Jobs in financial institutions may vary depending on the type of financing the company handles. Whether a company is a bank, insurance company, or investment broker, dozens of different jobs may be available to people with accounting, investing, management, or customer service skills. Some of the most common types of jobs in a financial institution may include corporate officer positions, stockbroker or financial adviser jobs, risk management occupations, and administrative or service positions.
Corporate officers are the head honchos in a financial institution, tasked with keeping the company efficient and profitable. Jobs in financial institutions that might be considered corporate officer jobs include chief financial officer (CFO) positions and credit management jobs. Getting a job as a corporate officer is typically the result of many years of experience and successful performance in the industry; some financial personnel may spend more than a decade working their way up the corporate ladder to one of these lucrative and challenging positions.
Stockbrokers and financial advisers manage the portfolios of clients in an investment or banking company. In addition to a strong education background and a proven track-record of earnings, financial advisers need to have excellent customer service skills. Upper level advisers may handle the portfolios of entire corporations, whereas newer stockbrokers may work with individual clients and small businesses. Adviser jobs in financial institutions are a good choice for professionals who wish to blend their investment acumen with interpersonal relationships.
Many jobs in financial institutions are geared toward insuring that the company makes the right choices in terms of lending, investing, and insuring. Risk management jobs involve financial and market analysis that can dictate company policy and rates. In some cases, risk management workers may be assigned to a specific client or project, in order to formulate a comprehensive risk profile that will help determine the best plan for both the company and client.
A high percentage of the jobs in financial institutions involve administrative work or customer service. Loan officers, bank tellers, and front office personnel are all crucial to the day-to-day work of any financial company. Many future corporate officers or high-level managers begin their careers in these jobs, gaining in-depth knowledge of a business's fundamental duties and services. Many of these jobs are entry-level, meaning that little or no prior experience is required. Administrative and service jobs are a great way for newly qualified college graduates to break into the lucrative and interesting world of financial institutions.