If you’ve got no idea which finance job would suit you best, worry not we’ve compiled a list of ten of the most popular financial jobs.
Auditor – there are two types of financial auditors, internal and external. The principle difference between the two types is who the employer is. If you wanted to be an external you would be employed by one of the big city financial firms. While internal auditors normally work within the company. As a consequence only companies of a certain size can justify employing internal auditors.
Banking – there are dozens of branches on every high street in every town, and that’s only the frontline staff for customers. By the time you’ve factored in all the behinds the scenes staff and the people working at head offices, the scope jobs offered by banks is huge. As well established companies, they offer some great benefits for employees with reliable job security.
Underwriter- insurance is a dynamic and interesting sector to work in. Underwriters are ultimately responsible for working out how much your premium is. Whether its car, holiday, health or any other kind of insurance there are specialist underwriter jobs which can provide engaging job opportunities.
Private Equity – though hugely complex, those working in private equity usually work funding business start ups. Often they are looking for a portfolio of investments where the individual projects might be quite risky but collectively creates a rewarding investment. Private equity typically attracts two types of people, industry experts who are able to identify the companies that offer the best chance of proving successful and those with more of a financial background who are responsible for managing the portfolio and the investments.
Payroll – the most important person in any company is the person responsible for payroll, they make sure you get paid! The larger and more complex the structure of the company the more difficult the role becomes. A good understanding of payments as well as the various tax and pension laws is vital for anyone thinking of pursuing a career in payroll.
Accounts Assistant- for many people it’s difficult to know where to start when looking for a career in finance, especially if you have no specific qualifications or experience. An Accounts Assistant job may be an ideal opportunity. These entry level positions offers a chance to experience many of the different disciplines which are involved in finance, which may help you decide where you would like to specialise.
Credit Controller – Accounts Receivable is one of the most popular departments to work in within a busy account department. Credit controllers roles can vary enormously but normally they job is based around ensuring that invoices created by the company are paid in a timely manner.
Financial Director – When it comes the Finance the FD is the top dog. Of course the size company makes a huge difference, but whether it’s a SME or a FTSE 100 company FDs are normally in charge of everything financial in the company. With these positions comes great responsibility but usually the experience of FD enables them to carry out their roles with confidence.
Management Accountant – Of all the disciplines of accountancy management accounts is among the most popular, usually they focus more of forecasting the future than assessing the past like auditing.
Business Analyst – while you get many different kinds of business analysts specialising in different industries, there are a significant number of financial business analysts who fulfil a role not dis-similar to management accountants. They are given responsibility for analyzing the needs of their businesses customers and stakeholders to highlight financial business problems and suggest solutions.
Top Ten Finance Jobs – The Best Financial Jobs
Continue reading Top Ten Finance Jobs – The Best Financial Jobs »
The Future of Finance Jobs
In the not so long-gone past, many career advisers were advising young people seeking to start out a career to go into finance. The financial markets were doing well then, finance jobs were in plenty and MBA schools were bursting with young students seeking to build a career in finance. And the finance jobs were, of course, not limited to the financial markets. With a strong economy, finance graduates who couldn’t get jobs in the financial markets and investment banks could quite easily be absorbed into commerce and industry accounting jobs. Other would get middle office finance jobs in the public service, and going was good.
Then the bubble burst.
The economy went into recession mode, the financial markets shrunk and finance graduates who had taken up jobs with investment banks found themselves facing the axe, as the investment banks are the worst affected by turmoil in the financial markets. And as if on cue, companies, in a bid to cut costs, were also cutting on their head counts, thus also shaking the fortunes of the finance graduates who found commerce and industry accounting jobs in the private sector. In the midst of all this, it seems that the only secure finance graduates are those who took up middle office finance jobs in the public sector, but even this is not fear-proof for we do not know for sure what the full effects of the economic turmoil will be on civil service staffing.
So in the face of all this, what is the future of finance jobs?
