subject: Finding Entry Level Finance Jobs [print this page] Finance and accounting are functions that are here to stay. No matter how good or bad the economy is, and no matter how many people are losing jobs and changing careers, there will always be a strong need to have people manage someone's money. Computer programs will help, but they will never take over the details and thought processes that humans only can provide. There will always be good entry level finance jobs.
All industries and markets need various levels of accounting help from entry level to finance VPs. Even small corner stores need someone to do their bookkeeping, and large national auto finance firms will always need people to figure out what their profit margin is. At the end of the day, that's what finance is all about, right? How much did I make?
Many small companies believe in job sharing for many positions, in particular, accounting and finance tasks. Many receptionists are also responsible for either managing office supplies and costs or even scheduling and managing expenses for the occasional temporary employee. Most sales secretaries will say they not only make all the travel arrangements for the salespeople, they need to manage the expense reports and commission statements.
If your goal is to get into the upper echelon of finance professionals, an entry level position might not be the best way to go about it. Usually, for positions that entail more knowledge than putting together a trial balance report (that balances!), you'll need formal education which could be anything from a certificate program to a college degree. A popular certificate program is for medical billing and coding. It's only about nine months long, it's in demand, and provides a decent salary, but that's all your will learn and there's no room for growth.
Entry level jobs let you hone your skills and perhaps even teach you valuable ones to build on. It is common for niche jobs to be completely learn on the job. For instance, many secretaries who manage their boss' expense accounts, etc., later on choose to work in account departments as accounts payable or receivable clerks. Human resource reps may choose to pursue finance oriented jobs that relate more closely to benefits management including paying company premiums for health insurance.
Entry level positions are available in every market, so if you have a particular interest or passion for something in particular, explore what might be available. If you like hobbies and crafts, see what's available at some of the national hobby stores at the corporate level. If hospitals intrigue you but being a doctor doesn't, call your local hospitals to see what accounting positions might be available. Or, take anything in order to get your foot in the door and transfer later on.
Keep in mind that your first concern needs to be how detailed oriented you are. Of course, you should also have an affinity for being able to successfully work with numbers. If you are one of the many individuals who hates the thought of balancing the check book each month, however, you might want to consider another field.
