Business + Entrepreneurship

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Are you someone who wants the very best out of a product or service?

Whether you enjoy working with numbers through calculations and forecasts, prefer to persuade others toward a specific goal, or have a natural acumen for identifying successful innovations, careers in Business + Entrepreneurship offer ample opportunities for the savvy student. 

As the backbone of economic activity, people who pursue Business + Entrepreneurship are often driven to increase efficiency and profitability through roles such as finance, accounting, management, sales, real estate, operations, logistics, actuarial science, and quantitative analysis to predict future business models. Learn how you can jump-start your career in Business + Entrepreneurship and reach your highest potential.

 

 

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Discover Options: Finance

For complete information on assessing yourself, choosing majors, and exploring careers, review our starter tips to Discover Options in all careers as well as the specialized tips on this page.

Finding a Future in Finance

Your time spent as a UCSB student presents the best opportunity to consider the possibilities that will open doors to your future. While there are various similarities between job duties within the finance sectors, there are also many nuances to investigate. In fact, careers in finance offer hundreds of different occupations, industries, and companies that you may have never considered.

Given the many options that you have available, we recommend that you take the time to evaluate and better understand career possibilities within the world of finance.

 

Overview of Finance Careers

"Finance" is a broad term that crosses over many fields and industries. At its core, finance refers to the management of money, which often involves assessing value, risk, and rates of return. 

Click below to explore the three primary areas that people work within the finance sector: banking and finance, consulting, and investment management.

Within the business world, banking and finance is a large sector to explore. Some popular interests of students include commercial banking, corporate finance, and investment banking.

  • Commercial banking: Involves companies that accept deposits insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and offer loans to businesses or individual clients.
  • Corporate finance: Manages money for shareholders, in order to increase short-term and long-term gains and evaluate the efficiency of financial operations. Some areas to work within include: capital structure, investments and valuation, dividend policy, and working capital.
  • Investment banking: Focuses on raising capital and providing expert knowledge in financial consulting to other companies. Investment bankers may also help with facilitating mergers and acquisitions, as well as valuing the price of stocks or bonds that companies may want to sell.

 


Learn More

Explore deeper insights in the Careers in Commercial Banking, or join a professional association such as the American Finance Association and the Association for Financial Professionals.

 

Consulting is a versatile career choice that attracts individuals with a passion for problem-solving and strategic thinking. As consultants, professionals have the opportunity to work with a wide range of clients, from startups to multinational corporations, helping them navigate challenges and capitalize on opportunities. With its collaborative nature and emphasis on innovation, consulting provides an exciting and fulfilling career path for those who thrive in dynamic and intellectually stimulating environments. Some popular areas of consulting include management, financial, information technology, and human resources.

  • Management: Provides consulting services to organizations to improve their performance, organizational structure, efficiency, or profits to reach specific goals. Strategy and Operation roles fall under here.
  • Financial: Advises clients on financial matters, including investment strategies, risk management, mergers and acquisitions, and financial planning.
  • Information technology (Tech): Assists organizations with IT strategy, system implementation, software development, cybersecurity, and digital transformation initiatives.
  • Human resources: Provides guidance, expertise, and support to organizations in managing their human resources (HR) functions more effectively.

Learn More

To consider consulting further, read the Top Management Consulting Firms or join a professional association such as the Institute of Management Consultants.

 

This area refers to the managing of various types of financial assets in order to obtain a certain monetary objective. Overseeing investments can include responsibilities ranging from buying and selling holdings, short-term/long-term portfolio strategies, banking, budgeting, and tax services. Investment management can also be referred to as money management, portfolio management, or wealth management.

There are three primary areas within investment management:

  • Financial services and wealth management: Advises individual clients on managing their money to ensure present and future stability. The work in this field may include helping clients prepare for investments such as their first home purchase, children’s college fund, or retirement savings. Additionally, wealth management is a niche area of financial services which focuses on addressing the fiscal needs of affluent clientele. 
  • Private equity: Purchases a stake and invests in private companies, which are not listed on the public stock exchange, with the primary goal of repositioning the company to perform better and become more profitable. These investments may be short-term or long-term.
  • Venture capital: Serves as a distinct type of investment within private equity. Venture capital buys a stake and typically invests in private, entrepreneurial, start up companies that have much greater risk and return in terms of profitability.

 


Learn More

To dive deeper, join a professional association such as the Certified Financial Planners Board, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors, or the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association.

 

Learning the Role of the Analyst

There are endless options to consider in finance, but one common area of interest is the role of an analyst. Skills that are typically utilized in an analyst role include:


Learn More

Review O*Net Online’s Finance and Insurance Industry page and the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Business and Financial Occupations page to further explore specific skills and tasks that are involved in these types of roles.

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