Finance is a pretty broad topic that covers two main areas – how money is managed and the process of acquiring funds. Both of these areas have loads of sub-topics including banking, credit investments, assets and liabilities to name a few. Whether you plan a career in finance or simply want to better understand the world of finance for your business, there are a few solid reasons to take a finance course.
1. There are plenty of jobs
One of the first things to consider when looking at any training is what career path leads from it. There’s no point in training for something, spending time and money on it and not having a clue how to get a job from it (unless it is for a hobby). With finance, there is a multitude of paths to take to find a job once you have completed a finance course.
There are the big name roles at top companies – top graduates from universities see companies such as PwC and KPMG on the list of potential employers. But there are all kinds of levels and you can explore a huge range of potential roles once you have a qualification in hand. Other examples of types of jobs with a finance degree include:
- Corporate management
- Investment services
- Financial planning services
- Insurance companies
- Personal finance planning for individuals
- Credit unions and private banks
- Commercial and investment banks
2.Develop a specialist industry
Once you have your basic finance course behind you, the path is then opened to become a specialist or to work in a specific industry. Maybe you have always been fascinated by retail but don’t want to work on the shop floor. You could move into the finance department of a retail company and see how it works from the money side of things. Eventually, you could work up to advisory roles where you help retail businesses make sound financial decisions about their future and their development plans.
3. You can work abroad
Because many finance qualifications are internationally recognised or easily applied to different markets, you can even spend some time working abroad. This is a great way to get a different experience, see new places and to build your portfolio. And of course, it sounds impressive when you come back to the UK that you have worked around the world, so it never hurts your future job prospects!
4. Good financial rewards
Working in finance can be financially rewarding too. The average wage for a finance manager in the UK is around £38,000 a year depending on location and experience with some earning as high as almost £60,000. Bonuses often tend to be impressive too, adding up to £9000 a year to the annual wage. Other roles also have their own average wages but once you have that qualification, you can start working towards these kinds of roles.
5. There are lots of applications for the knowledge
Another thing with a finance course is that you don’t have to go into a finance role. Finance for non-Finance Managers is about learning skills that can be applied to many real-world situations. Business owners, for example, often take finance courses so they can better understand and manage the finances of their company. People who work in areas of accounting such as bookkeeping often add finance training, so they have a complete picture of the financial position of their employer, to offer a better service.
Something for all
Whether your interest is in a career in finance or you simply want to better understand the finances of your company, this kind of training is worth considering. There are all kinds of levels from online courses through to university degrees so something for all.
