Career Guide Tips

With the financial market making rapid improvements, the range of jobs available is beginning to reach pre-crunch levels. For the well-trained applicant, having a diverse skill set will help you cherry pick the best jobs – a luxury that hasn’t been possible in recent times until now. The market is set to continue to grow, meaning that finance jobs will be in high demand, and the rise of smaller companies will give a variety to the types of jobs on offer. Depending on your own personal interests and areas of expertise, there is an ideal job in the financial markets available for you in 2012.

Analysts jobs may not seem glamorous, but many of these positions require an in-depth knowledge of financial markets, combined with other highly technical skills, all of which ensure that the job remains interesting and engaging. Financial analysts have to present to highly reputable clients and have to always be aware of costs in the markets. This range of skills means that financial analysts will see on average a four per cent increase in salary throughout 2012. In addition, if you have IT skills in areas such as financial accounting software, you are likely to be more secure in your job through any future recessions.

Additionally, financial law is proving to be extremely relevant in 2012, particularly with the Dodd-Frank legislation. Having a background in law as well as finance will help ensure that your job is interesting and extremely important to any company. Being able to advise clients of the ramifications of their legal or financial decisions will make you invaluable within a company, and your job will not only be secure, but well-paid.

Furthermore, dealing with a range of issues, many of which are high profile, means that there is no such thing as a “standard day at the office.” Instead, you’ll face something new nearly every day, proving that not all finance jobs deserve the label of “boring.”

Working in new or emerging industries presents a range of challenges for someone in a finance position. Whether it be working in emerging nations, such as Brazil or India, or in a new technology field, the challenges and demands of working without a template is inspiring for many finance professionals.

Many finance jobs in the emerging markets are well paid, and whilst they may have less job security than those in established markets, they represent a real challenge if you wish to test yourself. Plus, the fact that you can work in emerging markets for an established firm offsets a lot of the job security concerns and means that you’ll have a support network available along the way.

By Jesse R Wallace