It might seem counter-intuitive to say, but the future of finance jobs is still bright, in spite of the current turmoil in the financial markets. As it were, economists tell us that the current economic turmoil is largely short-term to medium term, which is to say that it won’t be with us forever. Which means that the people who chose to pursue a career in finance need not regret their choice, as better times are coming. But even before the better times arrive, the people with finance backgrounds who are currently getting laid off might not find themselves in the cold for too long.
As governments unveil the various economic stimulus plans, there will be need for people to manage the money as it goes into various sectors – which translates to some finance jobs. Of course the finance jobs created in this way will be for the best brains in finance.
And then there is the fact that all companies, like human beings, have a native survival instinct, which they are likely to find handy in these hard economic times. One survival strategies for companies in crises is to hire the experts who are likely to navigate them through the particular crises. And since the current crisis is financial, the companies are likely to find themselves hiring financial experts to help them address the economic crisis. Of course, the companies are not likely to be overtly looking for finance experts to help them address the financial crises. What we are likely to see is an increase in commerce and industry accounting jobs, but the accountants so hired are bound to be almost exclusively tasked with cost and revenue management tasks, geared towards helping their employers sail through the turbulent times successfully.
And finally the good times will surely come back again. If the history of the financial markets is anything to go by, we know that all bursts are always followed by booms.
Finance Jobs in Kuwait
Kuwait, an Arab emirate in Western Asia, is bordered by Saudi Arabia and Iraq on the south and the north. Its name implies the meaning ‘fortress built near water’ as it is located on the shore of the Persian Gulf. The economy of Kuwait is hugely dependent on oil reserves and petroleum exports ranking fifth among the oil and petroleum rich countries of the world.
The economic market of Kuwait has proved resilient after the global downturn made an exit. The financial sector has witnesses a boom in post recession period following the path of recovery. Kuwait is an extremely rich country and is estimated to have 10% of the world oil reserves. Apart from oil and petroleum, other major industries of Kuwait include shipping, real estate, cement, desalination and financial services.
Financial industry includes services offered by both financial institutions and banking sector. This industry is involved in management of money and encompasses a broad range of organizations including banks, insurance companies, credit card companies, stock brokerages, consumer finance companies, investment funds and other government sponsored enterprises. The finance jobs in Kuwait are now growing with billion dollars of investment being made to bring it back to its boom position. As it is a wide industry, finance professionals get plenty of career options when looking for jobs in Middle East.
Finance jobs in Kuwait are available for professionals from all around the world and ask for highly skilled and well qualified candidates. The level of vacancies offered to expatriates covers all managerial, assistant and executive positions. Some of the jobs in finance in Kuwait include positions for auditing, accounting, finance, administration, etc. for directors, managers, executives, senior managers, officers, assistant managers, analysts and other levels.
The finance professionals are paid well in Kuwait that makes it a favorable career destination for many. Jobs in Middle East are especially popular all around the world for being well paying and offering comfortable lifestyles. It is an ideal destination for those looking for saving a fortune in a matter of few years as Kuwaiti employers pay attractive amounts of money that too tax-free. This means that whatever you earn is entirely for you to keep, you can save or spend it the way you want. Thus, high tax-free salaries offered for finance jobs in Kuwait have become a major puller for financial experts from outside the country.
It is always helpful to explore a place before moving and settling down in it. Middle East conspicuously lies in a different part of the world and is therefore, bound to follow different culture and lifestyle. So, you should perform a detailed research on the customs, religion, culture, laws and living standards of the new country. As you are familiar to the new society, you are able to adapt easily to them and their people. You should never wait for a surprise by going to the place uninformed as it may or may not be a pleasant one. You will feel welcomed and comfortable if you are aware of the place as it follows a different set of beliefs. For this, you may join online forums and communities that bring you closer to expatriates living there.
Being a member of expat community will help you get the true picture of the personal and professional environments in Kuwait. Even before taking up a job in Kuwait, you would know what to expect and what not. Make sure you have gone through the contract carefully and understood everything to avoid confusions in later stages. So, go grab your job in Kuwait and create a fortune!