How can you use your economics degree to break into finance? (2024)

Last updated on Feb 8, 2024

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1

Understand the industry

2

Highlight your skills

3

Learn new skills

4

Gain experience

5

Be flexible and adaptable

6

Here’s what else to consider

You have a degree in economics, but you want to pursue a career in finance. How can you leverage your skills and knowledge to break into this competitive and lucrative field? In this article, we will explore some of the ways you can use your economics degree to land a job in finance, and what you need to do to prepare yourself for the challenges and opportunities ahead.

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  • How can you use your economics degree to break into finance? (3) How can you use your economics degree to break into finance? (4) 12

  • Crystalina Guo Chief of Staff at Equi

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How can you use your economics degree to break into finance? (7) How can you use your economics degree to break into finance? (8) How can you use your economics degree to break into finance? (9)

1 Understand the industry

Finance is a broad and diverse sector that encompasses many different roles, functions, and markets. Some of the main areas of finance include banking, investment, insurance, accounting, and financial planning. Each of these areas has its own requirements, regulations, and trends. As an economics graduate, you need to familiarize yourself with the industry and identify which area suits your interests, goals, and strengths. You can do this by reading industry publications, following financial news, networking with professionals, and attending events and workshops.

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    Building a career in finance is less about your degree and more about understanding the recruiting pathways. For careers like investment banking or asset management, Wall Street banks start their recruiting pipelines on campus. Both undergrads and graduate students have a defined pathway of securing an internship through campus recruiting or networking events and then leveraging that experience into an offer to join the next analyst or associate class. Most big Wall Street banks recruit cyclically in classes. An economics or business degree is ideal for that pathway, but undergrads can have a broader range of concentrations.Pivoting careers into the industry can be much more difficult and requires building valuable and relevant expertise.

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  • Crystalina Guo Chief of Staff at Equi
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    You can absolutely break into finance with an economics degree. Be sure to highlight the transferrable skills from your degree, such as: - Your ability to digest and analyze data- Your writing skills- Your understanding of macroeconomic trendsFrom there, you can find the requirements of the job you are interested in to find examples from your previous work to mention in your interviews.

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    Para tener éxito en el campo de las finanzas, es crucial comprender la amplitud y diversidad de este sector, que engloba banca, inversión, seguros, contabilidad y planificación financiera, entre otros. Cada área tiene sus propios requisitos, regulaciones y tendencias. Como graduado en economía, es esencial familiarizarse con la industria y determinar qué área se ajusta mejor a sus intereses, objetivos y habilidades. Esto se logra mediante la lectura de publicaciones especializadas, el seguimiento de noticias financieras, el establecimiento de contactos con profesionales y la participación en eventos y talleres.

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  • Talent Muzambi, PhD Business Analyst | Strategic Thinker, CRM Expert
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    Economics is a very practical and transferable field. in my experience there is a lot of overlap with finance hence making it easier for economists to penetrate in finance. It is crucial for one to be well exposed to financial basics in order to make it - the rest is about understanding systems and applicability.

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2 Highlight your skills

Economics is a discipline that develops many valuable skills for finance, such as analytical thinking, problem-solving, data interpretation, and communication. You can showcase these skills in your resume, cover letter, and interview by providing specific examples of how you applied them in your academic projects, internships, extracurricular activities, or volunteer work. You can also highlight any relevant coursework, research, or publications that demonstrate your knowledge of economic theory, methods, and policy.

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    Resaltar tus habilidades es fundamental al buscar oportunidades en el campo de las finanzas. La economía, como disciplina, desarrolla competencias valiosas para este sector, como el pensamiento analítico, la resolución de problemas, la interpretación de datos y la comunicación efectiva. Puedes destacar estas habilidades en tu currículum, carta de presentación y entrevistas al proporcionar ejemplos específicos de cómo las aplicaste en proyectos académicos, pasantías, actividades extracurriculares o trabajo voluntario. Además, resaltar cualquier curso, investigación o publicación relevante que demuestre tu conocimiento de la teoría, los métodos y la política económica fortalecerá tu perfil en la industria financiera.

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    I left school with a major in finance and a minor in economics. Now I operate as a product manager, and often tell people when interviewing "I am a financier at heart, because at the end of the day I am investing money and time". Across any subset of finance and economics, the firm wants you to be able to allocate their resources effectively. Share the ways you know to do that and regardless of the baseline you will have a strong value proposition to the firm. If you have models of your own, share them via github!

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3 Learn new skills

While your economics degree gives you a solid foundation for finance, you may need to learn some additional skills to stand out from the crowd and perform well in your job. Depending on the area of finance you want to enter, you may need to acquire some technical skills, such as financial modeling, accounting, programming, or software applications. You can learn these skills by taking online courses, enrolling in certificate programs, or joining professional associations. You may also need to improve your soft skills, such as teamwork, leadership, negotiation, or presentation. You can do this by seeking feedback, mentoring, or coaching.

