Finance

Career and Major Information
Related Career Titles
Web Sites
Salary Information

 

Students who wish to pursue a degree in Finance will major in business at Walters State Community College.  The Associate of Science curriculum in business has been developed to fulfill the freshman and sophomore requirements of a bachelor’s degree; however, the curriculum is not designed to fill requirements for any specific school.  Students will need to consult a WSCC faculty advisor or an advisor at the college or university to which the student has chosen to transfer for particular course requirements.  The departmental link for business is: http://www.ws.edu/businessdiv/default.asp.

 

Career and Major Information:

 

Finance majors have several career opportunities available from which to choose. 

 

Financial analysts and personal financial advisors provide investment analysis and guidance to help with financial decisions.

 

Financial managers oversee the preparation of financial reports, direct investment activities, and implement cash management strategies.

Securities and commodities sales agents, also called brokers, stockbrokers, registered representatives, account executives, or financial consultants, perform a variety of tasks, depending on their specific job duties. When an investor wishes to buy or sell a security, for example, sales agents may relay the order through their firm’s computers to the floor of a securities exchange, such as the New York Stock Exchange. There, securities and commodities sales agents known as floor brokers negotiate the price with other floor brokers, make the sale, and forward the purchase price to sales agents. If a security is not traded on an exchange, as in the case of bonds and over-the-counter stocks, the broker sends the order to the firm’s trading department. Here, using their own funds or those of the firm, other securities sales agents, known as dealers, buy and sell securities directly from other dealers, with the intention of reselling the security to customers at a profit. After the transaction has been completed, the broker notifies the customer of the final price.

Securities and commodities sales agents also provide many related services for their customers. They may explain stock market terms and trading practices, offer financial counseling or advice on the purchase or sale of particular securities, and design an individual client’s financial portfolio.  That portfolio could include securities, life insurance, corporate and municipal bonds, mutual funds, certificates of deposit, annuities, and other investments.

 

Related Career Titles:

Actuary	Commodities Trader	Financial Planner
Appraiser	Consumer Credit/Loan Off.	Foreign Exchange Trader
Bank Manager	Cost Manager	Industrial/Institutional Buyer
Budget Analyst	Economist	Investment Researcher
Business Analyst	Estimator	Investor Relations
Chief Executive Officer	Financial Analyst	Management Accountant
Chief Financial Officer	Financial Consultant	Market Research Analyst
Claim Adjuster/Examiner	Financial Economist	Mergers/Acquisitions Mgr
Mutual Fund Trader	Rate Analyst	Securities Broker

Web Sites:

Professional Finance Job Search & Career Information http://www.jobsinthemoney.com

Real people talk about their corporate finance careers http://www.wetfeet.com/asp/RPP_interview.asp?rppid=163&rpName=Rita+Jones&type=c

Occupational Outlook Handbook: Budget Analysts
http://stats.bls.gov/oco/ocos003.htm

 Merrill Lynch http://www.ml.com

Merck and Co. Career Opportunities in Finance

http://www.merck.com/careers/finance.html

 

Salary Information:

 

Median annual earnings of securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents were $60,990 in 2002. The middle half earned between $36,180 and $117,050.

 

Median annual earnings of financial analysts were $57,100 in 2002. The middle 50 percent earned between $43,660 and $76,620. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $34,570, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $108,060.

 

Median annual earnings of financial managers were $73,340 in 2002. The middle 50 percent earned between $52,490 and $100,660. The lowest 10 percent had earnings of less than $39,120, while the top 10 percent earned over $142,260.

 

Salary figures quoted are based on national figures.  Local or regional salaries may be lower.

 

Citation:  This information was derived from the Occupational Outlook Handbook 2004-2005, which was published by the Department of Labor. http://www.bls.gov/oco/

 

Additional information may be obtained from the Tennessee Career Information Delivery System:

http://tcids.tbr.edu