Introduction
Our Industry guides give you the lowdown on what the Bradford District has to offer. They're here to help you figure out what qualifications and training opportunities are available nearby and to give you the scoop on career options in specific industries.
If you're not sure about what careers are out there, these guides are perfect for exploring and getting to know each sector better. They're your go-to for understanding the different paths you can take into a career, whether it's through Apprenticeships, Traineeships, starting out early in your career, going to college or university, or learning on the job.
In Bradford District, there are 15 industry sectors to explore - you can find them all on the Career Options page. Each guide will tell you specific ways to plan for an occupation, as well as suggesting educational and vocational opportunities.
Build a Career in Finance
Finance is the study and discipline of money, currency and capital assets. The industry can be broken down into three areas of expertise: personal finance, corporate finance and public finance.
Working within Finance can mean engaging within or across a wide range of industry sectors, for example you could be a Finance Officer within the Hospitality Industry or an Accountant for a Manufacturing & Engineering employer. There are a number of pathways that can be chosen within the Finance sector:
- Accounting
- Banking Services
- Business Finance
- Insurance
- Securities & Investment
Technical, or ‘hard’ skills, as they are known, are important for an individual looking for a career in the financial sector. However, employers are increasingly looking for candidates with interpersonal ‘soft’ skills. If you are longing for a career in the Finance sector, an example of the required industry led and interpersonal skills are listed below:
- Aptitude for financial reporting
- Attention to detail
- Communication
- Data driven
- Data analytics
- Negotiation
- Problem solving
Qualification Information
Find information about core subjects and specific relevant sections of the curriculum here
Courses in Finance
Find information about relevant local courses:
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15 Career Choices in the Finance Sector
The below jobs are an example of what work can be found in this sector in the Bradford District and beyond. Click on the job title for more information:
- Actuary - work with companies and government departments, to help them forecast long-term financial costs and investment risks
- Auditor - Internal and external auditors check organisations' financial records and procedures to make sure they are accurate and efficient
- Banking Customer Service Adviser - provide a face-to-face service in banks and building societies
- Bank Manager - oversee the day-to-day operations of their branch, supervise staff and work to attract new customers
- Bookkeeper - keep financial records up to date and help prepare accounts
- Credit Controller - manage the money given to customers and recover debts owed by businesses and individuals
- Economist - advise government departments, businesses, banks and other organisations on economic matters
- Finance Officer - help to manage the finances of an organisation by keeping track of its income and controlling its spending
- Financial Adviser - help people and organisations choose investments, savings, pensions, mortgages and insurance products
- Insurance Broker - use their knowledge of the insurance market to help find the right cover, at the best price, for their customers
- Insurance Underwriter - decide whether to insure a person or company, and set out the details of insurance policies
- Investment Analyst - help stock market traders, stockbrokers and fund managers make decisions about investments
- Mortgage Adviser - help people find, and apply for mortgages
- Pensions Adviser - help people to plan for financial security in retirement
- Stockbroker - manage their clients' investments by trading stocks, shares and other financial products to get the best return
Useful Resources
Find below some useful websites giving information about working in this sector.
Chartered Management Institute
Gov.uk – Business and Self-employed
Digital Badges
Digital badges are a great way to gain recognition for skills and learning which doesn't have a qualification attached to it. If you are a learner aged 13+ please sign up to our Navigatr platform to access the digital badges we offer.
This is quick, easy and free to do. Follow the link below to create your own Navigator account and earn your first digital badge by reading the information and completing quiz at the bottom of the page:
https://www.navigatr.org/what-are-digital-badges-2
To see some of the badges available for Bradford District click on the link below for more information:
The financial industry plays a vital role in helping in the function of the economy. It consists of firms/institutions that provide financial services to retail and commercial customers. The sector consists of banking institutions, markets and brokers. The primary function of this sector is to take funds from savers and lend them to those who wish to borrow.
I would like to find out more about…
While accounting is a focused profession with its own set of processes and principles, it's still a diverse area with opportunities to train in banking, business or practice. Accounting is the process of recording financial transactions pertaining to a business. The accounting process includes summarising, analysing, and reporting these transactions to oversight agencies, regulators, and tax collection entities. Following an accounting pathway could lead to roles in auditing, tax, management accountancy and fraud investigation.
Banking careers refer to any position within the banking industry and are available to nearly anyone interested in pursuing this line of work. If you are looking into a banking job, it's important to understand the pros and cons of banking careers and the different types of banking career paths available. A banking career is any position within a financial institution. Common banking careers include bank tellers, accountants, trust and investment bankers and bank administrators. A career in banking is something most individuals can pursue, and some positions do not require higher education. Banking is considered a service industry, so a primary requirement for individuals is honesty and trustworthiness.
The key difference between Finance and Accounting is that finance is the management of the money and the investment of different individuals, organisations, and other entities, whereas, Accounting is the process of recording, maintaining as well as reporting the financial affairs of the company which shows the clear financial position of the company. Banks provide services that include accepting deposits, giving loans, and securities underwriting and offering shares to the public. Finance companies provide a much larger range of services than banking institutions, which include asset management services, insurance services, financial research facilities etc.
A career in Insurance has a range of benefits from strong earning potential to being a part of an exciting ever-changing industry where you can develop key skills to have various roles in Insurance. There are various career paths you can choose to take in this sector which all requires different levels of education and training. Although some career paths require certain expertise; there are always opportunities for growth or to change your career for example if you are an underwriter you can then become an actuary with the right training and qualifications. From Risk Surveyor, catastrophe modeller, to sales agent, there are a variety of roles in the insurance pathway to suit different interests.
Investment managers give people and companies advice on what to do with their money. This involves a kind of detective work that will be different each time you do it as you match investments with your clients. One day you might be helping a fashion designer, and the next day, it’s a company that built an app to help disaster victims find relief and shelter. Every day is different. And, since investments can be affected by global events, extreme weather, and unpredictable things like human emotions, there is no time to be bored. You have to keep coming up with new and different investment strategies and ways to direct funds on behalf of clients.