Many career fields in the military give veterans a great deal of options when looking for a job after serving. One industry that many may not often consider is the financial services industry.
Financial services is a fast-growing and popular industry with lots of jobs that veterans may qualify for based on experience gained in the military and in life. Here are three financial services jobs that you may not know you are qualified for.
Financial Services Representative
Financial services representatives generally work for banks or credit unions in customer-facing positions that require employees to be well-versed in the various financial offerings of their company. They must also have basic math skills and cash-handling abilities as a general requirement.
The ability to be responsible, accountable and trustworthy are very helpful qualities that make veterans a great fit for positions in this field.
Financial services representatives have the ability to move on to a number of positions, including Financial Advisors and Accounting Managers, which have an average annual salary of $78,678-$81,060.
While some jobs require a bachelor’s degree, the ability to enter this career field without one makes it one of the best financial services jobs for veterans to consider.
People who enjoy working with customers, managing money and helping people solve their financial needs would find jobs in this field quite rewarding as they determine the best career path for them.
Budget Analyst
Budget analysts are responsible for providing assistance and analysis during an organization’s budget-development process. They generally look at the organization’s past performance in terms of funds allocation to ensure current and future budgets have the most effective and efficient allocation of financial resources throughout the company.
As stewards of government resources, these are often skills that many veterans have used and applied throughout their military careers as they worked to find the most effective and efficient use of government and organizational resources.
With an average annual salary of $57,747, budget analysts have the ability to progress into positions as senior financial analysts, finance managers and chief financial officers.
Whether you have managed travel budgets, worked to save unit funds and resources or created and managed your own personal finances, chances are you have gained the basic skills required to become a successful budget analyst. If you enjoy working with numbers and have good analytical skills, this may be a great career to consider.
Insurance/Financial Services Agent
One of the things that often makes veterans unique is their overwhelming desire to help people. One job that allows us to capitalize on this desire is an insurance or financial services agent.
Insurance agents are generally responsible for working with their clients to help them pick out specific policies and financial packages that meet the client’s needs. While each client’s need is different, insurance agents possess the ability to recognize and explain various types of insurance to their clients that may be relevant.
Companies like Farmers Insurance, Combined Insurance Company and Travelers are Military Friendly® companies that recognize the skills and value that veterans bring to this career field and provide training and experience to help them enter this industry and find great success.
Strong values like hard work and integrity make veterans a perfect fit to excel in this industry in a wide variety of positions by being given the tools they need to be successful.
This is a career where the ability to help people change their lives can provide one of the most rewarding experiences while allowing veterans to earn a great income as they grow in this industry.
Financial services employment is an area that provides veterans with a wide range of possibilities.
If you take the time to think about the skills that you have built throughout your military career, you just may find that you are qualified for a rewarding career in the financial services industry and discover a career that you never thought you were qualified for.
Jamaal Wheaton is a recently transitioned Army veteran with more than 12 years of active duty service. He is the founder and owner of the Wheaton Group, a public relations firm that specializes in being a voice for veteran- and military-related issues. Jamaal currently works as a government contractor for the federal government and shares his personal experience of transition with the hopes of helping others navigate through their own transition.
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