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Is a financing a stable career?
I want to live my life to its fullest and have fun. But I also want to have a stable job career, so I don't have to worry so much. #career #job #career-choice #finance #business #career-counseling #career-path
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12 answers
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Rebecca’s Answer
This question is more you have to ask yourself what do you mean to have its fullest and fun. Different people may have different answers to it. Some people may find their job is fun and meaningful. E.g. The doctors would find their job can save a lot of lifes and help many people. They enjoy their work and full of job. Teachers may enjoy their life of seeing the students development and growing up.
In terms of stability, it really hard to tell nowadays. In the past, a lot of people may think that working in some large corporate is safe and stable. However, some giant corporates may run into bankruptcy or layoff people when facing economic downturn. Would you consider to find a job working for the government?
I would suggest you to find the career you would really have interest on. If you would like to find a job that having more flexibility, you can consider some jobs that you can work online or self employed, e.g. be a youtuber, run your own business, etc.
Hope this helps! Good Luck!
In terms of stability, it really hard to tell nowadays. In the past, a lot of people may think that working in some large corporate is safe and stable. However, some giant corporates may run into bankruptcy or layoff people when facing economic downturn. Would you consider to find a job working for the government?
I would suggest you to find the career you would really have interest on. If you would like to find a job that having more flexibility, you can consider some jobs that you can work online or self employed, e.g. be a youtuber, run your own business, etc.
Hope this helps! Good Luck!
Updated
Matt’s Answer
Yes: finance is a highly employable field, so you should be able to make a very stable career out of it.
A stable career is a choice though. Stability will cost you other things you may want. But, a background in finance, especially if you become a certified accountant, will give you the option of a stable career, or maybe even a non-traditional one. I know tax accountants who "retired" years ago, but still go back to work for a few weeks in late March and early April, for the tax season rush. After decades in the field, they can pop back in for the big rush, make a few bucks, and then go live their best lives the rest of the year.
I'm going to disagree with a lot of the other responses you're getting here though: I don't think you should look to your job to find meaning in your life. It's cool if that happens, but for the vast majority of successful people, a job is a job, and their real life, the fun and fulfilling part, takes place outside their job.
A stable career is a choice though. Stability will cost you other things you may want. But, a background in finance, especially if you become a certified accountant, will give you the option of a stable career, or maybe even a non-traditional one. I know tax accountants who "retired" years ago, but still go back to work for a few weeks in late March and early April, for the tax season rush. After decades in the field, they can pop back in for the big rush, make a few bucks, and then go live their best lives the rest of the year.
I'm going to disagree with a lot of the other responses you're getting here though: I don't think you should look to your job to find meaning in your life. It's cool if that happens, but for the vast majority of successful people, a job is a job, and their real life, the fun and fulfilling part, takes place outside their job.
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Dahlia’s Answer
Hi Linh, what does fullest and fun mean to you? If you are interested in numbers, data, analysis then finance could be a fun and stable career for you. Discover what you are interested in doing on a day to day basis because a job typically takes up a majority of your time. If you're still a student, reach out to your schools career counseling department and take some job shadowing opportunities. Over your career you might even have multiple jobs, so having a positive attitude toward your work is also important.
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Andrew’s Answer
Hi Linsh,
How would you define a stable career?
Finance is a very broad term where there are numerous roles.
However, like any other job, the company is a profit organization (which is really not so different from any other sectors)
Your role and performance will be a key factor as layoffs are not an unusual sight.
That said, Finance being a broad industry with numerous job types, mobility is highly encouraged.
I am fortunate enough to experience various job types and moved across countries which allowed me to experience not just job culture but live life in different countries (which to me is a good balance of work and life)
How would you define a stable career?
Finance is a very broad term where there are numerous roles.
However, like any other job, the company is a profit organization (which is really not so different from any other sectors)
Your role and performance will be a key factor as layoffs are not an unusual sight.
That said, Finance being a broad industry with numerous job types, mobility is highly encouraged.
I am fortunate enough to experience various job types and moved across countries which allowed me to experience not just job culture but live life in different countries (which to me is a good balance of work and life)
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Evan’s Answer
A career in finance is definitely a stable career. I have found that one thing that is important is to determine what field of finance you would want to be involved in from a career standpoint. They all offer great benefits (i.e. banking, consulting, accounting, etc) but they will require different levels of education. Also, depending on the career route you chose, it may also require a certain level of certification. I would suggest that you that you start general then look to see what might pique your interest. As an accountant, I love dealing with numbers and ledgers which lead me to the career that I am today.
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Whitney’s Answer
Hi Linh,
Finance can absolutely be a stable career, but as others have mentioned, you have to do what's right for you and your long-term goals. Is finance something you are passionate about and enjoy? If so, this could be an excellent field for you! If you're just thinking of exploring it because you know someone who is in finance and you are bored by numbers, it may be a not-so-great move. My biggest advice would be to think about where your natural skills lie and what you are passionate about and try to form a career around that!
A little side note, but I was in high school, my family tried to convince me to go into the medical field because of the stability. I have no interest in the medical field, however, and am terrible at science! I ended up making the difficult decision to pursue something I am passionate about and have been in sales for 8 years now. I love it and can't imagine doing anything else!
If finance is what makes you light up, absolutely do it! If not, that's okay. There are plenty of careers with stability that are right for you!
Hopefully this is helpful, and best of luck to you!
Finance can absolutely be a stable career, but as others have mentioned, you have to do what's right for you and your long-term goals. Is finance something you are passionate about and enjoy? If so, this could be an excellent field for you! If you're just thinking of exploring it because you know someone who is in finance and you are bored by numbers, it may be a not-so-great move. My biggest advice would be to think about where your natural skills lie and what you are passionate about and try to form a career around that!
A little side note, but I was in high school, my family tried to convince me to go into the medical field because of the stability. I have no interest in the medical field, however, and am terrible at science! I ended up making the difficult decision to pursue something I am passionate about and have been in sales for 8 years now. I love it and can't imagine doing anything else!
If finance is what makes you light up, absolutely do it! If not, that's okay. There are plenty of careers with stability that are right for you!
Hopefully this is helpful, and best of luck to you!
Updated
Sylvia’s Answer
Hi Linh, it depends on which function you are doing in finance. If you want to have a better pay, you will probably need to be in the front line, which also mean you will have more pressure and you need to work hard to stay competitive, which may not be a very stable job I would say. I think it's more important to think through what is your interest because only if you have passion about a certain thing, then you will feel fun and happy doing it.
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Jamie’s Answer
Hi - Agree with others perspective that finance is definitely a stable career. I think as you start any career, it is important to define what is fulfilling to you and to determine what you need from your career and personal life to have a good work-life balance. I have learned over a career in business that you will not always have that work-life balance, but making those personal goals known to your supervisors and those you work with goes a long way to make sure that you are feeling fulfilled by items outside of work. Good luck!
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melannie’s Answer
Hello ! In my teenage years I worked a lot of different jobs, from fast foods to retail. I was never truly satisfied until the age of 21 when I got a job working at the bank. I'm currently a bank teller and I love my job. Great company and awesome co-workers! Plus I've learned how to handle my money better and learned a lot about finance. It's honestly one of the best career path so far.
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Matt’s Answer
Hi Linh,
While finance can sometimes feel unstable depending on the job market and other outside economic factors, a degree in finance and job experience in the financial world is a very stable background to have. Businesses always have a need for financial expertise in so many different roles.
At the stage of your career that you are in, finance is a wonderful subject to focus on. It is broad enough that you will find different aspects to focus on, the longer you spend within a specific role. If you find a topic or role that you like or don't like, this will only help you sharpen your focus on building a career for yourself. A degree in finance will open a lot of doors for you, and the range of options will create career stability for you.
Best of luck to you!
While finance can sometimes feel unstable depending on the job market and other outside economic factors, a degree in finance and job experience in the financial world is a very stable background to have. Businesses always have a need for financial expertise in so many different roles.
At the stage of your career that you are in, finance is a wonderful subject to focus on. It is broad enough that you will find different aspects to focus on, the longer you spend within a specific role. If you find a topic or role that you like or don't like, this will only help you sharpen your focus on building a career for yourself. A degree in finance will open a lot of doors for you, and the range of options will create career stability for you.
Best of luck to you!
Updated
Johann’s Answer
There is already a lot of good advice here. Some additional food for thought:
Obtaining a stable career that pays well so you do not have to stress about paying the bills and can do the things you find meaningful in life will be a constant journey that will require multiple course adjustments as you go through life. A person's outlook on life and priorities changes over time and you may want/need to adjust accordingly in 5,10 or 15 years’ time. You will also have to be prepared to make personal sacrifices along the way.
