MBA in Finance is the most sought-after specialisation. A B.Com Grad also wants to pursue Finance, and so does a B.Tech graduate, and it’s not hard to see why. Desk Job, very high salary, highly respected in society. But what exactly does one do in Finance? What is the job going to be? How much salary can I expect? If these are the questions you need answers to, you have come to the right place.

Doing an MBA from top B-Schools like IIM Ahmedabad, Bangalore, and Calcutta gets you all the perks that one thinks an MBA finance gets from a good role, a very high salary, and others. But the picture is not very rosy in the case of other colleges like the new IIMs and likes. You may get some of these mentioned roles, but they would be mid or low-office roles, and the salary would fall short compared to the folks of IIM A,B,C. Also, there are very few core finance roles; most involve Finance and sales. So, financial knowledge alone won't do. Sales skills are also required for an MBA in Finance.

Top Finance MBA Colleges

The following table represents the list of MBA finance colleges in India:

Some of the top roles offered after MBA in Finance are as follows:

Investment Banking

If someone hears MBA finance, the word “ Investment Banking” is screaming in his head, and for most people, the two terms might also be synonymous. So what is Investment Banking, and who is an Investment Banker?

An Investment Bank differs from a commercial or a retail bank like SBI, ICICI, and others in that they do not take deposits. They are special kinds of banks that handle complex financial services like mergers and IPO underwritings for major companies.

An Investment banker supports institutional clients in activities like capital raising and mergers and acquisitions. Investment bankers lend their corporate finance services to clientele ranging from startups to established organisations and, sometimes even governments.

This is the best role in finance, and the candidates seeking this role are expected to be experts in finance. Investment banks look for candidates like CAs, and CFAs. As already mentioned, college matters. Investment Banks mostly don’t go below IIM A,B,C for recruitment. Analytical skills are a must, and so are sales skills, as an investment banker is, in essence, a broker. An entry-level investment banker can expect a salary of 30 lakhs+. Besides the fixed salaries, bonuses are very high, sometimes surpassing the fixed components, depending on the deals closed.

Here is a table about key responsibilities, skill sets required, top hiring companies, and average package for an Investment banker:

Wealth Manager

As the name suggests, a Wealth Manager builds and sustains the wealth of a High Net Worth Individual (HNI) appointed to that particular individual by the bank. Your primary responsibility is to provide comprehensive financial advice and wealth management services to high-net-worth individuals (HNIs) and families. Your role would involve:

• Understanding clients' financial goals.
• Developing tailored investment strategies.
• Managing their portfolios to help them grow and preserve their wealth.

Apart from good financial acumen, this role also requires good people management skills and is also a good role. This role also goes by Relationship Manager and is the most offered role in all colleges. This role involves a lot of sales in addition to finance.

Here is a table about key responsibilities, skill sets required, top hiring companies, and average package for a Wealth Manager:

Risk Management

A Risk Manager assesses whether or not to give a loan to an individual or organization or not, to ensure that the loan gets paid. It is a very technical job and very crucial to maintain a bank's profitability and avoid NPAs. The bigger the amount of loan the more assessment is to be done. The role of a risk manager is seen as a desirable role.

Here is a table about key responsibilities, skill sets required, top hiring companies, and average package for a Risk Manager:

Equity Research Analyst

If you are someone who loves Finance and want to make a career in it, but don’t want to do any selling, this role is for you.

Equity research analysts work for both buy-side and sell-side firms in the securities industry. They produce research reports, projections, and recommendations concerning companies and stocks.

In a buy-side firm—such as a wealth management firm, a pension fund, or a hedge fund—an equity research analyst typically supplies information and recommendations to the firm's investment managers, who oversee client investment portfolios and make final decisions about what securities to hold.

In a sell-side firm, such as a brokerage or a bank, an equity research analyst typically produces reports and recommendations for the firm's sales agents. The agents then go on to use the information to sell investments to their clients and the general public.

Here is a table about key responsibilities, skill sets required, top hiring companies, and average package for a Risk Manager:

Corporate Financial Analyst

A Corporate Financial Analyst works for a Private firm, The role of a CFA is to make valuable investments for the firm, make decisions regarding various investments, and do the cost-benefit analysis for various firm-related activities like introducing a new product, increasing the capacity of a plant, increasing the workforce, tapping a new market and so on.

Here is a table about key responsibilities, skill sets required, top hiring companies, and average package for a Risk Manager:

So these were the top 5 financial roles that are offered in an MBA college. Most of these roles are offered in tier-1 B-Schools like IIM A,B,C and tier-2 and tier-3 colleges. However, the pay and the role and responsibility may vary. A company coming to IIM A may give a fixed salary of 30 LPA and a front-office position, but the same company may also visit IMT Ghaziabad and offer a salary of 10-15 LPA and a mid-office role.

If you are targeting a role in sales, you must be thorough with Financial Knowledge and up-to-date with all the tools and techniques like financial modelling and such; try to do a level 1 or 2 CFA Certification, as it has a lot of credibility and implies that you have a good understanding of Finance. Along with this, candidates must also work on their communication and sales skills. As there are hardly any core finance roles, most roles involve some component of sales or client relationship management.

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