A guide to careers in banking

There are many jobs in the UK banking sector, some of which are specialised and require degrees or higher qualifications, whilst others generally require a good standard of education, good finance and accounting skills. Read this article to learn more about careers in banking.

Banker

The primary role of a banker is to assist business owners or individuals to raise capital to purchase materials or resources, to assist in money transfers and provide methods of investing funds in the form of savings accounts and/or bonds. A retail banker on the other hand, only assists individuals, often from their base in a High Street branch, but also provides advice and guidance over the telephone or the Internet.

Commercial banker

A commercial banker will provide financial support to small and medium sized businesses utilising business plans and helping them with business development. Corporate investment bankers provide financial services to companies, institutions and governments, managing opportunities such as mergers, lending or buyouts. The main role of a corporate investment banker is to offer advice to organisations about how they can achieve their financial goals.

Financial adviser

A financial adviser provides advice to individuals on financial matters, setting up cash flow reports and advising on the best ways in which to utilise their finances. Financial advisers may work with individuals, organisations or specific groups, or may have certain specialisms such as pensions, investment or mortgage advice.

Further information

These are by no means all of the jobs within the banking sector, detailed job profiles and further information about alternative roles can be found at Prospects.ac.uk in the financial management and accountancy section. Qualifications
Qualifications usually required to enter banking and investment, UK accounting careers or to embark upon banking training include a 2:1 honours degree, or if you have excellent A Level results, avenues into the banking sector can also be pursued through fast track entry programmes. It is also possible to gain employment as a customer adviser first, and then progress to management roles as you gain more experience and become more knowledgeable about the banking sector. However, if you would like to enter the banking profession this way, it is essential that you have excellent customer service and the ability to sell and possess excellent written and verbal communication skills.