Your future in finance
If you’re keen to start a graduate career in finance, you’ve come to the right place. It can seem bewildering at first. With so many choices (accountancy, investment banking, insurance, to name a few), how do you know which branch of finance will suit you best and which employer will be the best fit, and how do you ensure you’ve impressed graduate finance recruiters and got ahead of the competition? We’re here to help you. You can also discover the graduate finance job roles and internships on offer.
TRENDING IN Accountancy, banking and finance
Insights from career specialists
Will a career in finance suit me?
It’s the million-dollar question: are you suited to a career in finance? Read our overview of the three main sectors in finance that attract graduates and get to grips with the basics of each. We’ll introduce you to investment banking and investment, accountancy and financial management, and financial services so you can get started on your research.
Top tips from career experts
The finance applications advice you need
The skills recruiters seek
Learn the competencies graduate employers will be looking for candidates applying for accountancy, banking and finance roles.
Free mini-course
Could you be a management accountant?
This free online mini-course, developed in partnership with AICPA & CIMA (the alliance of the American institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants) is designed to introduce you to management accounting. You’ll learn what life as a management accountant looks like so you can decide if it would be a good career choice for you. To access this Pathway you’ll need to be registered with targetjobs and signed in.
Insights from career specialists
Looking for a finance internship?
Getting an internship at an investment bank
Many investment banking employers recruit their graduates from their internship programmes so pursuing one is highly recommended.
Boost your employability
Undergraduate of the Year award
Consider entering the targetjobs Undergraduate of the Year competition, which is aimed at finding the best undergraduates in the UK. Each award is partnered by an employer who provides a fantastic prize for the winner, which could include a paid internship, a trip abroad or other exclusive opportunities. Even just the process of submitting an entry will help you hone and improve your CV.
Browse job descriptions
Your finance job options
Discover what key roles in accountancy, banking and finance really involve, and which would suit you best
Our top employers
Industry leaders with a large annual graduate intake.
Featured employers
Active employers looking for graduate talent all year round.
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FAQs in Accountancy, banking and finance
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Is finance a good career?
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Graduates working in investment banking find their jobs fast-paced and challenging, with a lot of early responsibility, high salaries and a global working environment. Accountancy, regarded generally as a very stable career, is at the heart of how businesses are run – and gives you the chance to gain an internationally recognised professional qualification. Financial services is an expanding sector with a focus on customer service, where you could gain management responsibility early on and still have a healthy work/life balance.
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What area of finance should I work in?
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We’ve got lots of information across targetjobs to help you make this decision, in the form of articles, videos and webinars, with first-hand accounts from graduates working across all sectors of finance. Discover what working life is like, and the particular challenges and benefits in each sector.
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What is investment banking?
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In short, investment banks are middlemen between those with money and those with ideas who need funding. They give money a productive purpose by channelling it into projects… with the hope that it will generate more money.
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Advice for school leavers
Discover the world of options open to you on finishing school or college and get tips on how to make the right decision for you.
CVs, applications and tests
Find the tools and tips you need to help you apply for graduate jobs or internships. We cover every aspect of the application process, from writing a CV to answering online application questions and sitting psychometric tests.
Career ideas
Find advice for figuring out your dream career, including what options are available to you after graduating and how to choose the right graduate role.
Finding a job
Finding a job isn’t always as easy as it sounds. Here we help you to jump potential hurdles, giving essential advice for home and international students: from applying in tough economic times to getting a top graduate job with a 2.2.
Internships
Completing an internship allows you to sharpen your skills, improve your CV, prepare for the world of work and potentially land yourself a graduate job. Discover what internships actually involve, how to apply for them and how to make the most of them.
Interviews and assessment centres
You impressed on paper; now it’s time to show the employer in person that you’re the right hire. Learn how to do this with our expert advice for answering interview questions, developing interview techniques and acing assessment centre exercises.
Job descriptions
Discover the qualifications, skills and experience you’ll need for more than 300 job roles and find one you’ll love.
Job offers and working life
Job offers, rejection emails and stepping into the working world with your first graduate job can pull you in a million directions. Fortunately, we’ve curated advice on how to accept job offers, bounce back from rejection and make an impact in your first job.
Skills for getting a job
Discover the skills that major graduate employers seek and how you can demonstrate them on your application form, and at interviews and assessment centres.
University life
Wanting to leave uni with a degree is a given. But what do you want from the other bits of student life? Discover how to combine study, rest, work and play with our insights from students and graduates.
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