Career Paths in Financial Management - Orfalea College of Business

About Financial Management

Through in-depth coursework, case studies and unique Learn by Doing projects, students learn about everything from income securities to portfolio management with an emphasis on corporate finance. This coursework helps prepare students for careers in several different banking roles, wealth management positions or internally for any company in various corporate finance roles.

Career Pathways

Corporate Finance

Corporate finance professionals can be responsible for many different tasks including analyzing company’s key metrics, advising company management on project costs/potential, handling day-to-day operational cash flows and evaluating and executing potential Mergers and Acquisitions as well as other investment opportunities.

Top Job-Titles	Key Skills	Applicable Courses	On-Campus Organizations
Financial Planning and Analysis Treasury Services Investor Relations Corporate Development	Excel SQL Python Tableau	BUS 342 – Fundamentals of Corporate Finance BUS 438 – Advanced Corporate Finance BUS 442 – Intro to Futures and Options	Financial Management Association (FMA)

Key Recruiting Programs & Timelines

Apple Launch & Finance Development Program (FDP)

Investment Banking

Those in investment banking can handle a wide range of responsibilities. These responsibilities may include helping clients raise money in capital markets, developing financial models utilizing various valuation methods to reach conclusions when leading companies through Mergers and Acquisitions and other investment opportunities. Investment bankers can either work in regional/industry specialized segments or on product teams offering a unique service to clientele.

Top Job-Titles	Key Skills	Applicable Courses	On-Campus Organizations
Mergers & Acquisitions analyst Leveraged Finance Analyst Sales & Trading Analyst Financial Institutions Group Analyst Life Sciences Analyst Technology, Media and Telecommunications Analyst	Excel	BUS 448 – Finance of Mergers and Acquisitions BUS 439 – Fixed Income Securities	Cal Poly Investment Banking (CPIB) Financial Management Association (FMA)

Key Recruiting Programs & Timelines

JP Morgan Advancing Black Pathways/Hispanics & Latinos Fellowship, Goldman Sachs Virtual Insights Series, Barclays Discovery Program

Commercial Banking

Commercial Bankers satisfy client’s needs through offering various banking solutions and products. Those in the role require a strong knowledge of traditional banking solutions that may include services such as cash management, transfer/payment services, access to credit or general advising for other opportunities. Commercial Bankers can also work in specialized roles such as Commercial Real Estate focused teams.

Top Job-Titles	Key Skills	Applicable Courses	On-Campus Organizations
Credit Underwriter Treasury Management Officer Banker	Excel Powerpoint Data Visualization (Tableau/Power BI) Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) Chartered Enterprise Risk Analyst (CERA)	BUS 434/435 – Real Estate Finance ECON 337 – Money, Banking, and Credit	Cal Poly Investment Banking (CPIB) Financial Management Association (FMA) Cal Poly Real Estate Club (CPRE)

Key Programs

JP Morgan Advancing Black Pathways/Hispanics & Latinos Fellowship

Equity Research

Equity Research professionals interpret data within the various stock market industry focused segments to provide insightful recommendations to those looking to trade the securities. Associates identify patterns in market price changes through quantitative analysis and coding skills to accurately anticipate potential market trends.

Top Job-Titles	Key Skills	Applicable Courses	On-Campus Organizations
Equity Research Associate / Analyst	Excel Python Javascript	BUS 441 – Computer applications in Finance BUS 442 – Intro to Futures and Options	Cal Poly Investment Banking (CPIB) Financial Management Association (FMA)

Key Recruiting Programs & Timelines

Goldman Sachs Virtual Insights Series

Wealth Management

Wealth managers assist clientele through providing long term guidance in personalized investment strategies, tax strategies, estate planning and risk management. Wealth managers clients include a variety of individuals or institutional clients and focus on managing and growing their wealth based on the client’s preferences and needs.

Top Job-Titles	Key Skills/Certifications	Applicable Courses	On-Campus Organizations
Wealth Manager Investment Advisor/Counselor Relationship Manager	Excel Certified Financial Advisor	BUS 431 – Security Analysis and Portfolio Management BUS 442 – Intro to Futures and Options	Cal Poly Investing Financial Management Association (FMA)

Graduate Outcomes

Top Jobs

Financial Analyst
Financial Advisor
Relationship Banker
Associate Financial Analyst
Rotational Analyst
Business Technology Analyst
Investment Banking Analyst
Financial Planning and Analysis
Client Services Associate
Economic and Valuation Services Associate
Financial Development Program Financial Analyst
Private Client Associate

Finance Alumni Mentors

Steve Ashford: Retired Senior Manager @ Apple

Steve worked at Apple for over 16 years in various finance roles, most recently as a Senior Manager for Retail Finance Real Estate Analytics. He have several years of experience managing interns and analysts, and mentoring dozens of young professionals. Recently, he retired to take care of my two kids full time.

Nicholas Stolecki: Credit Risk Associate @ JP Morgan Chase

Nicholas studied real estate finance at the Orfalea College of Business. He’s a commercial real estate underwriter for JP Morgan Chase with previous experience in brokerage and real estate valuations. His specializations include everything real estate and finance. In his free time, he is an avid golfer and skier.

Donna Moazeni: Financial Analyst @ Apple

Donna is a results-driven professional with over 8 years of experience in program and project management. She excels in driving cross-functional teams towards successful project delivery. With a background in both finance and technology, Donna has a unique ability to bridge the gap between technical and non-technical stakeholders. She is passionate about leveraging her skills to streamline processes and improve efficiency. Outside of work, Donna enjoys painting, hiking, and volunteering at local animal shelters.