Finance
Finance is the management, creation and study of money, banking, credit, investments, assets and liabilities. While three distinct categories exist, namely, corporate, personal and public finance, there are a variety of different roles, areas and industries in which finance professionals work.
Finance Jobs
It is helpful to think of your career path decision in two buckets: functional role and industry. As you assess these choices, think about what really interests you!
Finance roles occupy space along a spectrum, from more “people-focused” to “data-focused.” Do you like the idea of client interaction? Or, do you prefer analytics?
Keep in mind that the general titles below are illustrative and can certainly vary by industry and company.
Another framework for thinking about your functional path has been provided by Michael G. Katz, Director MBA Career Advising at University of California Haas School of Business. Are you interested in work that is transactional in nature or focused on managing a business?
Finance Quick Links
Quick Links
· Career Blueprint
· Career Checklists
· Career Tools
· Résumé
· Cover Letter
· Interview
· Thank You
· Events
· International Tools
· Internships
· Search for internships
· Report My Internship
· Job Market Research Tools
· Concentration Resources
· Salary Resources
· Report My Job
· Salary Resources
· Working Professional MBA Resources
· Workshops
Industries Where Finance Professionals Work
Lastly, finance professionals work in a myriad of industries and businesses. It’s important to think about what interests you in terms of products and services. Do you want to do finance at a bank? Or, are you interested in becoming a finance professional within a non-financial industry? Here are some areas where finance professionals work:
Financial Industries
- Asset management and insurance
- Brokering and research
- Commercial banks
- Hedge funds
- Investment banks
- Investment Institutions
- Venture capital firms
- Wealth management firms
Other Industries
- Consumer products and retail
- Government
- Health care
- Hospitality
- Manufacturing
- Non profits
- Real estate
- Technology
Finance roles can be found in every industry.
Finance Career Guides
Use these resources to research specific finance career paths and companies:
- Career Connector Network: View finance webinars and panel discussions. Use valuable Day in the Life articles, career and industry guides as well as industry overviews. Register to "Get Advice".
- Street of Walls: Learn about careers in investment banking, hedge funds and private equity.
- Glassdoor
Learn about working in finance from our alumni and partners participating in Power Chats. In these brief videos executives speak candidly about their experiences and provide valuable advice to current finance students. Access Power Chat videos in BizLink – Document Library.
Industry News
Stay up-to-date on what’s happening in the finance industry:
Industry Network
Get to know professionals in your area of interest:
- LinkedIn Groups: Banking Careers, Enterprise Risk Management
- Association for Financial Professionals
- American Banking Association
- American Finance Association
- Certified Financial Planner (CFP) Board of Standards, Inc.
- Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Society of Buffalo
- Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Institute - National site
- Commercial Finance Association
- Financial Management Association UB Chapter (student clubs)
- International Swaps and Derivatives Association
- International Association for Quantitative Finance (previously IAFE)
- National Venture Capital Association
- The Q-Group
- Venture Capital Institute
- Treasury Management Association of New York
Finance Job Search Resources
In addition to the two UB career management systems, BizLink and Bullseye powered by Handshake, use the following resources to search for additional finance opportunities:
Recommended
- One Wire Finance - Finance career management tool for precise connections between finance professionals and firms. Complete your free profile, get matched to relevant financial services jobs and internships, and refer friends and earn referral bonuses.
- Careerbuilder: Offers the nation's leading recruitment resource through more than 130 local newspapers. Search for a job by job type or industry. CareerBuilder also has international jobs.
- eFinancialCareers: Create a profile to gain access to industry insights and newsletters as well as finance roles from leading brands and niche boutiques.
- Mergent Intellect: company and industry research (through the UB Libraries)
- Indeed: Search for jobs in one place accessing thousands of websites. Includes all the job listings from major job boards, newspapers, associations, and company career pages and continues to add new sites every day. Search by keyword and location.
Additional Job Search Resources
Academics
To learn more about the Finance areas and courses included within the concentration or program, please refer to the academic curriculum.