9 Jobs for Finance Majors Coming Out Of School

Every student inevitably faces a question as graduation approaches, whether it comes up at family gatherings while interacting with friends or even in a moment of self-reflection: what should I do with my life? This question gets asked by family members, by peers, and on an individual basis over and over. What’s the best way to find an answer? 

To help students understand potential financial career paths, we decided to ask Eller grads with financial related majors to tell us about their jobs. We asked them questions like, “What do you do?” “What’s your title?” and “What advice do you have for other finance majors looking for a job right out of college?”

Here are a few jobs for finance majors coming out of school.

• Private Wealth Management Financial Analyst

• Account Executive

• Relationship Manager

• Financial Analyst

• Senior Technical Specialist

• Global Market Division Associate

• Marketing Analyst

• Risk and Compliance Senior Consultant

• Entrepreneur

Private Wealth Management Financial Analyst

As a soon-to-be finance graduate at the University of Arizona, I will be working as a private wealth management financial analyst for Goldman Sachs in Los Angeles. In my role, I will be assisting high net worth clients in reaching their financial goals through various investment management strategies.

My advice to others entering the workforce is to keep an open mind when looking at possible career options in the finance industry. Try to gain a variety of real-world experiences through job shadowing, externships, internships, and networking. You never know what you may end up having a passion for, and it will pay off once you find that. Building true relationships in your network contributes greatly to finding different opportunities, so do not be afraid to reach out to people and stay in touch with those that you genuinely connect with.

Anthony Marquez ’21 BSBA (Finance), Goldman Sachs

Account Executive

I am an account executive at NetSuite. I help emerging businesses that are looking to be more strategic by streamlining their financial operations within an integrated cloud platform. NetSuite is the world's leading provider of cloud-based business management software. We help companies manage core business processes with a single, fully integrated system covering Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)/financials, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), eCommerce, inventory, and more.

More than 45,000 organizations around the world use NetSuite to scale their businesses cost and to support global growth, by streamlining processes, providing real-time visibility across the organization, enabling anytime anywhere access to critical business data, and reducing IT costs. My advice to job hunters is to find a job that has stability; times are unpredictable.

Lauren Gohlke '19 BSBA (Finance), NetSuite

Relationship Manager

I currently work as a relationship manager for Wells Fargo in the corporate and investment bank specializing in real estate. Most of my time is spent reviewing deal packages from large institutional real estate companies to provide the best possible debt financing solutions. A typical day involves talking to customers to stay up to date on their plans in the market as well as underwriting any new office, multifamily, industrial, or retail deals in the pipeline.

The best advice I could give to a senior looking for a job out of college is to be open and honest throughout the interview process. That means also being honest with yourself and looking for positions you think you will excel in. It is also important to make sure you are constantly growing your network as you never know when an opportunity can come knocking on your door.

Brady Bocks ’18 BSBA (Finance), Wells Fargo

Financial Analyst

I’m currently a first-year analyst at JPMorgan Chase in the Global Finance and Business Management Analyst Program. My current role is in the OCFO - Treasury division, which has allowed me to learn and work alongside many talented and inspiring individuals.

My time at the Eller College of Management was certainly helpful in preparing me for the corporate world. To any current or future Eller students aspiring to enter the business world, I would highly recommend becoming involved in student organizations. Establishing and developing meaningful relationships with classmates, faculty, and staff is something that I fondly look back on and is something that has certainly helped me in starting my career. Leveraging the many additional resources the college and university offer, such as technical workshops or career coaching, was also very helpful. Lastly, I would recommend finding a way to give back to the community. This could include a leadership position in a student organization, volunteering, or helping out your peers in any way.

Luis Fernando Martinez, ’20 BSBA (Finance, MIS), JPMorgan

Senior Technical Specialist

I work on a team within the Edward Jones operations division that serves as a central database for all the securities held at the firm. My specific role is to ensure the integrity of the firm’s pricing data and systems by completing price verification reports, as well as reconciliation or control reports in order to resolve price discrepancies and verify pricing data for both equity and fixed income products. In addition to these responsibilities, I lead process improvement efforts for the department, as well as perform systems testing for systems upgrades and implementations.

One piece of advice I would give is that even as you settle into your first job out of college, remember to have an idea or a goal of where you want to go next. Whether that is in your current company or elsewhere, you need to prioritize development for future roles or opportunities. In addition, prioritize networking and building relationships with your peers and leaders in order to create advocacy for yourself early on in your career.

Miranda Arroyo, ’16 BSBA (Finance), Edward Jones

Global Market Division Associate 

I currently work at Goldman Sachs in New York as an associate within its (or the) global markets division. Within the division, I work on the Exchange Trade Fund (ETF) execution and distribution team. Prior to being on this team, I spent two years on the cash equity sales trading desk right after graduation. My day is centered around U.S. market hours (9:30 a.m.-4 p.m.) where we help provide liquidity solutions to large financial institutions. 

Eller provided a fantastic framework for me to be successful in school and thereafter whether it be through my involvement in clubs, networks, team projects, etc. I think utilizing your alumni network and Eller connections are one of the most crucial items in helping you find opportunities after graduation. Strive to build meaningful relationships and don’t be afraid to ask for a 15-minute coffee chat. Growth is uncomfortable because you’ve never been there before!  

Alexandra Fiandaca ’17 BSBA (Finance), Goldman Sachs

Marketing Analyst

Finance and marketing have so many data-driven parallels. The bottom line is if you love numbers, but don’t necessarily love financial numbers like stock prices and balance sheets, then marketing may be an alternative career to consider. Coming out of school I was a financial auditor. Now, I run an SEO company called Markitors (“marketing + auditors”) that explores data-driven trends that exist in tools like Google Analytics, AdWords, and Search Console. Both finance and marketing have their own set of markets, numbers, and challenges. If you dive into a marketing field with a financial background, you’ll be able to speak in a different language and think with a different perspective than most traditional marketers have. 

Brett Farmiloe ’06 BSBA (Accounting), Markitors

Risk and Compliance Senior Consultant

I work as a risk and compliance senior consultant at Protiviti in New York City. I primarily support large financial institutions providing risk assessment expertise and helping the business achieve financial and regulatory goals. I leverage excel reporting, business communication, and project management expertise on a daily basis. Utilize your Eller network, as it was crucial to my career success; it taught me the soft skills critical in business such as building decks, leveraging reporting, and communicating with key stakeholders.

Sanjay Ramiah ’16 BSBA (Finance), Protiviti

Entrepreneur 

As the founder of a staffing agency, I have worked with several University of Arizona finance graduates to place them with jobs that fit their skillset and career goals. I am an entrepreneur and have found that a financial background with an entrepreneurial spirit can be the recipe for success when searching for a job out of school.

The advice I would give to other finance majors that are looking for jobs right out of college is to use your alumni network to be in the know of new opportunities and think about utilizing the help of a recruiting agency to place you into the job of your dreams. 

Jon Schneider, Recruiterie

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