Like pinstripes and pratt knots, finance directors are part of the fabric of a company. And, with the financial services sector booming across the UK, the biggest organisations are on the hunt for the best talent to manage their money.
It’s a high-pressured job for sure but the financial rewards are matched by the satisfaction of making decisions that can help companies grow and prosper.
Think you’ve got what it takes? Well, here’s exactly what you’ll need.
Learning is earning
The path to becoming a financial services or investment director is competitive and having qualifications can give you the edge. Many begin by investing time in a financial services, investment or business degree and, to really get a leg up, move on to an MA. You should also be taking every opportunity to grab real life work experience. A good education is highly sought after but work placements early on can help boost your career later.
Seek challenges
Working hard, gaining experience and making contacts across the industry are all essential steps in climbing the financial services ladder. Try your hand at a range of roles too. You’re a paraplanner but have you ever tried payrolls? You work in pensions but have you ever thought about financial advising? It’s all about challenging yourself and making the most of each role. If you feel you’ve outgrown your job, move on.
A need to lead
Among the key skills associated with finance director roles are management, organisation and communication – the same talents that are associated with good leadership. Perfect these and you can take the step up to a director’s role.
Get certified
You may be a star in financial services and know this business inside out but what separates you from the rest of the pack? Professional certification might just do the trick. Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) certification, for example, is open to those with relevant qualifications and the required experience.
Be loyal
When it comes to handling a company’s financial matters one special word means a lot: loyalty. Yes, if you want to reach the highest management position, you must be able to demonstrate you always have an organisation’s best interests at heart and will never be distracted.
Finally, a huge step in the right direction will be to land a top Financial Services role with s1jobs.