Financial Manager

Answer 1

A financial manager is a person who handles the books for a company. Businesses are complex and they have many working parts. Some managers will work hard to manage the human resources of a company. Other managers will handle the sales team and try to get more business that way. A financial manager does his own thing, though, working hard to make sure that the company is taking in the right amount of money and spending the right amount of money. It is the type of position that can lead to great opportunities within a company and within the corporate structure.

Becoming a financial manager

For those who want to become a financial manager, understand that you will need a few skills to make it happen. For starters, a background in finance is almost always necessary to move forward as a financial manager. Some will take the accounting route, and this is good as well. Whatever the case, you need to have some math-intensive business background to do well as a financial manager. Much of the work involves budgeting and planning for the future, so these skills will help a financial manager there.

What do they make?

A financial manager can plan to make somewhere in the $60,000 to $75,000 range starting out. This, of course, depends upon the company that you work for. A financial manager at a larger company can make more money, while those at small companies can make less. The nice thing here is that with experience as a financial manager, you can expect to move right up the ranks. There are advancement opportunities for those people who show a high degree of skill and direct the company’s finances appropriately.

What do they do?

On a day to day basis, a financial manager will set spending limits, look over expenditures, create budgets, and do a host of other integral financial processes. In addition to handling the day-to-day operations and making sure the company is on track, a financial manager will have his eye on the big picture, spotting places where profitability might be improved. The exact responsibilities will depend upon the company and how many managers they employ.