How To Start A Career In The Financial Services Industry
If you are looking for a career in which you can help others, there are some obvious, and not so obvious, choices available to you. While you can go into the medical or law enforcement fields and become a first responder to help people in emergency situations, you can also learn to help people by going into the financial services field. Financial planners, bankers, and even tax agents get to help people learn more about their money and how to grow it to save for a house, invest in their children’s education, or live a better lifestyle.
Coursework for Financial Careers
A career in the financial services industry requires going to school and taking courses in many different subjects, but one of the main areas of study will be accounting. Being able to help people tally their income and account for their expenses will help them see where and how they are spending their money. Then, you can guide them in making sound financial decisions that will help them make changes in their lives and fulfil their desires.
Even tax agents need to have accounting knowledge so they can help people total up their expenses and income and help do their taxes correctly. While many people will take accounting courses at a university, some people who are looking to change careers or advance in the financial field can take coursework online at their convenience. Some financial institutions offer programs with the specific coursework needed to be a tax agent or a financial advisor and help you study for the appropriate tests as well.
For instance, if you desire to help others by becoming a tax agent and working for the government or a private business, many institutions offer a registered tax agent course as part of a tax agent program to help you get into that field. Once the coursework is completed, you will qualify to register with the Tax Practitioners Board, or TPB so that you can work as a professional tax advisor or as a tax agent for the government.
Financial Advisor
Some of the same courses that you would take to become a tax agent can also be taken to work as a financial planner, as they sometimes need to advise clients about taxable income or tax credits for which they may qualify. A career in financial services is a good way to help people make their dreams become a reality, and such a career can be financially rewarding for you as well. While being a tax agent can sometimes pay well if you work for a company, most financial advisors make a good living.
Thanks to technology, you don’t necessarily have to attend classes to take the coursework you need to work in the financial services industry. Many institutions offer online courses for all types of careers in the financial industry. You can take coursework to become a financial advisor or a tax agent online and study for any tests that are required for those careers as well.