Careers in Finance
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.
Skill set required
- Quantitative and analytical skills
- Strong knowledge of current events
- Proficient in MS Office suite
- Presentation skills
- Problem-solving skills
- Ability to work under pressure
- Data manipulation
Check out the Working in Finance resource below to learn more about this profession.
Download the Working in Finance PDF
(CWL login required)
What can I read?
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 optimize their Excel skills through BCC-hosted advanced training courses to complement their academics and face-to-face workshops.
Finance Co-op
Get paid finance experience during your degree with the UBC Sauder Co-op Program! Complete three 4-month work terms to learn new skills, and expand your professional network.
What can I join?
How do I find jobs in Finance?
You can find opportunities in many places, including:
- COOL job postings
- Company job postings
- Career fairs and company info sessions
- Connections made through Co-op work terms
- UBC faculty leads
- Business Career Centre staff leads
- Self-networking
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.
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, and they stay actively involved in the program as mentors and supporters.
Portfolio Management Foundation (PMF) Program
Watch the story of the PMF program and meet some of the people behind it.