finance jobs?

[elvis]

I am getting a degree in either accounting or finance. I am more interested in finance, but with this meltdown, I have heard the future of finance jobs may be grim. I have until next January to decide because accounting and finance have a lot of the same courses in common. Any ideas?

 

[Paulie]

The future is grim NOW, but it may not be by the time you get your degree.

The question is, is it a viable job in the long term. I tend to think no, but you never know anymore. You could replace all the losers that currently hold those positions

I just went back to school to learn a new skill, myself. Something in electronics/computers, either tech or engineering. The future is tech. But people will always need financial advisors, managers, etc. That's something that just doesn't seem like it could be replaced by a computer. There's something to be said about investment intuition, that a computer simply can not match.

 

[Toro]

I would suggest you get a degree in what you really enjoy. I also advise kids in college to pursue a career in what they really enjoy because you are going to be doing it for the next 40 years.

Accounting is a more practical degree because the demand for accountants is generally better. However, the upside is much higher with a finance degree. Generally, you don't see many accountants at the top of the investment world. But accounting is also an extremely useful degree in finance anyways.

I work in investments. I have a finance degree and an MBA with a concentration in finance. I thought about getting a Ph.D. in accounting but didn't have the desire. I've hired a lot of kids to work as interns as well as a few as permanent employees. They were all finance majors, not one accounting major.

There won't be many jobs in finance over the next few years. However, these things are cyclical. There were no jobs in finance when I came out of undergrad in 1990 but eventually things turned around. They will after this too, but it might be a while.

 

[Paulie]

The problem with only picking based on what you would enjoy the most, is whether or not your field will be in demand, or even viable at all.

I think you have to trade a little enjoyment for viability. Something in demand, that you can advance in. If you're a hard worker, you'll advance, that ALONE should be rewarding and enjoyable.

Service is being replaced by tech. I'd personally shy away from finance as a job, per se, but I'd love to have the time and resources to take courses in finance just for the gain in personal knowledge. I just may, actually. I'm taking a business course right now and it's interesting, to say the least. Most of it I already seem to know, though.

 

[Zoomie1980]

I am getting a degree in either accounting or finance. I am more interested in finance, but with this meltdown, I have heard the future of finance jobs may be grim. I have until next January to decide because accounting and finance have a lot of the same courses in common. Any ideas?

I wouldn't worry about it if your degree isn't done for another year or more. We'll be through it by then. In fact, we always contract too much in these things, the economy turns around faster than these larger firms can react then they go on hiring binges, hiring everyone in sight.....

And.....in that field, get a Masters before even trying....

 

[Paulie]

I wouldn't worry about it if your degree isn't done for another year or more. We'll be through it by then. In fact, we always contract too much in these things, the economy turns around faster than these larger firms can react then they go on hiring binges, hiring everyone in sight.....

And.....in that field, get a Masters before even trying....

Yeah I would think the pool is saturated with Bachelors degrees already.

Stand out in the crowd.

 

[Zoomie1980]

The future is grim NOW, but it may not be by the time you get your degree.

The question is, is it a viable job in the long term. I tend to think no, but you never know anymore. You could replace all the losers that currently hold those positions

I just went back to school to learn a new skill, myself. Something in electronics/computers, either tech or engineering. The future is tech. But people will always need financial advisors, managers, etc. That's something that just doesn't seem like it could be replaced by a computer. There's something to be said about investment intuition, that a computer simply can not match.

There is plenty of opportunity in accounting and finance. We have over 300 of these people alone and we are always adding new ones. Not right now because of the economy, but we will be. Business ALWAYS needs accountants.

Kids need to pick from among viable livelihoods the ones they LIKE, not the ones they think pay well. If you don't like it, you won't be any good at it and you will never have a useful career. There are a lot of viable livings outside TECH fields. If you have no technical talent, or do not enjoy technical pursuits, no amount of study is going to make you any good at it.

Do something that is both viable and that you like. You can find career fields that are both.

 

[Zoomie1980]

Yeah I would think the pool is saturated with Bachelors degrees already.

Stand out in the crowd.

Most "management" fields today require a Masters to be competitive in the market out there unless you have a connection. My daughter is well employed as a BA, at Victoria Secret, but that is because she started as a clerk there at age 17, spent 5 years there and moved up and is now in managment there. But going cold, into the market, with a degree and no connections, you need a masters to even get in the door at most larger firms.

 

[Paulie]

There is plenty of opportunity in accounting and finance. We have over 300 of these people alone and we are always adding new ones. Not right now because of the economy, but we will be. Business ALWAYS needs accountants.

Kids need to pick from among viable livelihoods the ones they LIKE, not the ones they think pay well. If you don't like it, you won't be any good at it and you will never have a useful career. There are a lot of viable livings outside TECH fields. If you have no technical talent, or do not enjoy technical pursuits, no amount of study is going to make you any good at it.

Do something that is both viable and that you like. You can find career fields that are both.

I assume most of us here enjoy computers. I.T. isn't exactly exclusive. Computers aren't going anywhere, so it makes sense to get into it.

I'm not discouraging finance per se, I'm just pointing out its drawbacks. Like you said though, get a Masters.

 

[elvis]

I wouldn't worry about it if your degree isn't done for another year or more. We'll be through it by then. In fact, we always contract too much in these things, the economy turns around faster than these larger firms can react then they go on hiring binges, hiring everyone in sight.....

And.....in that field, get a Masters before even trying....

What about combining finance with a degree in German?