What's it like to work in finance?

Finance is defined as the management of money. It is a broad term that covers activities associated with:

  • Banking
  • Capital markets
  • Corporate Finance
  • Credit
  • Financial advisory
  • Investments
  • Leverage or debt
  • Money management

Finance professionals participate in investing, borrowing, lending, budgeting, saving, and forecasting. Finance also offers opportunities to practice managerial and development skills with the oversight, creation, and study of money, banking, credit, investments, assets, and liabilities that make up financial systems.

How do I find jobs in Finance?

You can find opportunities in many places, including:

  • UBC faculty leads
  • Business Career Centre staff leads
  • Self-networking

Training in financial tools

Through the Wayne Deans Investment Analysis Centre, our partners at the Canaccord Learning Commons (CLC) offer a series of workshops training students on how to use tools commonly used in the investment banking field, such as Bloomberg and CapitalIQ.

Students can also gain technical finance and interview skills through the Early Start to Finance Program, the Finance Mentorship Program (FMP), and the Capital Markets Training Program (CMTP).

Working in Finance

Check out the Working in Finance guide on COOL to explore the difference between "sell-side" and "buy-side", salary info & more!

CFA University Affiliation Program Partner

The UBC Sauder School of Business is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) University Affiliation Program Partner, an internationally recognized designation certifying that the UBC Sauder BCom meets the CFA Program Candidate Body of Knowledge.

As a CFA Program Partner, UBC Sauder gives its students the edge they need in pursuing this professional designation and careers in positions as financial analysts, portfolio managers, and investment advisors. To learn more and for questions, visit the CFA Institute.

Curious if a climate-focused career is right for you?

You don’t have to be a STEM grad to have a career focused on tackling climate change. Explore the Working in Climate & Environmental Impact guide to learn about different career opportunities in this emerging sector.

UBC Swift: Sauder Women in Finance Training

SWIFT is an extra-curricular program for students pursuing a BCom degree at UBC Sauder. The objective of the program is to provide top-quality training in finance to a diverse pipeline of talent. We will supply excellence, equity, diversity, and inclusion to employers and students who share our vision for responsible leadership. 

Through connections between academics and practitioners in finance, students reconcile practical portfolio management with rigorous academic theory. 

Portfolio Management Foundation

The Portfolio Management Foundation (PMF) provides a small group of select BCom students with an experience that will provide world-class training in the global capital markets.

Our students learn from the best investment professionals within and outside of Canada to prepare for careers in investment banking, research, sales and trading, and money management. PMF graduates work in:

  • Vancouver
  • Victoria
  • Calgary
  • Toronto
  • New York
  • San Francisco
  • Los Angeles
  • London
  • Hong Kong and elsewhere

PMF graduates also stay actively involved in the program as mentors and supporters.

Learn more about PMF

Embedded thumbnail for PMF video

Watch the story of the PMF program and meet some of the people behind it.

Thinking about doing a Business Analytics concentration?

Read the Working in Business Analytics guide on COOL to explore different business analytics opportunities, salary info & more!


Hide Menu

Explore myBCom