Not surprisingly, the highest-paying finance jobs are managerial jobs which require years of experience even to apply for. If, however, you are new to the game and getting in on the ground floor, the best-paying jobs are often in sales or financial analysis. Both of these positions rely more on natural talents and abilities than they do on specialized training.
As most financial managers know, salesmen are born not made. Though the studied worker may be able to fake it to a degree, sales is more about personality and approachability than it is about having a specific strategy. Sure, you can smile and follow the company line, but if you don’t have a natural rapport with people, you may find it extremely difficult to gain their trust or their business.
While financial analysis does not depend on people skills, it is important to have patience and a keen eye for detail. Again, these are things that are difficult, perhaps even impossible to teach, which is why employees in these fields are so well-compensated. These are the skills that many financial institutions are looking for and they offer competitive starting salaries to anyone who possesses them.
As we mentioned, the positions that offer the highest starting salaries are managerial ones. Managers are expected to have a wealth of experience they can draw upon as well as superb communication skills. After all, it is their job to get the most out of all of the people who work for them. A good manager is often tough and fair. He does not take advantage of his employees but he also asks that they take responsibilities for their actions. Ultimately it is his job to create a winning team of highly motivated individuals who can get the job done. Not surprisingly, managerial jobs in financial institutions have incredibly high turnovers.
When it comes right down to it, jobs in the financial industry are based on education and natural ability. Just as in many other fields, a natural, born salesman can do quite well selling the services his company offers. Financial analysts and others with a talent for numbers and a fine eye for details can also obtain gainful employment in the industry.
In final analysis, the people who make the most money in finance jobs are those with that rare combination of education and natural ability. But above all you must also have ambition. There is absolutely no substitute for hard work and dedication. For many young workers the money is motivation enough. But after only a few months, many find that jobs in high finance are simply not for them. Finance is a field that is and always has been extremely successful and offer little to no job security. You can literally be on top of the world one moment and out on a ledge the next.
