{"id":11191,"date":"2021-10-15T14:23:50","date_gmt":"2021-10-15T13:23:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/careers\/?p=11191"},"modified":"2021-10-15T14:23:50","modified_gmt":"2021-10-15T13:23:50","slug":"how-to-prepare-yourself-for-an-entry-level-finance-job","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/careers\/how-to-prepare-yourself-for-an-entry-level-finance-job\/","title":{"rendered":"How to prepare yourself for an entry level finance job"},"content":{"rendered":"

Landing a job in finance can be quite competitive; students and graduates may feel the additional pressure, especially after recent (Covid-19) events.<\/p>\n

Whether you\u2019re just looking at your options and wanting to get a heads-up on how to land yourself an entry-level finance job, or are a graduate actively looking for a role \u2013 here are a few tips from Rapid Cash<\/a>, on what is expected from someone that is looking to pursue a career in the finance industry.<\/p>\n

We are a NatWest-owned company, offering an innovative invoice financing product, with years of experience in the financial space. Our reimagined invoice finance model helps SME owners overcome cashflow challenges and access growth opportunities.<\/p>\n

\u27a1 Getting the relevant qualification <\/strong><\/p>\n

The first step towards getting an entry-level job is, of course, getting the relevant qualification. This doesn\u2019t obviously mean that your qualification is restricted to a financial degree. It could be a degree in fields such as business, maths, management, or economics as they all help you develop the skills needed for a career in finance.<\/p>\n

However, the world of finance is constantly evolving, and creative skills are also needed for technological innovation such as FinTech. This means that if you have a degree in the creative field, such as marketing, journalism or even arts \u2013 there is nothing stopping you from pursuing a career in finance. You just need to have some essential financial knowledge, which can be achieved by taking online courses<\/a> or enrolling in Chartered Institute courses such as CII<\/a>, CISI<\/a> and CFA<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u27a1 Gaining work experience <\/strong><\/p>\n

The next step that will massively help you prepare for your entry-level job is gaining relevant work experience within the field. Whether it\u2019s an unpaid experience, internship, or part-time job \u2013 you should take any opportunity to immerse yourself in the industry, learn how it works and develop essential skills.<\/p>\n

There are various ways in which you can gain experience such as helping your university societies, charities, and friends and family who have small businesses. This help can vary from financial administration and client management to accounting and business analysis.<\/p>\n

This would help you learn industry-related skills and know what you\u2019ll be getting yourself into when applying for a full-time position in finance. But it would also be a great selling point for your interview, compared to other candidates who don\u2019t have experience.<\/p>\n

\u27a1 Learn basic technical skills \u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Although learning and developing technical skills is something that comes with practice and experience, there are some basic skills that you could learn to prepare yourself for a finance job \u2013 for example:<\/p>\n