Finance Career Map: Roles & Routes

"Finance" is a huge umbrella. Working in a Bank is different from working in a Stock Market firm, which is different from working in a Company's finance team.

The 3 Main Pillars

1. Investment Banking (IB) & Markets (The "High Finance")

Goal: Help companies raise money or buy other companies.

• Roles: Investment Banker, Equity Research Analyst, Trader, Private Equity (PE) Associate.
• Lifestyle: High Pay, High Stress (80-100 hour weeks).
• Top Firms: Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, Morgan Stanley.
• Entry: Top MBA, CFA, IIT/IIM.

2. Corporate Finance (The "Company" Side)

Goal: Manage a company's money.

• Roles: FP&A (Financial Planning & Analysis), Treasury, CFO (Chief Financial Officer).
• Lifestyle: Good Pay, Better Work-Life Balance.
• Top Firms: HUL, Google, Tata, Reliance (Finance Dept).
• Entry: CA, MBA, CMA.

3. Wealth Management & Retail Banking (The "People" Side)

Goal: Manage individual people's money.

• Roles: Relationship Manager (RM), Wealth Manager, Financial Advisor.
• Lifestyle: Sales-driven, Commission-based.
• Top Firms: HDFC Bank, Kotak Wealth, IIFL.
• Entry: NISM Certifications, CFP, MBA.

Detailed Role Breakdown

A. Equity Research Analyst

• Job: Analyze stocks. Write "Buy/Sell" reports.
• Skills: Excel Modeling, Valuation, Writing.
• Route: CFA is the gold standard.

B. Investment Banker (M&A)

• Job: Advise on Mergers & Acquisitions (e.g., Tata buying Air India).
• Skills: PowerPoint (Pitch Decks), Excel, Negotiation.
• Route: Top Tier MBA.

C. FP&A Manager

• Job: "We spent ₹10 Cr on marketing. Did it work?" Budgeting and Forecasting.
• Skills: Excel, SQL, Business Acumen.
• Route: CA / CMA / MBA.

D. Risk Manager

• Job: "What if the market crashes?" Stress testing.
• Skills: Statistics, Python, FRM (Financial Risk Manager).
• Route: FRM Certification.

7-Day Action Plan

Day 1: Identify which pillar interests you. (Do you like Deals? Stocks? Or Strategy?).
Day 2: Search for "Day in the life of an Investment Banker" on YouTube. (Warning: It's intense).
Day 3: Look up "CFA Curriculum". See if the subjects (Equity, Derivatives) excite you.
Day 4: Check job descriptions on LinkedIn for "FP&A Analyst". Note the skills required.
Day 5: Talk to someone in the industry. (Cold message on LinkedIn).
Day 6: Understand the difference between "Buy Side" (Mutual Funds/PE) and "Sell Side" (Investment Banks).
Day 7: Map your current qualifications. Do you need a CA, CFA, or MBA to bridge the gap?

Quiz

💡 Final Wisdom: Don't chase the highest salary. Chase the role that fits your personality. If you hate sales, don't be a Wealth Manager. If you hate Excel, don't be an Analyst.