Year after year, finance is one of the most sought-after roles on any campus! It continues to remains in the top three preferred domains across B-schools in India. Let us take a look at some of the reasons why students choose finance, what are its benefits and how can you prepare for a finance profile in a B-School. We will also take a look at the different career options and roles within the finance domain. Read more to find out.
Reasons For Students To Choose Finance
1. One can start working in a finance role, as it opens a plethora of opportunities in the future. After working for 3-5 years in finance, one can easily switch to a consulting, PEVC, or even a General Manager role.
2. Working in finance can often be industry agnostic. Finance companies generally have a multitude of clients and hence you could be working in a sector that lines up with your interests.
3. And finally, finance appeals to the logical side of people. Since everything in finance is logic-based, it is easy to grasp. Moreover, it is universal and makes you relevant in any industry since it is often considered a necessary skill set to possess.
Now, the most common concern amongst a majority of B-school students who are engineers is whether there is an inherent disadvantage of having an engineering background and wanting to pursue a career in finance. This worry is irrational because recruiters often value diverse backgrounds. Engineers bring in a different perspective and may come with a rich skillset such as experience in coding, which often gives them an edge. This can especially be seen for certain roles in the FinTech domain.
As a result, one may ask, how to prepare for a finance profile? The simple answer to this question is to show intent on your CV. You can prepare for a finance profile by:
1. Pursuing certifications such as CFA, FRM, or even NISM which shows an inclination towards finance.
2. Past work experience, internships, or live projects in a finance company, even in an IT role, can help in sending this signal to recruiters.
3. Become a member of the Finance Committee of your college.
4. Get practical finance experience in the form of live projects.
5. Participating and winning finance case competitions
6. Choosing and excelling at finance electives.
These are a few ways you can show your intent towards the domain and stand out in your CV.
What Next?
Once you do get a shortlist, the next step is how you handle your interview. More often than not, the way your interview will proceed is determined by the way you introduce yourself. You should be prepared with details about the company and industry you are interviewing for. Also, it is always handy to know about any one industry in-depth. You should also have a stock pitch ready which indicates your knowledge and that you are updated with things around. In some cases, you may be even asked to solve small case studies and thus you need to be prepared.
CAREERS IN FINANCE
There is a multitude of finance roles offered across B-schools. This includes not only core finance but others as well.
- Core finance: This is generally the most well-known type of role and includes recruitment in the fields of Investment Banking, Equity Research, Corporate Banking, and Private Equity.
- Financial consulting- This hybrid role requires you to only know the basics of finance in order to implement those in your project. Work in the domains of financial planning & management such as cash flow planning or improving financial operations or systems of the company can be expected here.
- Credit or risk analyst: In this role, one would be required to analyse what kind of an impact major events like Brexit/covid might have on the company or client. Calculation of credit and treasury risk along with how to reduce risk exposure is expected.
- Finance leadership programs: The most underrated roles in terms of providing a good work-life balance can be found in the corporate finance department of an FMCG or e-commerce company which also provides good growth opportunities.
- Fintech/IT: Finally, the number of roles in the Fintech space has seen remarkable growth and is suitable for those with expertise in technology.
Hope you will find this helpful, All The Best!
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