A Career in Financial Services.

Essay by ridhaUniversity, Bachelor's January 2004

download word file, 6 pages 3.9

1 Introduction

Financial Services (including companies covering brokerage, insurance, credit cards and commercial banking), is often used as a generic term describing businesses outside of Investment Banking and Commerce & Industry. The diversity of businesses is immense and exposes employees to both a wide variety of international transactions and heavy involvement with senior business managers.

The roles range from raising capital for new business start-ups to analysing a trade in Latin America and from lending money to small businesses to insuring property from tornadoes.

If you are considering Financial Services as an option, what can this sector offer you?

5 What is a Rating Agency?

A rating agency is a firm or organisation set up to formally evaluate an individual's or companies credit history and capability of repaying obligations. They assign credit ratings to existing and potential customers by investigating, analysing and maintaining records regarding their credit responsibility. This helps investors analyse the credit risks associated with fixed income securities by providing reliable, credible and independent assessments of credit risk.

Hiring Companies Such companies include Fitch Investors Service Inc, Moody's Investor Service, Standard & Poor's Corporation and Value Line Investment Survey.

Employment Opportunities Opportunities within Rating Agencies often expose individuals to wide ranging complex and innovative products and interaction with market participants at all levels.

6 What is Venture Capital?

Venture Capital is an important source of financing for Start-up companies or others embarking on new or turnaround ventures that entail some investment risk but offer the potential for above average future profits. As such specialist institutions provide Venture Capital Finance in form of packaged loans to entrepreneurs, start-ups, established growing businesses, management buy-outs, management buy-ins and share purchases.

Invariably companies such as 3i will invest in a wide range of industry sectors and in most stages of development which...