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  • Hardip Prajapati CA Finalist | Investment Banking | BDO | MCM WICASA 24-25 | Eternal optimist
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    Skill development is MUST, no matter where you go!!1) Expand beyond your economics degree by acquiring additional skills crucial for excelling in finance e.g. Financial Modeling, Du-Pont, accounting, programming, or software applications etc.2) Elevate soft skills like teamwork, leadership, negotiation, and presentation through feedback-seeking, mentorship, and coaching, emphasizing their importance in professional success.

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    To enhance your prospects in finance with an economics degree, prioritizing the acquisition of certain skills is paramount. Start by delving into programming languages such as Python or R, widely employed in finance for data analysis and modeling. Mastering tools like Pandas or NumPy will aid in efficient data manipulation, a critical aspect of financial analysis. Additionally, consider honing your quantitative skills, which are highly valued in the finance sector, by delving into statistical techniques and mathematical modeling. Familiarity with financial modeling, risk management, and valuation methodologies is indispensable.

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4 Gain experience

One of the best ways to use your economics degree to break into finance is to gain some practical experience in the field. This will help you build your network, portfolio, and reputation, as well as give you a taste of what working in finance is like. You can gain experience by applying for internships, co-ops, or entry-level positions in finance-related organizations, such as banks, investment firms, consulting firms, or government agencies. You can also look for opportunities to work on real-world projects, case studies, or competitions that involve financial analysis, decision-making, or strategy.

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  • Palmirah Rebecca Mandlazi CFA Level 1 Candidate |UCT BSc Applied statistics and Economics|Financial administration
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    Economics is vast ,but also finance .This 2 overlap and once you exposed to both it’s easy to understand its correlation .Gain more experience in the field you wanna pursue and it won’t be difficult to adjust because of the correlation.

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    Pursue internships and entry-level positions in financial institutions to acquire practical insights and industry exposure. Actively network with professionals through events and informational interviews to broaden your understanding of various roles and organizational dynamics. Participate in financial competitions and consider freelancing or volunteering for projects to showcase your skills and build a tangible portfolio. Additionally, acquiring relevant certifications, such as the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation, demonstrates dedication to professional development

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5 Be flexible and adaptable

Finance is a dynamic and fast-paced industry that requires constant learning, adaptation, and innovation. As an economics graduate, you need to be flexible and adaptable to the changing needs, demands, and expectations of the market, the clients, and the employers. You need to be willing to take on new challenges, explore new opportunities, and embrace new perspectives. You also need to be open to feedback, criticism, and improvement. By being flexible and adaptable, you can use your economics degree to break into finance and succeed in your career.

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  • Rui Amaral MSc in Economics at FEP | LinkedIn Top Economics Voice | Content Writer
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    Flexibility and adaptability in the financial sector? These are the keys to success for economics graduates. Think of the diploma as the starting point, but the real magic happens when you navigate the changing tides of the market. Have you ever seen yourself as a very agile explorer? Ready to adjust course as the financial tides change? That's the case. Being flexible isn't just an advantage; it's the ability to create opportunities out of challenges. And being adaptable? In a dynamic world, being adaptable is the power to camouflage yourself in the complex market. The big idea is: being flexible and adaptable are not options; they are the only ways to explore the ever-changing unknown territory and conquer new horizons.

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  • Roshan Bashir Relationship Manager UBL | Associate Financial Accountant -MIPA | Director at Startup Grind Multan | Gold medalist | Finance executive | AWS Startup Scout
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    Leverage your economics degree for a finance career by acquiring key skills through relevant courses and certifications, such as CFA or financial modeling. Network through industry events and LinkedIn, aiming for internships or entry-level roles to gain practical experience. Highlight quantitative skills on your resume and consider advanced degrees like an MFin. Stay informed on financial markets and trends, prepare for interviews with technical and behavioral questions, and seek mentorship from professionals in the field. Tailor your approach to showcase the intersection of your economics background and your commitment to building finance expertise.Hope it helps!

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6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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  • Francisco Martínez Márquez Asesor Financiero de inversiones | Experiencia en Banca Privada | Linkedin Top Voice
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    Mi mejor consejo en base a la experiencia, y 25 años después de licenciarme en economía: Identifica todas las opciones antes de iniciar tu carrera en finanzas. Riesgos, Banca Privada, Análisis, Finanzas Corporativas… Consigue una visión global de lo que significa una u otra dirección. Habla con tus profesores en la universidad; consulta las prácticas disponibles y plantea dudas; utiliza las prácticas conseguidas para resolver aquellas que surjan… hasta que tengas una visión clara de las finanzas. Hasta que aclares el camino que quieres seguir. Será de ayuda relacionarte con las finanzas (en su extensión amplia) cuanto antes. Devora prensa, artículos y literatura. Y por supuesto, cuanto antes orientes tu salida, más probabilidades tendrás.

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  • Arushi Jain Top Economics Voice| Hansraj DU’24| LinkedIn for Creators| President @Girl Up Uthaan| Ex-Research Intern @CPPR| Aspiring Data Scientist

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    To pivot into a finance career from economics:-📌Master fundamentals of econometrics and mathematics📌Consider coursework on financial economics, money and financial markets📌Keep up with fintech news using ET wealth, CA experts📌Learn financial modelling, Excel and SQL from internet📌Participate in investment clubs of your college

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