Financial Industry: Jobs Explained

Accountant - Accountants provide the data needed to assess the present and future economic activities of individuals, businesses, not-for-profit organizations, and governmental bodies. There is a huge range of specialist areas you can pursue, such as auditing, management policy, information systems, taxation, computer operations, etc.
Actuary, consultancy - An actuary uses statistical and mathematical knowledge to make long-term financial forecasts. These forecasts are used by financial and governmental organisations to solve current financial problems and to make future plans. Actuarial consultancy is just one branch of the actuarial profession. Working mainly within professional services firms or specialist consultancies, actuaries in this area may be involved in providing a whole range of services to their clients.
Banker - A banker is responsible for establishing and maintaining positive customer relationships, planning and delivering effective sales strategies and monitoring the progress of new and existing financial products. Bankers may work as managers in high street branches providing operational support on a day-to-day basis, or in more specialised posts in corporate or commercial departments at area, regional or head offices.
Company secretary - A company secretary makes sure that their organisation complies with company legislation and regulation and keeps board members informed of their legal responsibilities. By law, every company must have a company secretary. They are responsible for calling annual general meetings and board meetings and ensuring the implementation of their decisions. Ensuring that their company complies with legal and regulatory requirements, company secretaries provide a firm foundation on which companies can successfully operate. Company secretaries work in all sectors.
Corporate Treasurer - Corporate treasurers play an important role in improving and maintaining the financial standing of a number of companies. By looking after their company's financial and risk management activities, corporate treasurers attempt to ensure the most favourable market conditions for its activities. Ranging from undertaking general financial management to making decisions on funding and risk management at more senior levels, this is a varied and responsible role with increasing opportunities.
Credit Analyst - Credit analysts undertake risk assessment analysis of various types of lending proposals from the straightforward to the very complex, which can be for amounts in excess of £50 million. Credit analysis offers a variety of career opportunities within the increasingly diverse financial services sector. The role demands a strong combination of interpersonal, analytical and decision-making skills.
Customer services manager - A customer services manager ensures that the company they work for satisfies its customers' needs. They may work at various levels, from head office to the front end of the business. Work might include: helping to develop a customer service policy for an entire organisation; managing a team of customer services staff; or handling face-to-face enquiries from customers. Customer services managers are expected to understand, meet and exceed their customers' requirements.
Economist - An economist provides a wide range of specialist advice. They carry out research, collect and analyse data, monitor economic trends, and develop forecasts for future activities. Usually, economists are involved in studying the distribution of scarce resources, such as land, human labour, raw materials, money, goods and machinery. This information is then used to produce policies, goods and services. Areas of economic research include: the impact of globalisation on developing countries; labour market intelligence; local government finance; energy costs; public health; property; inflation; taxation; interest rates; and imports and exports.
Financial advisor - Financial advisers give clients advice on financial matters, making recommendations on ways to use their money. The role involves advising clients on products and services available, ensuring they are aware of and understand those that best meet their needs, and then securing a sale. Advisers can specialise in certain products, depending on their clients, eg selling employee pension schemes to companies or offering mortgage, pension or investment advice to private clients. Other advisors are generalists, offering advice to clients in a large number of areas.
Human resources officer - A human resources (HR) officer develops, advises on and implements policies relating to the effective use of personnel within an organisation. Human Resource staff need to make sure that the organisation employs the right balance of staff in terms of skills and experience, and that training and development opportunities are available to employees to improve their performance in order to achieve the organisation's objectives.
IT consultant - An IT consultant works in partnership with clients to overcome their business challenges through the application of technology.
Marketing Executive - Marketing executives are involved in aspects of marketing, including: planning; advertising; promotion; public/media relations; product development; distribution; sponsorship; and research. The role is often challenging, varied and exciting. As many organisations have marketing departments, marketing executives can be found in both the private and public sectors: from the banking, retailing and media industries to voluntary and not-for-profit organisations.
Tax Adviser - Tax advisers use their knowledge of changing tax legislation to provide professional advisory to clients. They explain complicated legislation, and its implications for their clients, in simple terms. Tax advisers advise on all aspects of taxation in order to create the best tax strategies for their clients future. Clients include global multinationals, high net-worth individuals, small local businesses, and individual taxpayers