Are FinTech Classes Worth It?

Taking a FinTech class can help you begin a career in the lucrative field of FinTech. However, enrolling in a class means putting aside the time to learn and practice the skills you’re looking to acquire. You’ll also need to think about the price you’re willing to pay for a FinTech class before enrolling in one. This article will help you consider how you will benefit from a FinTech class to help you decide whether they are worth it. 

If you’re looking to start a career in FinTech, including one in cybersecurity, financial management, or data science, you’re likely to find a FinTech class worth taking. Classes will help you understand FinTech concepts, develop a sense of financial literacy, and help you develop skills that easily transfer to other industries. FinTech classes will also provide you the chance to work on projects and gain hands-on experience to help you decide if FinTech is the right field for you. 

Consider the Costs

FinTech classes range in price depending on the length and intensity of the course you plan to enroll in. One-day introductory classes typically cost less than longer classes, but high-intensity one-day classes can still cost up to several hundred dollars. FinTech bootcamps, which may range from several days to several weeks long, might cost you between several hundred and several thousand dollars, depending on the length and modality of the bootcamp. If you’re looking to spend less money on a FinTech class, you can turn to on-demand classes, which allow you to learn on your own using materials provided to you online. Besides course fees, you also may need to factor in the price of materials, like software, when enrolling in a class.

Advantages of a FinTech Class

The modalities of FinTech courses available to you include in-person, online, and on-demand. Although the cost of on-demand classes is on the lower end, students tend to prefer live instruction when it comes to learning FinTech. 

General Benefits

Live FinTech training allows students to learn from an instructor face-to-face in either an in-person or online setting. In-person classes provide students with the familiarity of a traditional classroom setting, whereas live online classes allow students to work remotely and remove the need to commute to their classes. Live learning lets students receive top-notch hands-on training from an instructor who can walk them step-by-step through their lessons and provide customized feedback. Enrolling in a live FinTech class will offer you a structured form of learning to ensure that you’re on track with your learning goals and that you have resources available to you when you have questions or find yourself stuck on a concept. 

Availability of Classes

Most training schools offer in-person and live online classes while platforms like Udemy and Coursera offer on-demand classes. Scheduled in-person and live online classes require students to attend their course during the week, in the evenings, or on the weekends. Students who cannot commute to an in-person class have the option of taking live online classes, which follow a similar, if not the same, curriculum as in-person classes. With the availability of online classes, students have the opportunity to learn from instructors at schools around the country. 

Real-World Experience and Collaboration

Enrolling in a FinTech class will help you develop real-world skills as you work on projects and activities by yourself and with your classmates under the supervision of an instructor. Most FinTech classes that include a project portion will require students to face problems and complete tasks they would face in the workplace. This type of learning lets students practice the skills they’re learning in the classroom in a practical manner and make connections between their lessons and the real world. When working in a group setting, students will also have the chance to work on their communication skills, which they’ll need when collaborating on projects in the future. 

Career Services

Many training centers offer career services to students, especially centers that offer career development certificates and bootcamps. Career services may include mentoring sessions, where they can ask an advisor for career advice, portfolio review, or interview tips. These services may also include access to the center or school’s alumni network and access to other networking opportunities. Oftentimes, access to career services depends on the intensity of the course you’re enrolled in, with most services offered to students who have enrolled in a program focused on preparing them for starting a career immediately after completing the program. 

Considerations When Looking at FinTech Classes

Aside from the cost of a FinTech class, there are several other aspects to consider before enrolling. 

General Considerations

When choosing to enroll in an in-person or live online class, you’ll need to consider your schedule and whether you can feasibly attend the classes you’re interested in. You may find it reasonable to attend a short, one-day class, but longer programs, like certificate programs or bootcamps, will require you to have a more open schedule to attend all the classes that make up the program. Bootcamps and certificate programs can range from several days to several months, depending on the scope of the program, so you need to ensure you have the time to commit to attending classes and potentially completing assignments or homework outside of class. 

If you’re interested in attending live online classes, you’ll need to consider your level of comfort with online learning. Live online classes require students to follow along with an instructor via a web conferencing platform. It’s important for students to feel comfortable working in an online setting and keep up with the rest of the class. Some students may find it difficult to let an instructor know they’re falling behind in an online class versus in an in-person class. If you’re nervous about keeping up in a live online class, you can brush up on general course topics before enrolling. 

Prerequisites

The prerequisites you need for a FinTech class will depend on the area of FinTech you’re looking to learn. Students interested in data science as it’s used for FinTech can expect to work with data in all sorts of ways and may need prior experience with data visualization or management software. Other fields of FinTech include working with AI technology or coding. In these instances, a FinTech class you’re interested in may require prior experience with several coding languages. Beginner-level classes will not have prerequisites, so if you’re starting with zero prior knowledge, it’s best to enroll in a beginner-level class. 

What Skills Do You Need to Know?

