Finance Career Paths Explained
Summary
TLDRNed, CEO of 365, discusses finance careers, sharing his experience as a forex dealer, analyst, and consultant. He covers various fields like corporate finance, investment banking, and consulting, detailing roles and progression. Ned promotes 365's Financial Analyst Program for practical skills, emphasizing the gap between university education and real-world challenges. He highlights the appeal of M&A and the importance of financial analysis in building a finance career.
Takeaways
- 🎓 Ned, the founder and CEO of 365, has a finance background with experience in forex dealing, financial analysis, and M&A.
- 🌐 365 has helped over 3 million people worldwide to acquire career-enhancing skills.
- 💼 Finance careers are diverse, including corporate finance, investment banking, investment management, traditional banking, financial services, and consulting.
- 🏢 Corporate finance roles involve financial analysis, cash flow management, treasury operations, and more.
- 📈 Financial analysts in corporate finance play a key role in analyzing performance and engaging with stakeholders.
- 🚀 Investment banking offers dynamic career opportunities, including M&A, capital markets, and trading.
- 💼 M&A analysts are crucial in mergers and acquisitions, handling financial modeling and business valuation.
- 💵 Private equity and venture capital are part of investment management, focusing on client funds and investment strategies.
- 🏦 Traditional banking involves deposit taking, lending, forex, corporate banking, insurance, and wealth management.
- 🔍 Risk management in traditional banking involves evaluating financial models and exposures to mitigate risks.
- 🌐 Financial consulting firms assist businesses with M&A, restructuring, auditing, tax, compliance, and performance improvement.
Q & A
What is the primary focus of the company 365?
-The primary focus of the company 365 is to help people worldwide acquire career-enhancing skills, with a particular emphasis on finance careers.
What roles has Ned held in his finance career?
-Ned has held various roles in his finance career, including forex dealer, financial analyst, M&A advisor, in-house M&A analyst, and financial consultant.
What are the diverse fields in finance careers mentioned by Ned?
-The diverse fields in finance careers mentioned by Ned include corporate finance, investment banking, investment management, traditional banking, financial services, and consulting.
What is the main difference between financial accounting and financial analysis roles?
-Financial accounting roles involve maintaining and analyzing financial records to ensure accuracy and regulatory compliance, while financial analysis roles involve studying financial performance and providing insights and reporting to management for internal decision-making.
What are the typical positions in accounting roles within a company?
-Typical positions in accounting roles within a company include Accountants, Accounts Receivables, Accounts Payables, and the Internal Audit team.
What is the role of a financial controller in a company?
-A financial controller is responsible for uncovering the cost of producing a company's products or services.
What does the Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A) team do?
-The FP&A team forecasts revenue, costs, and balance sheet items, and shares these insights across the organization to enable budgeting and planning efforts.
Why might someone choose a career in investment banking?
-Someone might choose a career in investment banking for its dynamic career development opportunities, which include assisting firms with raising capital, mergers and acquisitions, and trading activities.
What are the potential career progression paths for an investment banker?
-Potential career progression paths for an investment banker include roles like associate, VP, Director, and Managing Director.
What is the difference between a venture capital analyst and a private equity analyst?
-A venture capital analyst focuses on sourcing potential deals with early-stage companies, looking for revenue growth potential and great entrepreneurs. In contrast, a private equity analyst works on larger deals, often aiming for majority stake or full ownership of the firms they invest in, and provides significant post-deal support.
What are the key functions of traditional banks in the modern finance landscape?
-Traditional banks offer services such as digital banking, forex, corporate banking, insurance, and wealth management. They also employ credit analysts to assess creditworthiness and have risk management staff to mitigate potential risks.
How does financial consulting differ from other finance fields?
-Financial consulting involves assisting businesses with issues like M&A, restructuring, auditing, tax, compliance, risk management, and performance improvement. It often requires a deep understanding of business strategies and the ability to provide technical and accounting expertise.
What is the typical career progression in a Big Four consulting firm?
-The typical career progression in a Big Four consulting firm includes roles such as consultant, executive, assistant manager, manager, senior manager, director, associate partner, and partner.
