If you have broad finance-based skills, but aren’t sure how to apply them to a career, then consider one or even all of the following five career routes.

Modern education has come a long way. For the most part, gone are the days in which a role or industry required a particular education or qualification. Micro-credentials, online courses, part-time courses and even self-taught skills are now being viewed by many organisations and institutions as legitimate forms of upskilling, worthy of getting at the very least an opportunity to interview for a role. 

But when you have a wide range of skills and have participated in a non-traditional form of pre-career education, it can be difficult to know which career avenues your skillset is suited to. With that in mind, SiliconRepublic.com has curated a list of five of the finance and financial infrastructure ecosystem’s most interesting career routes, for professionals and jobseekers alike.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, jobs in risk management and compliance requiring finance skills are becoming increasingly necessary, in a landscape that is undergoing significant global turmoil.

Typically, a degree or specialist qualification is required, and the role might involve managing exposure to risk, analysing likely risks, and devising and implementing strategies to minimise or avoid them. The compliance aspect would involve ensuring that an organisation, institution or client is compliant with local, national and international frameworks and regulations.

Financial analysts play a major role in the wider business sector, as they are largely responsible for offering in-depth analysis of the factors dictating the financial marketplace. They also guide financial decision-making in key areas, on behalf of organisations and clients.

Areas covered by a financial analyst include: identifying patterns to evaluate a company’s profitability, liquidity and solvency; investment research; modelling techniques to forecast future financial performance; risk assessment; and communicating findings to clients, among others. 

A bachelor’s degree in a related field such as finance, accounting or economics is typically a requirement; traits to prioritise can include a strong foundation in financial literacy, a key understanding of relevant markets, a robust ethical framework, and an array of technical skills that enable research, data collection and presentation. 

It is the job of a forensic accountant to identify and confirm fraudulent activities, via their own accountancy and research skills. Professionals in this field should have significant interpersonal skills, as they often work hand-in-hand with lawyers, insurance personnel, large-scale organisations, law enforcement and individuals impacted by fraud.

An accountancy degree is typically required, and additional qualifications in areas such as risk assessment, forecast modelling and compliance would likely give you an edge in a job interview. It is an exciting role for someone looking to spice up their finance career and put their detective and problem-solving skills to the test. In this role, you can’t underestimate the importance of accuracy or persistence.  

Fintech engineers are professionals who blend their skills in finance and technology in order to create practical, functional and secure platforms that support financial transactions. Typically, a recruiter or employer might expect a qualification in computer science, software engineering or finance. Must-have skills include: programming across a wide range of languages; significant financial literacy; broad cybersecurity awareness; workflow automation; systems integration; and skills that enable you to work closely with different teams. 

One of the most important roles within the finance ecosystem – and one that can often be forgotten about when discussing careers in this area – is that played by academics in preparing the fintech and financial infrastructure innovators of the future. A route towards a career in this space is more traditional than others on this list and includes the need for a PhD in a finance-related field, as well as qualifications that encourage teaching and research skills. 

Educators are responsible for mentoring the next generation of experts. As a result, strong interpersonal skills are a must, as is a deep understanding of complex financial systems. Because most academics are involved in research of some kind, professionals in this space should know how to write grant proposals, which also demands knowledge of numerous regulatory and financial frameworks. Public speaking is a must-have skill, and academics must be able to write and present their work in a manner suitable for an academic peer review and wider public consumption. A career in this field, while complicated at points, would arguably never be dull. 

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