Can You Get a Job After a Finance Bootcamp?

If getting a job in finance is one of your main goals, then a bootcamp is likely to be an excellent training choice, since getting students career-ready is one of the main goals of most bootcamps. 

These immersive and accelerated programs are designed to cover all the skills that students will need in order to succeed in a professional finance role. In addition, most include a range of career support services that are designed to help students find employment in the professional roles that they are looking for.

What Job Prospects and Career Paths are available for Finance Bootcamp Graduates?

Finance bootcamp graduates are likely to have strong job prospects. Research shows that many finance jobs tend to pay well above average and are likely to remain fairly stable in the future. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is a government agency that analyzes U.S. labor market statistics. It predicts that over the next ten years, Financial Analyst jobs will grow by about 9 percent. This is faster than the average U.S. job growth rate of 4 percent. The median pay for a Financial Analyst is almost $100,000 per year, according to BLS. The agency reports that the projected growth rate for Financial Managers is 17 percent, which is much faster than average, and the median pay for this position is about $156,000 yearly.

In the past, many industries have focused on hiring applicants with college degrees, however, that has changed in recent years. Research shows that a growing number of employers are placing less importance on formal education and are more interested in finding candidates who can demonstrate that they have the skills and practical experience that they need to do the job. Bootcamps have become popular because they can be an effective way to gain skills and experience in a relatively short amount of time. A number of studies reveal that students who graduate from a bootcamp are actually more likely to find a job more easily and are also likely to earn more than their peers. 

Are Finance Bootcamps Good for Beginners?

If you’re a beginner, without any finance experience, a bootcamp can be a great educational choice. Most bootcamps are actually designed for beginners and don’t have any prerequisites. They are generally intended to take students who know very little about this field, and provide them with a comprehensive education that will prepare them for a professional position in finance. Students will start with the basics, and gain a strong understanding of fundamental finance skills. After that, they will move on to more advanced concepts. Most bootcamps also include a lot of hands-on practice, where you can strengthen your understanding of all the new things you’re learning by using them to work on real projects.

What Career Services Do Finance Bootcamps Offer?

Since most bootcamps are specifically focused on helping you get career-ready, career services are common. You’ll find a variety of different types of support. Since having a strong portfolio is an important part of finding a job, bootcamp curricula often include working on projects that you can include in your portfolio. Some bootcamps also have a class unit dedicated to providing information about successfully finding a job after you graduate, which might include things like how to create a resume, job interview tips, and insight into employment in different coding industries. Many bootcamps also include access to a career counselor that you can talk to outside of class hours to get more individualized advice related to your specific situation. Some even offer a certain number of one-on-one mentoring sessions that you can use for career advice. Other types of career support that you might find through a bootcamp include access to internships and introductions to professional networks. Some bootcamps even offer job guarantees, where the school will refund your tuition if you don’t find a job after you graduate. However, these guarantees often come with a long list of requirements and restrictions. 

What Jobs will a Finance Bootcamp Qualify Me For?

A bootcamp can qualify you for an entry-level job in a number of different fields. Some common finance-related jobs include Financial Analyst, Investment Banker, Accountant, Investment Analyst, Bookkeeper, and Private Equity Associate. According to a March 2024 article in U.S. News & World Reports titled “8 Best Finance Jobs to Pursue,” top financial jobs include Financial Manager, Actuary, Financial Advisor, and Accountant. It reports the position of Financial Manager as the best financial job to pursue, stating “Financial managers rank No. 1 among the Best Business Jobs, No. 2 in the 100 Best Jobs and No. 12 in the Best-Paying Jobs.”

Can I Freelance After Completing a Finance Bootcamp?

A bootcamp can help you prepare for a career in finance, whether you plan to work as an employee or as a freelancer. When you complete a finance bootcamp, you’ll gain the skills and experience that you need to work as a professional in this field. Bootcamps also include career support services, where you’ll learn how to market your professional services. This can be helpful if you’re looking for employment, but it can also be helpful if you’re trying to market your services as a freelancer.

Bootcamps can also provide a solution to the isolation that can come with working as a freelancer. Many freelancers say that one of the biggest downsides to being self-employed is that because they work alone, they don’t get the same exposure to new learning opportunities and networking that come from working as part of a group of employees. Taking part in a bootcamp can be a way to gain some of the connection and professional interaction that some freelancers say they feel like they are missing out on.