Outlines
🎓 Introduction to Finance Careers
Ned, the founder and CEO of 365, introduces the topic of finance careers, sharing his personal journey through various finance roles such as forex dealer, financial analyst, M&A advisor, in-house M&A analyst, and financial consultant. He emphasizes the diversity of fields within finance, including corporate finance, investment banking, investment management, traditional banking, financial services, and consulting. Ned also highlights the importance of specialized skills in each area and promotes 365's Financial Analyst Program, which aims to bridge the gap between university education and real-world work challenges. He encourages viewers to explore the platform and take courses to excel in their finance careers.
💼 Corporate Finance and Investment Banking
The video delves into corporate finance roles within companies like Coca-Cola and Nike, detailing positions such as accountants, accounts receivables, accounts payables, internal audit teams, financial analysts, financial controllers, and FP&A teams. Ned shares his preference for the financial analyst role due to its varied responsibilities and career growth potential. He then transitions to investment banking, discussing the dynamic opportunities it offers, including capital raising, M&A advisory, and trading. Entry-level roles like equity or debt capital markets analyst, M&A analyst, trader, and investment researcher are highlighted, with a focus on the exciting aspects of M&A deals and the career progression in investment banking.
📈 Investment Management and Traditional Banking
This section covers investment management, including private equity and venture capital, where asset managers and investment funds aim to maximize returns based on client risk profiles. Venture capital analysts are responsible for identifying early-stage companies with growth potential, while private equity analysts handle larger deals and majority stakes. The video then explores traditional banking, which involves deposit taking, lending, digital banking, forex, corporate banking, insurance, and wealth management. Credit analysts and risk management staff are crucial in this field, with roles such as risk analysts focusing on financial models and risk mitigation strategies. The segment also touches on the corporate divisions of banks and the role of relationship managers in fostering client relationships.
🏢 Financial Services and Consulting
The final part of the video discusses financial services and consulting, with a focus on the Big Four auditing firms—PwC, KPMG, EY, and Deloitte. These firms offer services in M&A, restructuring, auditing, tax, compliance, risk management, and performance improvement. The role of an auditor is emphasized, involving the verification of financial statements for accuracy and compliance. The video also mentions career paths in transaction services, tax advisory, and other consulting roles. Ned shares his personal experience starting at PwC's Transaction Services unit, where he gained valuable technical skills and insights into business strategies. He concludes by encouraging viewers to visit 365financialanalyst.com to build the necessary skills for a successful finance career and to continue learning.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡finance careers
💡corporate finance
💡financial analyst
💡investment banking
💡M&A analyst
💡private equity
💡venture capital
💡traditional banking
💡financial consulting
💡365 Financial Analyst Program
💡career progression
Highlights
Ned, the founder and CEO of 365, discusses finance careers and shares his professional experience.
365 has helped over 3 million people worldwide acquire career-enhancing skills.
Ned has worked in various finance roles including forex dealer, financial analyst, M&A advisor, and financial consultant.
Finance careers span diverse fields such as corporate finance, investment banking, investment management, traditional banking, financial services, and consulting.
365financialanalyst.com is recommended for learning practical skills to excel in finance careers.
Corporate finance involves roles in financial analysis, cash flow management, treasury operations, and more.
Financial accounting roles ensure accurate financial statements and regulatory compliance.
Financial analysts provide insights and reporting to management for internal decision-making.
Financial controller role focuses on uncovering the cost of producing a company’s products or services.
FP&A team forecasts revenue, costs, and balance sheet items, sharing insights for budgeting and planning.
Ned's favorite entry-level Corporate Finance role is financial analyst due to its analytical and stakeholder engagement aspects.
Investment banking offers dynamic career opportunities with roles like equity or debt capital markets analyst, M&A analyst, trader, or investment researcher.
M&A analysts play a crucial role in identifying potential targets, financial modeling, business valuation, and due diligence.
Private equity and venture capital are part of investment management, focusing on client funds investment and returns.
Venture capital analysts source deals with early-stage companies, evaluating their growth potential and entrepreneurs.
