Your route to a treasurery career

Graduate Guidelines - Your Route to a Treasury Career

A treasury department lies at the heart of an organisation's operations and is an exciting environment for a new graduate. However, entry into a treasury function is often not marketed directly to new graduates. The following guidelines offer advice to the ambitious graduate seeking to enter the treasury profession. Any degree discipline is acceptable although accountancy, finance, economics or mathematics would be useful.

Routes into Treasury

Direct access
Write to a treasurer at the head office address with CV and reasons for interest in treasury; request a visit to the department. (Most treasurers are very approachable as they require interpersonal skills for their role.)

Graduate training program
Many large companies will have training programmes for financial/accounting graduates. Request a secondment, perhaps of three months, within the treasury function. (You may be offered a permanent position in treasury once one becomes available.)

Associated departments
Enter an organisation through the tax, corporate, finance, legal or accounting functions which will give an insight into treasury and possibilities to move across.

Corporate vs bank treasury
It is not only corporates that have a treasury function. Banks provide financial services to businesses and have their own centres of treasury specialists to provide advice and products for the increasingly complex financial world. Many individuals move from one side of the fence to work in the other.

The steps for gaining access into such a bank role differ little from those above.

Further study
The only recognised qualifications in treasury are those provided by the Association of Corporate Treasurers. These provide a full education in treasury matters and an excellent general grounding in financial management. They do not rely on practical experience. The study fees are often paid by a supportive employer.

Having completed the Associate exams, gaining a position in treasury will be a lot easier - especially through all the contacts you will meet during the two years of study.

A masters degree in a financial/management related discipline will look good on your CV and will offer insight into new opportunities including treasury.

Finally….a note from a treasurer……

While treasury is often seen as a specialised role it has far reaching effects on the success of a business and opens a wealth of opportunities which, on a personal note, will rarely be bettered.

Below is an example of an actual advert and job description for a graduate position from one of the FTSE 100 companies, and while such opportunities are rarely advertised, it serves as an example of the type of role expected for a new entrant.

Position of Treasury Analyst

X plc is currently seeking to recruit an ambitious graduate with numerate disciplines into the Treasury department. The post is for the position of Treasury Analyst.

brief description
The emphasis of this role is one of analysing and managing the Group's financial exposures, and will involve a significant amount of financial engineering. We are particularly interested in those individuals that can demonstrate good methodology, flair and versatility. The chosen individual can expect a competitive salary and benefits package along with rewarding career opportunities within X group.

Job Title : Treasury Analyst
Department: Corporate Treasury - Company Headquarters

Purpose of Position

To transact the Group's internal and external foreign exchange and money market deals
To monitor the Group's foreign currency exposures and recommend their appropriate management.
To provide a currency risk advisory service to all areas of the X group.
To continually develop financial risk management strategies to enhance the Group's overall profitability, making use of the latest financial techniques available.
To ensure the integrity of the Group's relationships with banks and other financial institutions.

Qualifications
The successful candidate will exhibit a high degree of numeracy (preferably possessing a degree in accountancy, finance, economics or maths).

Strong analytical capability is essential. Knowledge of Windows based packages (e.g. Excel) would be useful, although not essential.

No prior knowledge of the financial markets is required. Assistance will be provided to undertake both the associate, and on completion, the membership exams for the Association of Corporate Treasurers.

Job Characteristics
The successful applicant will

Need to work to a high level of accuracy, under pressure associated with dealing with large amounts of money in the financial markets (trades are regularly in excess of US$50m)
Have the ability to analyse information, write concise reports and present a well reasoned verbal argument when required.
Be able to communicate effectively with people at all levels both inside and outside the company.
Be able to work efficiently within a small team.

If you are a graduate and would like further information on joining the treasury profession, why not read one of the profiles on the following websites: