Financial Services Makes Money Your Business

Financial Services is the term used to describe the broad industry that deals with the management, investment, transfer and lending of money. In other words, the field of financial services makes money its business. By providing customers with fiscal expertise, professionals in this field are not selling any products per say, but they are offering an essential service.

Among the organizations in which professionals in financial services work are: banks, credit card, insurance and consumer finance companies, as well as stock brokerages, credit unions, investment fund companies and government sponsored enterprises. Therefore, career options in financial services are wide-ranging and offer something for anyone interested in finance. Due to consolidation within the industry, the number of entry-level jobs such as bank tellers as been reduced. But other factors have countered this effect by creating higher-skilled positions. One particular higher-skilled area of significant growth in the financial services sector is mutual funds. As the baby boom generation readies itself for retirement, investments in mutual funds have grown. Professionals who consult upon and sell mutual funds are in demand.

In order to sell mutual funds, professionals must be licensed. A program that takes into consideration this licensing is Centennial College’s one-year Financial Services program. That’s because it includes a course that leads to a license to sell mutual funds. This license, coupled with training in courses such as Financial Accounting, Personal Credit, Principles of Marketing, Canadian Financial Services and more, make graduates highly employable. The courses in Financial Services at Centennial are delivered by professionals from the industry who work with students one-on-one to ensure that they are retaining all the vital information they need. An additional benefit to this undertaking is that graduates can continue their education in Financial Services with the two-year program, where in one additional year they will enhance their qualifications even further.

Because the program is accelerated into two semesters or eight months of learning, applicants must present at minimum an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or equivalent or be 19 years of age or older. They are also required to hold the compulsory English 12C or U and Math 11C, M, U or 12C or U credits or skills assessment or equivalent. Possession of minimum admission requirements does not guarantee admission to the program.

When entering the field, graduates will possess math skills, knowledge of commonly used software programs such as QuickBooks and Excel, marketing techniques, effective communication (so that they can explain complicated financial terms) and the ability to work in a variety of financial services areas.