Which is the better job? Why?

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commstudent

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1. Commercial banking associate at a major canadian bank
2. Financial Analyst at a large company like IBM or P&G

Im not looking to break into investment banking or make multiple six digits like everyone here but I would like a solid finance job with good exit opportunities after 4-5 years as I dont know what I want to do with my life yet. I am a graduating accounting/economics student. Any help or comments would be much appreciated.
 
Which sounds more interesting to you? Either one would be a "solid finance job" with "good exit opportunities".
 
1. is much better (based on one-line descriptions). Bottom line, the credit/banking skillsets are much more lucrative and probably more meritocratic than performing management accounting or helping evaluate capital projects, etc. in a huge company (where financial analyst can mean a million different things).

Take 1 and don't look back unless you can come up with some really compelling reasons because it'll probably cost you money and it's hard to take back.

good luck either way.
 
2. Financial Analyst at a large company like IBM or P&G...sounds like accounting to me.
 
I'd say 1. Most (but not all) financial analyst roles at big corporates tend to be general ledger, budgeting, financial planning and reporting type stuff. That can be the start of a great career if that is what you want, but since this is a CFA board the financial statement analysis skills of commercial credit will probably serve you better.
 
2. Financial Analyst at a large company like IBM or P&G...sounds like accounting to me

agree with Turkish
however these companies (in particular PG which I happen to know a bit) would give u the opportunity to move up and out of finance, many divisional managers have started in the backoffice ie treasury/accounting and made very nice international careers within the divisons
u seem not to keen on pure banking finace, maybe this could be interesting for u
 
treasury/accounting are great divisions to learn the ins/outs of large companies such as IBM/PG. people will tell you marketing/sales are the way to go at these firms, but if you look at the executive team, many worked their way up through the former.
 
Thank you everyone for the responses. I will definately take them into consideration.
"u seem not to keen on pure banking finance" Its not that Im not interested in banking finance or the CFA I just have no idea what I want to do and I dont want to specialize in a certain trade ie credit analysis from the get go, Id rather learn some mobile skills that I can take anywhere in business. I realize this post maybe somewhat unappropriate for a CFA forum but the vault forums are garbage and Im desperate heh
 
Finance / Accounting at a Fortune 500, is not a "Finance Job" not leverageable into Corp Fin, Asset Management, Hedge Funds, etc. Finance is looked down upon in most corporations as "bean counting." Go with Commerical banking, which has credit training, and can lead to many more "exit opportunities"
 
"Finance / Accounting at a Fortune 500, is not a "Finance Job"

It's not a "finance job" in the sense that you'll be able to leverage into IB, hedge funds, etc, and is probably more of an "accounting job".

On the other hand, it is a fairly stable/secure job, and if the original poster is more interested in being a CFO than being a hedge fund manager, it is probably a better position than commercial banking.

If the poster is interested in being a banker or fund manager, the commercial banking job will probably be better.

I think either commercial banking or working as a financial analyst at a large company can open up many doors, although the exit opps will be somewhat different for each one.
 
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