More Women in Finance
As thousands of women are about to start their University terms, I wonder how many of them are looking ahead to a career within finance in one form or another. You could say that I’m slightly biased but I really do feel that more could be done to show young women that finance can be an exciting career with many possibilities. That era of the grey suited accountant and his briefcase is pretty much over.
Of course, a financial career is not limited to tax and accountancy. There are roles out there at every level, with specialist roles like banking, wealth management, foreign exchange, financial advisory, asset management, credit control, insolvency, and financial analysis, extending to in-house finance teams in fashion houses and many other creative sectors. Not only are these jobs a great fit for women but women also bring a good deal to these careers:
Women are often more charismatic and empathetic which makes both face to face client work and sales a more natural process.
With the growing number of female small business owners and investors out there, who better to understand where they are coming from than another woman?
All over the world women are repressed. It may be more obvious in some societies, but it can only be countered by women taking more and more power…and that means having more control over money. You could even say that money has more sway than politics.
Salaries are becoming more equal in the financial professions and there are good career prospects looming.
Having a strong grasp of figures is good for anyone. It gives you a strong position in your own life and a sense of social intelligence about money and how it can be used. You can’t underestimate how powerful this can be.
For high flyers and those absolutely dedicated, there is the opportunity to be earning big figures, even over £100k in your twenties. Career wise, there is little than can compare with that.
Financial careers can be exiting. Meeting clients is incredibly enjoyable if you’re a people person and all the fun industries…film, fashion, sport…all need their money people!
It is a profession where you can really do some good, such as helping businesses with their problems or even turning them around. Doing your best for clients feels good.
Coming back to work after starting a family is much easier than it was. If you know your money, you’ll be able to pick up your career again, or even work part time.
Although some financial professions may be tainted with a bit of sexism (banking for instance), many such as accountancy are not. In all my years I’ve never seen or heard sexism within an accountancy setting.