projects.
Forensic Accounting
An accounting degree is not a hard requirement to enter this field; you can get started shortly upon getting a general degree in finance, but you have to take the first step by applying to the law enforcement agency. When you start working in forensic accounting investigations, your duties will be similar to those of rookie corporate analysts. As you gain more experience, you will be assigned to more complex projects that may end up with the prosecution of terrorist groups and organized crime families.
Economic Researchers
Many finance degree holders complement their higher education with graduate programs geared towards investigation at the macro and microeconomic levels. If you are familiar with the Freakonomics book series and podcast, you know that economic research involves consumer psychology and trading behavior, which are topics of great interest to those who work in finance.
Author Bio – Mashum Mollah is a Fintech entrepreneur and passionate blogger. He is on a mission to help small businesses grow online. He shares his journey, insights and experiences at Finance Team. If you are an entrepreneur, marketing professional, or simply an info-holic, then this blog is for you.
