Corporate Finance Jobs

Corporate finance is a subset of finance that deals with various funding sources, corporate capital structuring, and accounting and investment decisions. These careers and jobs are very important to corporations and can be some of the most lucrative career options.

There is a wide variety of corporate finance careers and jobs widely known as corp finance positions; many are entry-level positions, and others come from climbing the corporate ladder. 

Most of these finance jobs are in place to help companies make accounting and investing decisions. But ultimately, the jobs are offered to people who can help increase the share value, maximize profits while limiting risks, and deal with cash flows, financial statements, etc.

There are amazing opportunities in the realm of finance. There are generally four different areas of focus in corp finance careers; these are corporate development, financial planning and analysis, treasury, and investor relations. All four play a key role in the growth of companies. 

The best jobs in corp finance are those that deal closest to decisions made about allocating capital, long-term planning, investing, and creating value. For example, corporate development positions are some of the most desired in the finance realm within corporations.

Many jobs cannot be obtained without a four-year college degree; some require even higher education. Moreover, some entry-level positions require a minimum amount of experience that can be acquired through internships, specific courses, and certifications. 

Corp finance jobs can be a great career for entry-level university personnel. However, many of the graduates from finance-related majors are hard-core students who strive to be at the top of the finance food chain, and corporate jobs may not be their first choice. 

What are the different career paths within Corporate Finance Jobs?

There are many different paths within finance; these careers exist within corporate development, financial planning and analysis, investor relations, and treasury groups in companies. There are four main groups of careers in companies, meaning most jobs fall under these categories.

1. Corporate Development

Careers in corporate development are considered some of the best jobs to have in corporate finance, mainly because they deal directly with the growth of the company and the allocation of funds. 

One of the largest things this department deals with is mergers and acquisitions. When dealing with mergers and acquisitions within development teams, you will more than likely be working on large deals for companies that can be life-changing for the companies, so to speak. 

As a result, people may work heavy hours when trying to close big deals.

Some specializations within corporate development are deal sourcing and analysis, financial modeling and valuation, and deal integration. 

Deal sourcing involves finding companies seeking to make a deal;  this happens more at smaller firms and much less at larger firms. 

Financial modeling and valuation include creating revenue, expense, and cash flow projections for companies. Based on the financial model, companies are valued to assist in deal negotiations. 

Deal integration involves helping acquired companies integrate your system with theirs. 

2. Financial Planning and Analysis (FP&A)

Financial planning and analysis deal directly with planning, forecasting, budgeting, and other analytical duties. These activities help companies make decisions while supporting overall financial health. 

FP&A teams combine financial, operational, and external data in one place. They analyze all of this data to expose details needed to make decisions for the future and lead their firms to success.

3. Investor Relations 

Investor relations (IR) teams are frequently tasked with coordinating meetings with shareholders and other investors. They also deal with press conferences and the release of financial data to investors and lead financial analyst briefings. 

Most investor relations teams must be closely integrated with the companies they work for and their accounting and legal departments. They also need to be closely engaged with the executive management team members, such as the CEOs, COOs, and CFOs.

4. Treasury

In simplest terms, employees in the treasury departments and teams are responsible for managing their company's financial resources to reach the targeted business objectives. 

Also, they are tasked with making sure the company has enough money for its future obligations. 

For example, if a company has $5 million in dividend payments this quarter, then the treasury department would be responsible for making sure the funds in relation to the same are available. 

Which are the most desired corporate finance career paths?

There are many jobs and career opportunities within corporate finance. Still, some of the most lucrative roles are the chief financial officer (CFO), financial planning and analysis manager, controller, auditor, and investor relations manager.

Although these careers might be very rewarding, they are challenging to obtain. Getting to the point where one can be a CFO or manager takes many years of education and experience to ensure you can fulfill your responsibilities. 

1. Chief Financial Officer 

A CFO is more than likely the most desired career path for most people aspiring to enter corporate finance. These jobs have lots of responsibilities and are normally very lucrative. This position is the top financial position in most companies. 

CFOs monitor cash flow, budget the company's finances, identify its financial strengths and weaknesses and provide strategic direction. They generally control the organization's finances and provide direction for the future.

2. Financial Planning and Analysis Manager 

The financial planning and analysis manager is the lead of business forecasting. They will look at the business financials in detail and try to find any abnormalities and trends headed in the wrong direction. Then they will produce a plan to fix it.

In smaller companies, this role is normally played by the business owner. Still, when companies begin to get larger, they will need someone with experience to fulfill these full-time financial analysis responsibilities. 

3. Financial Controller 

Primarily in charge of accurately providing company records promptly. Their responsibilities include operating the financial processes and providing financial statements and reports to aid decision-makers in making better choices. 

