Careers in Financial Management

Finance and accounting are central to corporate activities. Finance executives oversee the flow of income and expenditures, and are the cash architects of a company’s strategic plans for the future.

What’s this career about?

Finance managers help individuals and companies develop plans that will ensure their present and future financial stability. They review a client’s financial goals and generate an appropriate plan for saving and investing that fits the client’s individual needs. The plan may focus on wealth preservation or investment growth and may even include estate and tax planning.

Typical duties include reviewing financial reports, monitoring accounts, and preparing activity reports and financial forecasts. Financial managers also investigate ways to improve profitability, and analyze markets for business opportunities, such as expansion, mergers or acquisitions.

The role of the financial manager, particularly in business, is changing in response to technological advances that have significantly reduced the amount of time it takes to produce financial reports. Now they spend less time producing financial reports and more time conducting data analysis, planning and strategizing, and advising senior managers and top executives. They often work in teams, acting as business advisors to top executives.

These managers are highly valued for their aptitude in research and critical thinking, and their excellent communication skills come in handy when preparing assessment reports or explaining complex financial ideas to clients.

They are called by different names like financial advisor (with certification), financial analyst, financial consultant, financial manager, but the work profiles are more or less the same.

How do I get there?

There are various options available in the courses of study. A bachelor’s degree in business administration, finance, accounting, economics or a related area is the minimum requirement to enter this field…

PLUS!

• How do I get there?
• Key skills
• Institutes offering Insurance training
• Employment prospects and pay packages

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