Why Pursue A Career In Finance? And What To Consider Before You Start (2024)

By Matt Whittle

Individuals with analytical minds and strong attention to detail make good candidates for in-demand careers in finance. This field offers many roles beyond trading on the stock exchange floor, though many positions still include financial forecasting and investments for businesses and clients.

As the finance and tech worlds overlap more, professionals in these sectors can maximize returns on investments for individuals and organizations. This guide explores whether finance is a good career path, including salary data for finance jobs, projected employment growth rates and answers to frequently asked questions.

The Benefits of Working in Finance

Finance degree jobs can provide relatively high pay, stability, opportunities for advancement and consistent demand projections. Careers in finance may also offer flexibility for employees by allowing them to work remotely or in hybrid environments.

TheU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics(BLS) projects that business and finance jobs will be in demand from 2022 to 2032, with 911,400 openings on average each year. Certain roles within finance, like financial examiner, are expected to grow over six times faster than the rate for all occupations nationwide.

Finance professionals also earn above-average salaries. BLS data indicates that personal financial advisors earned a median annual income of nearly $95,390 as of 2022, more than double the median annual salary for all occupations nationwide. Financial analysts—among the most common careers in finance—earned a median annual salary of $96,220.

In fact, the BLS reported relatively high pay for business and financial occupations overall. These professionals earned a median annual salary of $76,850, or about $30,000 more than the median annual wage for all jobs in the United States.

Cutting-edge developments at the intersection of finance and tech (fintech) allow finance professionals to stay up to date in an evolving field. The need for knowledgeable workers to assess investment opportunities will continue to drive demand for careers in finance.

Finance professionals can also pursue advanced roles in the field to take on more responsibilities and increase their pay. With more education, experience or certification in specific areas of finance, professionals can work infinance degreejobs as portfolio managers, chief financial executives and senior financial analysts.

Read the full article here: https://www.forbes.com/advisor/education/business-and-marketing/careers-in-finance/

Why Pursue A Career In Finance? And What To Consider Before You Start (2024)

FAQs

Why Pursue A Career In Finance? And What To Consider Before You Start? ›

Individuals with analytical minds and strong attention to detail make good candidates for in-demand careers in finance. This field offers many roles beyond trading on the stock exchange floor, though many positions still include financial forecasting and investments for businesses and clients.

How to answer why do you want to pursue a career in finance? ›

Tips to answer "Why do you want to pursue a career in finance?"
  1. Showcase your passion. ...
  2. Highlight your analytical skills. ...
  3. Discuss the impact. ...
  4. Emphasize the challenge. ...
  5. Show your understanding of the industry. ...
  6. Link it to your skills. ...
  7. Highlight the potential for continuous learning. ...
  8. Discuss the potential for growth.
May 8, 2024

Why am I considering a career in finance? ›

Finance degree jobs can provide relatively high pay, stability, opportunities for advancement and consistent demand projections. Careers in finance may also offer flexibility for employees by allowing them to work remotely or in hybrid environments.

Why did you choose to major in finance? ›

A finance degree can open doors to a broad range of dynamic professional opportunities — often with high earning potential in diverse industries. Finance majors learn fundamental business skills that can translate to careers in a variety of organizations in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors.

Why would someone be passionate about finance? ›

Many accounting and finance professionals love the scope and dynamic aspects of their jobs. They like being able to tap their technological know-how, methodical approaches to problem solving and deep understanding of how businesses work.

What motivates you to pursue a career in finance? ›

Lucrative compensation, job stability, intellectual challenges, and room for growth make finance an attractive and ever-evolving field for ambitious individuals looking to build a successful and impactful career.

Why do you want to pursue this career answer? ›

When answering “Why did you choose this career?” you can point out factors like growth prospects, job security, scope, etc to help make a valid explanation. A possible answer to this HR interview question can be, “I have always found a certain satisfaction in writing and knew I wanted to make a career in content.

Why did you decide to pursue a career in accounting finance? ›

"I've always been captivated by numbers and the precision that surrounds them. Accounting allows me to work in a realm where every detail matters, and I find that incredibly fulfilling. As an accountant, I can organize complex financial data and aid companies in making well-informed decisions."

Why should we hire you for finance position? ›

A recommended answer to this could be: “Having read the job description and having looked at your company website, the role attracted me as I feel that I have the suitable skills for this role such as working to a deadline, experience with yield management, knowledge in SQL, etc.

Why do you want a career in financial planning? ›

A purpose-driven profession

At the heart of financial planning lies the noble purpose of transforming lives through informed decisions. A career in financial planning is not about crunching numbers; you're shaping dreams. Guiding clients towards their aspirations provides a rewarding career of making positive impacts.

Why is finance a good career choice? ›

Financial careers often involve high barriers to entry, stiff competition among applicants, and a lot of stress. Still, these jobs offer numerous perks, including a challenging work environment, interaction with highly motivated and intelligent colleagues, opportunities for advancement, and excellent pay.

How do you answer why I chose my major? ›

How to Answer “Why Did You Choose Your Major?”
  1. Introduce Your Reason With an Anecdote or Short Story. ...
  2. Show How You've Already Applied Knowledge and Skills From Your Major. ...
  3. Explicitly Connect Your Major to This Job.

How do you know if finance is for you? ›

How To Decide? Finance is an exciting major with plenty of career opportunities. If you are interested in solving problems in creative ways or helping companies to plan how to grow their revenue or maintain profitability, a finance major is right for you.

Why are people interested in studying finance? ›

It offers a broad range of applications across various industries. This makes your skillset adaptable and valuable in a wide range of professional settings. Whether you are interested in banking, insurance, investment or starting your own business, a finance degree can provide you with a solid foundation for success.

Why am I interested in this position? ›

Why are you interested in the position answer? I am interested in this position because it aligns perfectly with my skills, experiences, and career aspirations. I am excited about the opportunity to contribute my expertise to [Company Name] and make a meaningful impact in [specific area or industry].

Why interested in business and finance? ›

Investment & finance: Learn what makes the world go round

What should you invest in and what factors should you consider? Choosing a business degree will give you a good understanding of basic economic principles, how markets are affected by world events, and how to assess a firms' financial health.

Why do you want to pursue a career in corporate finance? ›

A few of the perks of working in corporate finance are that you get the chance to develop good teamwork skills, since finance professionals generally work in teams. You also get to travel and meet people, and the pay is pretty good. A financial analyst can make $44,000 to $72,000 a year.

How to answer tell me about yourself in a finance interview? ›

"I'm a finance professional with over ten years of experience in investment banking. In my current role, I oversee a team of analysts and have successfully completed numerous high-value transactions. I'm excited to bring my expertise to a new company and help drive success.

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