If numbers don’t scare you, consider these emerging roles in finance

If you love working with numbers, chances are that you might have thought of embarking on a career in finance. Beyond the financial career options you might be already aware of — accountant, banker, stockbroker or financial advisor — what are the other emerging finance careers that can help you build a strong future-proof career?

Here’s a look at some of them:
Financial forensics: As the digital world explodes with more data, the chances of possible numbers manipulation and mistakes multiply manifold. As a financial forensics expert, you would be like a modern-day detective, with data as your superpower. You would be looking at balance sheets for clues and lining up suspects such as payment details that made things go awry. And you will solve the case when your numbers tell you the real story.


Quants: Called quantitative analyst, this is a job for the math-hearted and not the faint-hearted. People who work in these roles find patterns through multitude of dynamic market news and signals. They try to understand what moves stocks before the war starts between the bulls and the bears. This job is becoming more interesting as markets are getting more efficient. So the possibility of an individual investor or a fund manager being able to predict market cycles and performance is becoming tougher than ever.

Green investing and impact investing: In green investing and in impact investing, the reason to invest money goes beyond just looking at the best financial returns. Green investing looks at climate-friendly investments that can help us build a greener planet. Impact investing looks at investing for social transformation in underserved areas that aim to reduce poverty or reduce inequality in society. It could range from investing in education, healthcare, agriculture, water and more.

ESG accounting: This is also linked to the above point, but is more relevant as regulations are getting more stringent on the environmental, social and governance (ESG) requirements for companies. There are many aspects of this emerging role that can lead to new career choices — aspects related to reporting the right numbers on initiatives that a company has undertaken, ensuring robustness of the numbers and working with partners for their supply chain ESG readiness.

Fintech innovation: Bill Gates was quoted to have said “Banking is necessary, banks are not.” Never has it been more true than now. Over the last few years, traditional banking experiences have changed. Financial transactions have become fast because of facilities such as internet banking and digital payments. Now you can pay bills, renew insurance policies and repay loans online .

Beyond each such seemingly simple transactions are complicated technological innovations.

Jobs in fintech, therefore, could range across disciplines. While people with a technology background can create innovative solutions, those with a product background can ensure ease of use of those products for customers. Those with a risk management background can drive risk modelling and fraud modelling decisions to reduce fraudulent transactions and people with marketing background are needed to understand customer behaviour and lifecycle.

An entire ecosystem of roles are emerging in the world of fintech.

Also, given that the world of money is built on trust, critical roles are emerging in data privacy and security as well as legal and compliance requirements.

All of these areas can become fascinating career opportunities for young students and professionals looking to build future-facing careers in finance.