Career Advice for a Financial manager

Working as a Financial Manager, you will help a business manage and achieve its financial goals, conducting market analysis and producing financial statements and reports.

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How to Become a Financial manager

Choosing your career path and learning how to become the person you aspire to be is not always straight forward; getting a job in your chosen industry will take dedication, focus and the right qualifications.

When you have chosen the career path you wish to follow, you will need to learn how to become a Financial manager

Should you wish to work as a Financial manager you will need to evaluate what courses are required, their cost and what qualifications you need. It is important that you also assess whether you have the right credentials from a personality point of view, what the demands of the job are and whether they complement the lifestyle that you desire.

Another factor to consider, should you wish to fulfil your career aspirations, is the number of jobs you will need to have to reach your ultimate job, and the length of time it will take to reach this goal.

Common Qualifications for a Financial manager

  • A Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree in Accounting or Finance.
  • Strong Microsoft Office skills.
  • Financial system and software proficiency.
  • Knowledge of financial law and regulations.

Key Responsibilities for a Financial manager

  • Designing, developing, and introducing financial reporting systems and procedures.
  • Preparing financial statements, activity reports, and forecasts.
  • Helping senior managers and executives make sound financial decisions.
  • Analysing market trends and identifying opportunities to increase profits and achieve company growth.
  • Highlighting opportunities to reduce costs and streamline business processes.
  • Ensuring the company meets its legal financial requirements.

What to expect as a Financial manager

When you become a Financial Manager, you will work in an office environment or remote basis, working with financial staff and senior managers and executives. You will need a solid understanding of how businesses work and the position can lead to roles such as Financial Director.

Recommended Financial manager Jobs

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How to get Financial manager Jobs

Our advice on how to get a Financial manager job is to focus on preparation and personalisation.

Preparation

This occurs before you write a CV cover letter or complete a Financial manager application. If you have not held a Financial manager position before, it will help to research the industry and review what a typical career path might look like. If you have held a Financial manager role, focus your research on the company where you are seeking employment.

Valuable resources that will help you learn about the employer include the company’s career page, social media page, blog, job ad, and job description. Helpful information will consist of the company’s mission statement, values, and vision. You could also use an employer review site to gain insights on average salaries, what current employees say about the company culture, and what it is like to work for the organisation.

Personalisation

You are now in a position to use what you have learned in your Financial manager CV, cover letter, and application. You should personalise each Financial manager application, cover letter, and CV; prioritising job skills and relevant experience and providing examples that show you have similar values and goals.

This pre-application stage is a crucial step in how to become a Financial manager in the UK. It puts you in a superbly informed state, ready for forthcoming telephone, video, or in-person interviews.

Students: How to Become a Financial manager 

As with all professions, choose your study topics carefully. Review the qualifications needed to be a Financial manager and the subjects you will need to enrol in certification courses, higher education, or online courses. 

Aligning your study subjects

The more closely you align your study subjects with your career path, the more likely you will be to have projects and modules that you can refer to and show a prospective employer that you have practical or theoretical Financial manager experience.

How to get Financial manager Experience

What does it take to be a Financial manager? The best way to find out is to get work experience, which will be invaluable when applying for Financial manager jobs. You can learn how to be a successful Financial manager through internships, apprenticeships, or volunteering for a local business.

How to be a Financial manager Part-Time 

If you are wondering how to get into Financial manager part-time, there are several possibilities. You might find a new employer looking for a part-time Financial manager or find your existing employer is amenable. Often companies recognise the value of flexible hours and having more staff at work during busy times of the day. 

Financial manager freelance work

If you have impressive Financial manager qualifications and experience, you could take on the challenges of working freelance with control over your schedule.

Making a Career Change

How to start a career in this profession if you work in another industry may require studying for qualifications online and focusing on transferable skills when writing your CV and attending job interviews.