To figure out what the best investment for you or a business might be, you probably would want to undertake some statistical and mathematical analyses of those investment possibilities. Accounting numbers are also important in finance because they are our way of keeping score on how our investments are doing. Most finance jobs don't involve direct selling, but you will usually need to convince someone, whether it be your boss or a customer, about your point of view on a financial decision. While the economy has been through hard times in the 1990s, hiring in finance has been brisk. There are and, most likely, will continue to be good jobs in finance.
Finance offers a variety of well-paying and exciting professional opportunities.
As you take this course, think about a career in the field of finance and become aware of the various roles that people in the field play. This could mean working for a startup company like Netscape or, alternatively, helping a large multinational company like IBM issue stock all over the world as a corporate financial manager. Or, who knows, maybe you might be raising money for your own entrepreneurial venture. Working for a commercial bank or an investment bank to help businesses find the money they need to grow. This could mean working for a local bank which deals with hardware stores, small manufacturers and entrepreneurs or instead for a large national bank like BankAmerica handling billion-dollar syndication deals.