Significance

• The dictionary defines finance as the managing of revenues and the use and transaction of money. By this definition, there's a little bit of finance in just about every job imaginable--even for a cashier at a grocery checkout line. What differentiates a career specializing in business finance isn't just the large amounts of money that such professionals handle; it's how the professionals approach their duties. Money is a symbolic representation of value--generally expressing that of work--and finance professionals are all about optimizing the flow of value through companies, individuals and the economy as a whole.
  
  

Function

• Investment banking firms offer some of the most prestigious and highest paying jobs in the financial sector. These banks primarily service high net worth individuals, government entities and large corporations to invest their money for the greatest chances of return. In some cases, they broker investment deals with hedge funds or manage portfolios of public stocks directly. In others, they may broker massive private equity deals that never become public knowledge.
  
  

Features

• Other financial business professionals are employed within a corporation at the management level. In most situations, these professionals are not focusing on how to invest funds outside the business. Rather, their purpose is to use the revenues of the business and whatever credit on hand to attempt to make their corporate structure more efficient and to increase the level of innovation within the company. These jobs require accounting knowledge, the capability to conduct extensive market research and to be able to communicate effectively with co-workers and the company at large.
  
  

Considerations

• Careers in finance have extraordinarily high pressure. Many middle- and upper-level finance workers spend very long hours in the office and traveling, and must spend plenty of their free time even outside the office focusing on the needs of their clients. Commercial banking and insurance are more conventional workplaces, with lower work hours but commensurately lower pay. Corporate financial managers will work and be paid very differently, depending on company policies and culture.
  
  

Benefits

• Finance has a reputation as one of the highest-paying fields. It is--for senior level professionals. It can take 5 to 10 years or much longer, if ever, for most recent entrants to the field to start making a salary in the middle to upper six figures and beyond. Compared to most other fields, that's not much of a discouragement--but it's worth noting that the large salaries aren't automatically given out. To make it that far in finance requires extraordinary dedication, competitive spirit, talent and intelligence.