Private equity analysts work on larger deals, often seeking majority stakes or full ownership in the firms they invest in.
Traditional banking includes roles like credit analysts and risk management staff, offering insights into business and risk assessment.
Financial Services and Consulting firms assist businesses with M&A, restructuring, auditing, tax, compliance, and performance improvement.
The Big Four auditing firms offer career paths in transaction services, tax advisory, and more.
Ned's career started in PwC's Transaction Services unit, where he gained valuable technical and strategic evaluation skills.
The video provides insights into diverse finance careers and encourages viewers to build necessary skills for success.
Transcripts
Hey everyone, my name is Ned. I’m the founder and CEO of 365.
We’ve helped more than 3 million people worldwide acquire career-enhancing skills.
Today, I want to discuss one of my favorite topics: finance careers.
I’m a finance graduate, and throughout my professional development, I’ve worked as
a forex dealer, financial analyst, M&A advisor, in-house M&A analyst,
and financial consultant. So, I've held various roles
and gained valuable experience that I'm eager to share with you. First,
it's essential to understand the diverse fields in finance careers—including corporate finance,
investment banking, investment management, traditional banking, financial services, and
consulting. Each area demands specialized skills and provides numerous placement opportunities.
In this video, I’ll explore various finance job roles, highlight the most intriguing career paths,
and share my insights. I hope you’re excited because I certainly am!
But before we continue, I want to say a few words about our platform, 365financialanalyst.com.
Given that you’re interested in a career in finance, I can confidently say that
this is one of the best places where you can learn practical skills to help
you land a job and excel from day one. Unfortunately, university education often
fails to prepare students for real-world work challenges. Our 365 Financial Analyst Program
addresses this gap by teaching practical skills that my colleagues and I possess.
Check out the link in the description—I highly recommend taking our courses.
OK. First,
we'll begin with corporate finance, which involves working within a typical company's finance team.
Coca-Cola, Nike, Starbucks, and thousands of other global companies require finance specialists
for financial analysis, cash flow management, treasury operations, working capital management,
financial planning, accounting, and more. We distinguish roles into two main types:
financial accounting-related and financial analysis.
In accounting roles, individuals maintain and analyze financial records—ensuring
the company's financial statements are accurate and meet regulatory standards.
The typical positions in most firms include:
• Accountants • Accounts
receivables—responsible for payments to clients • Accounts payables—who monitor
payments to suppliers and • The internal audit team
The internal audit team ensures that the finance team adheres to regulations and safeguards the
company from fraud, errors, and inefficiencies. These roles manage the firm’s financial
accounting—primarily generating reports for external stakeholders.
Of course, companies also need financial analysis expertise for their internal decision-making. This
is why they hire financial analysts who study financial performance and provide
insights and reporting to management. Another noteworthy role is the financial
controller, who is responsible for uncovering the cost of
producing a company’s products or services. We also have the Financial Planning & Analysis
(FP&A) team, which forecasts revenue, costs, and balance sheet items. This team shares
these insights across the organization to enable all budgeting and planning efforts.
If I had to pick my favorite entry-level Corporate Finance role,
it would likely be a financial analyst. As a financial analyst, I relished analyzing
financial performance and engaging with key stakeholders who valued my insights.
A fundamental benefit of being a financial analyst is that, in most cases, you don’t
specialize in just one or two types of activities. You must perform various analyses—enriching and
preparing you for more sophisticated roles. In corporate finance, career progression
typically starts at an entry-level position—such as a financial
analyst—advancing through roles like finance manager, director, VP, and potentially CFO.
Ok. Great! In addition
to traditional corporate finance roles, finance graduates can pursue the challenging and rewarding
field of investment banking, which is frequently favored by top candidates for its dynamic career
development opportunities. Investment banks assist industrial and financial firms when
they need to raise capital or financial advisory for mergers and acquisitions or restructuring.