Are Finance Bootcamps Good for Upskilling?

While you might think that a finance bootcamp is only for beginners, in reality, a bootcamp can also be a great way for more experienced professionals to update their skills and career opportunities. The field of finance changes quickly, with techniques and theories changing all the time. A bootcamp is a great way to keep up with this change by updating your skills and adding new skills to your resume. By doing this, you can increase your chances of promotions and pay increases. Upskilling can also be useful if you’re trying to transition to a new finance career. Not only can a bootcamp help you learn the skills that you’ll need to transition, but bootcamps come with a variety of different types of career support that can help you actually find the job that you’re looking for.

What Does a Finance Bootcamp Offer Over Other Means of Finding a Job?

Bootcamps are not the only way to find a job, but they have some advantages over other options. For instance, another popular choice for people who want to work in finance is to earn a college degree. However, while a degree program is likely to be more comprehensive than a bootcamp, it will take significantly longer. When you earn a degree, you’ll also have to complete general education classes that aren't directly related to project management. In addition, you’ll probably spend a lot more money. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the average price of attending a four-year college ranges from $14,700 to $24,600, depending on whether it is a public or private college. 

Another advantage that bootcamps have over many other types of courses is that they run in an accelerated format. This means that they progress much more rapidly than many other types of training, and you’ll learn the skills you need in a relatively short amount of time. Most bootcamps run over a matter of weeks or months, while college programs take years. By opting for a bootcamp, you’re likely to get into the workforce more quickly, where you can start earning money and gaining experience. In addition to focusing on the skills that you’ll need, and teaching them quickly, most bootcamps offer a variety of career services, which can help significantly when you’re trying to find a job. 

Learn Finance with Noble Desktop

Noble Desktop is based in New York City and offers a number of different finance classes, including both short courses that can help you quickly master the basics, and longer, more comprehensive programs, where you can develop a strong finance skill set. Its classes can be taken in person at its Manhattan facility or in a live online format. Noble Desktop is licensed by the New York State Education Department. All courses include the option of a free retake within one year.

• One popular Noble Desktop option is the “MBA” Business Certificate. This course is an “MBA-style” program and it includes some of the skills taught in MBA programs. In this class, you’ll learn tools and strategies for finance, project management, marketing, and data analysis. You’ll also learn about the practical applications of generative AI and will get access to a self-paced class that covers the basics of business insurance, employment law, and business law. This class includes the option to take electives that match your specific area of interest. Finally, it comes with eight one-on-one mentoring sessions.
• Another option is the Financial Modeling Bootcamp. This course covers finance and accounting concepts, and you’ll build a comprehensive discounted cash flow model in Excel that is based on a real company. You will also learn about corporate finance and you’ll gain advanced Excel skills. Students who want to take this class should have intermediate-level proficiency in Excel. 
• Noble Desktop also offers a Financial Analyst Training Program. This class covers core Excel skills, in addition to Excel skills used in financial modeling. You’ll also learn about financial modeling, and build a 3-statement financial model. In addition, you’ll learn about reviewing company presentations, financial reports, and earnings releases so that you can find model drivers and assumptions. Finally, the course covers accounting, corporate finance, and valuation. 
• One of Noble Desktop’s newest offerings is the Chat GTP & AI for Business Bootcamp. This course is designed to give you the skills you’ll need to utilize AI in your daily business tasks. You’ll learn how to create effective prompts, manage conversations, and use advanced features like memory settings. You’ll also learn about the ethical considerations of AI. In addition, the course focuses on ways to use AI for task management, communication, and project planning. You’ll learn about automating repetitive tasks, optimizing schedules, and improving collaboration and administrative workflows.

Noble also offers a variety of short Excel classes: Excel Level 1,Level 2, and Level 3. Level 1 is focused on getting familiar with the interface, entering data, using essential formulas and functions, and creating charts. You’ll also learn how to format and print. Level 2 covers splitting and joining text, adding data validation, named ranges, database functions, adding logical statements, and using Pivot Tables. In addition, you’ll learn to use statistical functions and create advanced combo charts. In Level 3, instructors cover advanced concepts including cell locking, auditing, hotkeys, formatting for calculating dates, advanced functions, advanced analytical tools, Pivot Charts, and advanced database functions.