Before enrolling in a FinTech class, think of your long-term goals. Working in the FinTech industry doesn’t mean you need equal experience with finance and technology. What you plan to do in the industry may lean more heavily one way or the other. You should choose a FinTech class that will help you reach your overall goals. Individuals interested more in the finance side can enroll in finance, accounting, or data science classes. Individuals looking to work more on the technology side should consider enrolling in cybersecurity, programming, or machine learning classes. 

Is it Worth Enrolling in a FinTech Class?

Who Will Find it Worthwhile?

Anyone interested in starting a career in FinTech will benefit from enrolling in a FinTech class. FinTech classes help students develop financial literacy and understand the convergence of finance and technology in the world of FinTech. Skills gained in a FinTech class will help students determine which area of FinTech they’re interested in, whether it’s helping clients plan their finances or using algorithms to train AI. The costs of attending a FinTech class and the time needed to develop career-ready skills can be high, but developing those skills will benefit you in the long run as you prepare to look for a career in the competitive field of FinTech. 

Some aspects of a FinTech class can also help you in your personal life. Financial literacy is one of the most important core concepts you’ll learn in FinTech, which will help you in your daily life. Understanding how to make financial decisions will help you budget, make purchases, and save for retirement. 

Who Might Find it Worthwhile?

FinTech classes may prove worthwhile to professionals in the finance and technology industries. Finance professionals and technology professionals likely have skills to succeed in their respective industries, but those looking to develop skills in other areas can benefit from a FinTech class. Finance professionals, like Bankers, Financial Analysts, and Investment Managers, can enroll in a FinTech class with an emphasis on technology and learn how technology is transforming the field of finance. Tech enthusiasts, meanwhile, can enroll in a FinTech class to explore how their skills can transform the world of finance, from mobile banking to cybersecurity. 

Who Probably Doesn’t Need a FinTech Class?

FinTech classes likely won’t benefit finance professionals not interested in technology or tech professionals not interested in finance. Although finance and technology have converged to create the exciting and innovative world of FinTech, not all industry professionals have an interest in exploring the interactions between the two. Traditional finance professionals can learn the skills they need to excel in their field in traditional finance classes, and traditional technology professionals can do the same in traditional technology classes. 

Learn FinTech with Noble Desktop

Learn FinTech skills by enrolling in one of Noble Desktop’s FinTech programs. Noble Desktop offers most classes live online, where students will learn under the guidance of an instructor via a web conferencing platform, and in person at their midtown Manhattan campus. 

Noble’s FinTech Bootcamp is an interactive program covering the essential skills needed to begin a career in the FinTech industry. Under the guidance of an instructor, you’ll learn Python programming, data science, financial analysis, data visualization, and machine learning. Noble Desktop offers the bootcamp in a 4-week full-time schedule on weekdays, or a 4-month part-time schedule on evenings and Saturdays. In addition to five units covering Python and SQL as used for FinTech, you’ll also have the option of choosing a bonus 18-hour elective unit covering either Python or financial modeling. 

Students pursuing or currently in a finance-related profession, interested in using Python’s financial libraries to manipulate and analyze financial data, should enroll in Noble Desktop’s Python for Finance Bootcamp. Over the 18-hour live online course, students will learn how to use Python’s financial libraries and gain hands-on experience gathering and manipulating financial data, fetching APIs for company and economic data, analyzing SEC financial statements, building risk models, and applying linear regression for stock price predictions. Aside from a financial background, students should also have taken Noble’s Python for Data Science Bootcamp, or have equivalent knowledge. If you want to take the course but don’t think you have the financial background necessary, contact Noble after registration to access a free on-demand supplemental guide. 

Financial modeling plays an important role in the FinTech industry. Analysts working for a firm or taking on clients should understand how to use financial models to predict risk and evaluate and compare financial decisions. In Noble Desktop’s Financial Modeling Bootcamp, you’ll learn essential financial and accounting concepts as you work toward gaining the core skills required for a career handling equity research, financial planning and analysis, investment banking, private equity, or corporate finance. Prior financial experience is helpful when enrolling in the bootcamp, but not required. After completing the three-day course, you’ll receive a verified digital certificate of completion and have access to a retake for free within one year. 

Noble Desktop’s beginner-level Data Science Certificate program will provide you with the hands-on training needed to start an entry-level data science or Python engineering position. Spend four weeks full-time (weekdays) or 20 weeks part-time (evenings or Saturdays) learning how to program with Python, perform data analysis, query with SQL, and create predictive models. You’re guaranteed to succeed in this class as you spend 114 hours plus an additional six 1-on-1 mentoring sessions, where you’ll receive professional advice, detailed and personalized feedback, and map out your learning goals. No prior knowledge is required to enroll, making the class ideal for individuals looking to get started with data science, Analysts who want to transition to using Python and SQL, and Developers looking to gain additional skills.

After completing Noble Desktop’s Data Science Bootcamp, you can enroll in AI for Python, a hands-on course that covers the development of AI apps. You’ll receive an introduction to AI using Python at a beginner and intermediate level. The course includes lessons to help you develop theoretical and practical knowledge so that you have a strong enough understanding of AI concepts, along with practical experience with Python libraries. The 30-hour class will introduce you to ChatGPT, algorithms, and how to deploy your app.