Session 2- Careers In Finance

We held our second developmental session on Wednesday, 16th October at 1:50 pm, on the topic “Careers in Finance.” Led by our Vice Presidents, Varnit Pandey and Divij Saxena, the session aimed to provide comprehensive insights along with valuable resources for expanding knowledge in this field. Our objective was to give members a clear roadmap for planning their future careers and offer guidance on how to make the most of their time in college, ensuring they align their efforts efficiently with their long-term career goals.

We kicked off the session with an analogy, comparing a career in finance to making a sandwich. Just as each ingredient is essential to making a perfect sandwich, we mapped out how each component of a promising career in finance plays an important role in building a strong CV

Next, we delved into the fundamental divisions within the world of finance, starting with the distinction between the buyside and sellside. We then explored the various types of roles available in the industry, namely deal roles, public market roles and support roles 

Among our primary focuses was the role of an investment banker, one of the highest paying and most demanding jobs in the world of finance. We developed a plan to help college students break into this field and explored the wide range of exit opportunities especially in Venture Capital and Private Equity. Additionally, we took the time to clarify the differences between venture capitalists and private equity professionals, highlighting how each operates and the unique aspects of their roles within the financial landscape

We then moved on to asset management, where we discussed the differences between mutual funds and hedge funds. One of our junior members, Animesh Sabat, explained the basics of hedge funds, providing a clear understanding of how they work. We also touched on corporate finance, open quant, valuable undergrad degrees and various financial and accounting roles, with another junior member, Avdeep Singh giving a rundown on corporate finance to help clarify key concepts for the group.

To conclude the session, we discussed the various challenges awaiting individuals who chose to pursue a career in finance such as intense competition and the risk of burn out . We also provided some resources to help members further expand their knowledge, and keep in touch with the happenings of the finance world.