4. Auditor 

Financial auditors are responsible for finding errors and fraud within a company's documents and accounts. In addition, they can perform accounting analyses on companies to ensure they follow the generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP).

Note: Financial auditors can work for outside firms, or there can be a group of auditing teams within a company that places internal audit controls. 

5. Investor Relations Manager

Investor relations managers are the main people who communicate with investors; this is a very important job. These employees handle the communication regarding releasing financial data, press releases, stakeholder queries, and investor meetings. 

What profile of education and experience is needed to break into corporate finance?

When breaking into the corp finance realm, you will more than likely need a higher level of education. Most standard entry-level positions require a four-year degree, while mid and senior-level positions do not require but prefer at least a master's degree.

That said, none of the routes to corporate are easy, but some are easier than others. Everyone must start with at least a bachelor's degree. This will help one obtain an entry-level position at a corporate firm. 

If you are trying to enter into a corporation, there are specific degrees that you should consider choosing. These include finance, business administration, financial planning, financial analytics, and Financial technology. These degrees are a must when considering jobs in finance.

During your time at college, you will need to complete at least one summer internship, which will allow you to gain real work-life experience, and you can find out what the field you are potentially entering is like. The more internships you can get, the better.

Understand that the more internships you get before applying for a corporate job, the better the odds of bagging the offer. 

Moreover, most internship programs offer their interns a full-time job at the end of the internship duration if they find them to be a perfect fit. 

Once you complete your internships and degree, the next step is to get a job. Interview processes can be lengthy. For many applicants, finding a job can take up to twenty-four weeks. 

After you have worked for a few years and gotten promotions, it may be time to upgrade your education and apply for a master's program. Good master's programs for corp finance include business, finance, business analytics, and marketing. 

Many companies prefer or even require a master's degree to get a promotion. However, once one reaches a certain level or position, companies may even require certifications such as CPA or CFA, a CPA is a certified public accountant, and a CFA is a Chartered Financial Analyst.

Both of these certifications are hard and take a few years to obtain. To become a CPA, you must complete a bachelor's program in business, finance, or accounting with at least 150 hours of coursework. In most cases, one must have two years of experience to sit the CPA exam. 

The CFA exam requirement is similar, although you must have at least four years of relevant experience. Passing a CFA is the gold standard for financial analysts, and here's why. To acquire your CFA, you must pass not one, not two, but three different exams. 

In finance, you must be willing to put a lot of time and effort into finding the right job and career for yourself. . It can be grueling and difficult, but it has proven to be rewarding and lucrative at the same time. 

Corporate finance vs. Investment Banking

In simple terms, corp finance deals with day-to-day operations for short and long-term business operations, while investing banking (IB) deals mostly with raising capital in public markets. 

The IB function is in charge of growing a company, while corp finance manages the overall finance for the company.

When considering the difference in education levels needed for investment banking compared to corporate finance, investment banking requires a higher level of education, which is the case with most corp finance positions as well. 

Investment banking firms usually look for the top prospects from Ivy League schools. This makes the few internships and positions available extremely competitive. 

It is not to say that corp finance is easy; although, there are many more positions to be filled in corporate finance as compared to traditional investment banking roles. 

Many students will do their best to break into investment banking before they move to corporate finance because the exit opportunities are much better in IB. In other words, it is easier to get higher ranking corp finance jobs when one is coming from investment banking. 

Investment banking is brutal; the time spent there is not desirable unless you enjoy working 80+ hours a week and being up at all hours of the day working on projects. Many people move from IB to corporate finance because they are burnt out. 

Conclusion

Corporate finance has excellent opportunities for students coming from college or others coming from areas of finance who desire a change. These jobs can be in the four-different groups: corporate development, financial planning and analysis, investor relations, and treasury.

There are many desirable jobs within corp finance, such as chief financial officer, financial planning and analyzing manager, controller, auditor, and investor relations. These jobs do not happen overnight; they take time and dedication. 

Regarding education and experience requirements, there are a few different routes that someone could take to break into corporate finance. 

Still, they all start with obtaining a bachelor's degree in finance, business administration, finance analytics, and other finance-related degrees. After completing their degree, they can use the experience from the internships completed during the summers to land a job. 

Post graduation, some students go directly into corp finance, while others decide to go into fields such as investment banking, mutual funds, etc.

Shifting from IB, mutual funds, and hedge funds to general corporate finance roles is the desired path, as the exit opportunities are great in addition to the profile-building exposure. Once burnt out, many bankers easily hop onto higher-level corp finance positions. 

In general, corporate finance is a great career path for those interested. There are many paths of education and experience leading up to corporate finance. These careers don't come easy, and you must be willing to work hard to get there. 

Research and authored by Adam Bridges | Linkedin

Reviewed and Edited by Krupa Jatania I LinkedIn