management, and a direct role in the real economy. One should also remember
that the term ‘finance’ covers a wide range of financial services, including banking, insurance, reinsurance, auditing, tax consulting, investment advice or management and private equity. Graduates can’t start
too soon when seeking the more complex roles in finance, as they require extensive training, on-the- job experience and work with clients. “At Ernst & Young France,” says partner and head of recruitment Jacques Pierres, “we place
THE TERM ‘FINANCE’ COVERS A WIDE RANGE OF FINANCIAL SERVICES, FROM BANKING TO PRIVATE EQUITY
Graduate Insight
Jennifer Cheeseman
Graduate Jennifer Cheeseman joined PricewaterhouseCoopers in London in April 2010 and works in assurance practice.
“I’ve been with PwC nearly two years now. My time is divided between client experience and studying for the ACCA
great importance on the training positions (‘stages’) that we offer. This gives a chance to really get to know potential recruits. Many of those who take these positions end up with permanent roles with us.”
HERE IS A BREAKDOWN OF SOME OF THE MORE DYNAMIC ROLE GROUPS: Investment banker Possibly one of the most important jobs in the real economy, especially today. An investment banker finances the world’s biggest businesses, and even governments, dealing with things like syndicated loans and bond issuance. The role involves working in the management of companies or finance ministries of countries, advising them on the best way to get the funds they need. Obviously one starts at the bottom, learning the technical aspects of the many ways in which funding is provided.
To become an investment banker, you need extensive knowledge of both financial techniques and technology, as well as of international politics and economics. The usual entry point is as an analyst, which means being responsible for understanding a given financial
Career paths: Working in audit
An auditor does a lot more than keep the books. The skills involved include management, business strategy, and economics. An auditor becomes a kind of trusted partner to the businesses they work with. The typical starting point is that of a junior auditor, but the large
Companies to work for
The major banks, the major insurers and the ‘Big Four’ audit firms (PricewaterhouseCoopers, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, Ernst & Young and KPMG) all have graduate training programmes throughout Europe. A good starting point would be to look at the