Career opportunities in finance are many and varied. They can be broadly broken down into three categories:

• Corporate Finance. People who work in a corporate setting are concerned with acquiring funds for the operation and growth of the firm, the firm's investment decisions, and the analysis of the firm's operations and performance. An example of a corporate finance position would be a financial analyst working for Ford Motor Company, or a risk manager working for IBM.

• Institutional Finance. The people who work in institutional finance settings are those who make the wheels of finance turn. Financial institutions serve as financial intermediaries between savers and users of financial capital. People in these types of careers often work in banks, insurance companies, mutual funds, pension funds, and other financial institutions. Examples of institutional finance positions include loan officer at Wells Fargo Bank, or operations manager at Merrill Lynch & Co.

• Investments. The people who have careers in the investments area are concerned with how stocks and bonds are valued, and the management of investment portfolios. Many of these jobs are with banks, brokerage houses, mutual funds, and pension funds. Examples of investment positions include securities analyst at Morgan Stanley Dean Witter, trust officer at Bank One, or portfolio manager at Fidelity.