Additionally, many investment banks operate active trading desks that
buy and sell shares for themselves or clients. Securing an entry-level position in investment
banking could lead to roles like equity or debt capital markets analyst, M&A analyst,
trader, or investment researcher, which focus on detailed research and analysis of financial
markets and traded securities. Becoming an M&A analyst is
the dream of many finance graduates. The thrill of closing high-stakes deals,
working on transformative transactions that hit the headlines, and deepening
one’s understanding of business strategy and financial structuring is highly appealing.
M&A analysts are crucial in mergers and acquisitions. They identify potential targets and
handle financial modeling and business valuation. Once a deal is in the pipeline, M&A analysts are
heavily involved in due diligence—investigating and verifying the target’s financial,
operational, and strategic aspects to identify risks and opportunities.
An investment banker's career progression often includes roles like associate, VP,
Director, and Managing Director. But, due to the industry's rigorous demands,
fewer individuals stay at each level. Many analysts and associates opt for opportunities
in private equity and venture capital (VC). Private equity and VC are part of the
investment management industry, which is an essential branch of finance.
Asset managers and investment funds aim to invest client funds and make
more money. Depending on a client’s preferred risk-return profile, asset managers choose an
optimal investment portfolio combination. Typically, clients can invest in stocks,
bonds, mutual funds, real estate investment trusts, venture capital, private equity,
hedge funds, and alternative investment asset classes, such as art or cryptocurrencies.
If you become a venture capital analyst, you’ll be responsible for sourcing potential deals with
companies in their early development stages. VC analysts' primary objective is to scout
for revenue growth potential and great entrepreneurs. They evaluate business plans,
focusing extensively on deal structuring and communication.
Private equity analysts, on the other hand, work on significantly larger deals and
typically look to acquire a majority stake or full ownership of the firms they invest in.
A private equity analyst works on financial models, evaluates companies, and researches
potential targets. This role requires significant post-deal support from portfolio companies.
All right. Let’s switch to the next finance field. Most people associate finance with traditional
banking, which historically involves deposit taking and lending—familiar since ancient times.
Today, traditional banks offer digital banking, forex, corporate banking,
insurance, and wealth management. Concerning job roles, traditional
banks need credit analysts to assess the creditworthiness of individuals and businesses
applying for loans. They analyze financial statements, credit reports, and other data to
determine the risk involved in lending and whether the bank should be involved in this transaction.
Considering the large amounts of money a bank uses, they need significant
investments in risk management staff. The entry-level risk management position
(Risk Analyst) involves developing financial models, evaluating bank exposures, and proposing
strategies to mitigate potential risks. Most banks have corporate divisions that
offer tailored services to corporate clients and hire dedicated relationship managers.
These managers get to know their clients well and foster the relationship with the bank.
I find this role highly stimulating because working with corporate clients offers significant
insights into their business and enhances soft skills through direct interaction with
top executives. All right.
Finally, let’s consider Financial Services and Consulting.
Thousands of financial consulting firms worldwide assist businesses with M&A,
restructuring, auditing, tax, compliance, risk management, and performance improvement issues.
In the auditing world, remember the names Pwc, KPMG, EY, and Deloitte,
which collectively employ over 1 million people. An auditor collaborates with client companies to
verify that their financial statements are accurate and truly reflect the
business's financial status—thereby developing outstanding technical and accounting skills.
Besides auditing, the Big Four and financial consultants also offer compelling
career paths in transaction services, including due diligence for M&A, tax advisory, and more.
The standard career progression in the consulting
arm of a Big Four firm typically includes consultant, executive,
assistant manager, manager, senior manager, director, associate partner, and partner.
(This illustrates the variety of position titles across consulting firms' corporate hierarchies.)
I began my career in PwC's Transaction Services unit—an enriching experience
that allowed me to work on many deals, hone my technical skills in Excel, accounting,
and financial analysis, and, crucially, evaluate the business strategies of numerous companies.
Having the opportunity to engage with entrepreneurs and finance directors and inquire
about their businesses was truly invaluable. Thank you for watching. I hope this video has
provided valuable insights into diverse finance careers and their opportunities.
Please check out 365financialanalyst.com to start building the skills you
need to succeed in your finance career. Until next time, take care and keep learning!
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