Explore career options in finance
Here you can find information on the types of careers and employment roles a finance degree may land you.
You can also discover where to look for job vacancies, as well as professional associations, mentoring and international opportunities.
Opportunities
The financial services industry is a key sector in the Australian economy. A commerce or business degree with a Finance major equips graduates with a solid grounding in the theory and practice of commerce, administration and management. A strong emphasis is placed on developing analytical, research, writing, communication and decision-making skills. Graduates are exposed to a range of business disciplines which provides an interdisciplinary foundation on which to build their careers in government or private industry.
Career fields
- Retail and merchant banks
- Insurance
- Treasury operations
- Taxation
- Risk management
- Stockbroking
- Regulatory authorities
- Corporate finance
- Financial consultancy firms
- Securities firms
- Investment firms
- International trade
Employment roles
- Financial analyst
- Finance officer
- Finance administrator
- Associate consultant
- Financial assistant
- Business analyst
- Business banking officer
- Insurance claims officer
- Credit manager
- Risk analyst
- Funds manager
- Treasury analyst
- Relationship banker
- Policy analyst
- Financial controller
- Insolvency administrator
- Funds processing administrator
Occupation snapshot
Employed
529,900
Future growth
6.5%
Weekly earnings
$1,750
Full-time share
85%
This data is based on the occupation profile for Financial and Insurance Services, retrieved from the Government's Jobs and Skills Australia website May 2023.
Your employability
In addition to knowledge and skills directly related to your program of study, you will also develop a range of other skills such as teamwork, analytical, communication through academic study, employment, voluntary work, sporting and recreational activities and life experience.
Recognising the value employers place on these skills is an important factor in your graduate job search. You can further develop your employability with these resources:
Vacancies
Information on relevant vacancies can be found in a wide range of sources:
- CareerHub
- Prosple (formerly Grad Australia)
- GradConnection
- Australian Public Service Jobs
- Brisbane City Council vacancies
- Australian Local Government Directory
- Queensland Government jobs
- Queensland Government Graduate Portal
- Seek
- E-Finance careers worldwide
- Hays Personnel Services
- Hudson Recruitment
- Seek
- Adzuna finance vacancies
Job application resources
Craft a stand-out resume and cover letter, and learn how to prepare for job interviews.
Approach potential employers
Many work opportunities are not advertised, so we recommend approaching potential employers with the aim of researching their needs and how your skills, experience, interests and qualifications could match theirs.
This is called informational interviewing and will benefit you by:
- clarifying your specific career direction
- enhancing your professional network
- increasing your chances of being offered a job.
Industry outlook
The Your Career website includes helpful information such as job descriptions, employment prospects, average weekly earnings and skills requirements. Every job title in the database has a skills section to help you identify and describe essential skills for your future career.
The My Future website also has job descriptions and a useful career insight section.
The Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching website has up-to-date information on graduate salaries, especially the Graduate Outlook Survey (GOS) National Report, which contains undergraduate salary figures.
More detailed information is available at the Labour Market Insights portal.
Professional associations
Joining a professional association is a great way to interact with people in your field who can assist you to explore your career options and potentially find employment opportunities. These associations hold regular professional development and networking events:
- Association of Insurance and Risk Managers in Industry and Commerce
- Australian & NZ Institute of Insurance & Finance
- Australian Financial Markets Association
- Australian Institute of Credit Management
- Financial Services Institute of Australasia
- Institute of Internal Auditors Australia
- Institute of Public Administration Australia
- Mortgage & Finance Association of Australia
- Risk Management Institution of Australia
Students are welcome to join and often receive a discount on their membership.
Mentoring
The award-winning Industry Mentoring Program provides an excellent opportunity to further develop your employability and build professional networks.
The Program is available to students with more than 80CP as well as recent graduates.
Sustainable Development Goals
Griffith University is aligned to the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals ( SDGs ) and is committed to promoting decent work and economic growth, advancing the principles of responsible and sustainable consumption and production, and advocating for peace, justice, and resilient institutional frameworks.
Future careers information
Careers counselling
Individual career counselling sessions are available to all current students and recent graduates.
You can book an initial appointment via CareerHub.
Career planning
Our website has an array of career planning resources you can explore at any stage of your student journey.
Career Readiness
Check out our Career Readiness site in Learning@Griffith for additional information and resources for your career development learning:
Please note: The content on this webpage is a guide only. Please refer to degree-specific information and accreditation requirements of your profession on the Degree and Course Finder website and with the relevant professional accreditation body for your degree.