If your goal is to earn the maximum amount of money as a means to an end (i.e. living life to the fullest + having fun + not worry too much about money), for the sake of your sanity, try not to make your hobby your career. There is an old saying that the difference between a hobby and work is : in a hobby you can do what you want when you want how you want, but in work you have to do it when and how someone else needs it to be done within the time they mandate. Worth trying to keep your hobby(s) outside of work so you can find inner happiness in activities not related to the stresses of work.
Accept that you will have to continue learning after graduation. The world of tomorrow is constantly shaped by technological advances and new ways will be invented to get things done more effectively. Your future employer(s) will expect of you to stay up to date with advancements. To that end, try to research careers that will be in demand 5 - 10 years from today so to give you a head start on your career path. Automation is changing the face of many traditional careers, and finance is no exception. If you love finance, you may have to compromise for a career where finance is just one component and not the sum of all its parts.
Circling back to making personal sacrifices, you will have to consider your health. Generally speaking, people have a lot more physical and mental energy in their 20s and 30s than in their 40s, 50s and beyond. Until someone invents a magical potion to change this reality, this is just a fact of life. You will probably work until you are 70 before qualifying to retire. To that end, decide if you are going to work hard while you are young and have the physical and mental fortitude to do so. Like a rocket trying to launch itself into space, it has to expend an enormous amount of energy to escape earth’s gravity to reach space. However, once in space it does not require that much energy to move around. A career will require the same level of invested energy (and focus) to reach 'escape velocity'.
Finally, do not forget while building your career to find ways to still enjoy life even though you may not always be able to have all the fun at the times you wanted. A healthy positive outlook on life goes a long way to give us the energy to keep doing what is right and important to us.
Good luck.
Obtaining a stable career that pays well so you do not have to stress about paying the bills and can do the things you find meaningful in life will be a constant journey that will require multiple course adjustments as you go through life. A person's outlook on life and priorities changes over time and you may want/need to adjust accordingly in 5,10 or 15 years’ time. You will also have to be prepared to make personal sacrifices along the way.
If your goal is to earn the maximum amount of money as a means to an end (i.e. living life to the fullest + having fun + not worry too much about money), for the sake of your sanity, try not to make your hobby your career. There is an old saying that the difference between a hobby and work is : in a hobby you can do what you want when you want how you want, but in work you have to do it when and how someone else needs it to be done within the time they mandate. Worth trying to keep your hobby(s) outside of work so you can find inner happiness in activities not related to the stresses of work.
Accept that you will have to continue learning after graduation. The world of tomorrow is constantly shaped by technological advances and new ways will be invented to get things done more effectively. Your future employer(s) will expect of you to stay up to date with advancements. To that end, try to research careers that will be in demand 5 - 10 years from today so to give you a head start on your career path. Automation is changing the face of many traditional careers, and finance is no exception. If you love finance, you may have to compromise for a career where finance is just one component and not the sum of all its parts.
Circling back to making personal sacrifices, you will have to consider your health. Generally speaking, people have a lot more physical and mental energy in their 20s and 30s than in their 40s, 50s and beyond. Until someone invents a magical potion to change this reality, this is just a fact of life. You will probably work until you are 70 before qualifying to retire. To that end, decide if you are going to work hard while you are young and have the physical and mental fortitude to do so. Like a rocket trying to launch itself into space, it has to expend an enormous amount of energy to escape earth’s gravity to reach space. However, once in space it does not require that much energy to move around. A career will require the same level of invested energy (and focus) to reach 'escape velocity'.
Finally, do not forget while building your career to find ways to still enjoy life even though you may not always be able to have all the fun at the times you wanted. A healthy positive outlook on life goes a long way to give us the energy to keep doing what is right and important to us.
Good luck.
Updated
Bill’s Answer
Hi Linh,
Nothing is stable stable in today's world. Things change so quickly. Career in finance would be more of a long-term career. And there are different part of finance, like AR, AP, Payroll, FP&A, and etc. Thinking about a company, it needs finance team to handle its accounting, deal with its cash flow. It is one of the basic operations a company needs. Another element to consider is the team you work with. Even if there are a lot of comes and goes in the job market, you won't worry about it when you find your love with the team and your company.
Nothing is stable stable in today's world. Things change so quickly. Career in finance would be more of a long-term career. And there are different part of finance, like AR, AP, Payroll, FP&A, and etc. Thinking about a company, it needs finance team to handle its accounting, deal with its cash flow. It is one of the basic operations a company needs. Another element to consider is the team you work with. Even if there are a lot of comes and goes in the job market, you won't worry about it when you find your love with the team and your company.