Do you have a passion for numbers and investing? Do you love to write with a financial twist? Do you see yourself as a futurist who specializes in the financial world? If so, you might be a fit for the finance writing career path!
What is finance writing? Essentially, it’s an area of non-fiction focused on covering the financial aspects of a business or industry. When done well, it can be a solid source of income with lots of career advancement opportunities.
Let’s dive into the details. First, what is the difference between finance and accounting? Finance is all about numbers and valuation. In the accounting world, this is known as “accounting numbers,” or AN for short. Accounting is the art of keeping track of transactions and allocating resources for a business. So while accounting is important, it’s not the same as finance. Finance is about valuing businesses, assets, and transactions for present and future purposes.
Why should you consider getting a finance degree? There are many paths a finance career can take you down, but the most straightforward and popular is becoming a stock broker or investment banker. With the world of finance constantly changing and growing, it’s a lucrative field with many job opportunities.
On the other hand, a CPA (Certified Public Accountant) can go a long way to preparing you for a career in accounting. Having a strong foundation in accounting with a CPA will give you a competitive edge in the job market. You can also specialize in areas like taxation, financial analysis, or even technology and project management.
If you’re interested in the field, browse through the top-notch universities for finance studies. You can also find a reputable correspondence program that offers an accredited finance degree. These types of programs allow you to earn a finance degree without having to leave your home. So if you’re looking for a career change, why not consider pursuing finance? It can be a rewarding experience and very marketable.
The Basics Of Writing For Finance
Since you’ll be writing for a business or industry audience, it’s essential you develop the skill of writing for a sophisticated audience. While your writing style might be entertaining, it should be relevant to those who are reading it. If your writing doesn’t make sense, or seems too technical, it can become hard for the reader to follow your train of thought. This ultimately results in them not understanding what you’re trying to communicate and them not being able to retain what they’ve read.
As a writer for finance, you’ll be doing a lot of reading. Some of the sources you’ll be reading from are corporate annual reports, marketing materials, and financial statements. All of these sources contain information that’s important to an understanding of the business and what’s going on.
Reading these sources will give you a better understanding of the numbers behind the marketing hype. It will also equip you with the tools necessary to interpret ambiguous financial data. If you can do this successfully, you’ll be able to land a job as a stock broker or investment banker and start your career on the road to financial freedom!
How to Write Like a Professional
Even though you’ll be writing for a business audience, it doesn’t mean you have to write like a business professional. Actually, a lot of the writing you’ll be doing can be done with a personal touch. However, in order to write like a business professional, you need to take note of several key elements.
First off, make sure that your text is easy to understand. This might mean stripping complex language and accounting terms from your text. The simpler the language, the more universal your message will be. In other words, fewer words means fewer misinterpretations. The easiest way to achieve this is through effective use of diction. A business dictionary can help define words and give you the meaning behind the often ambiguous language that’s used in business contexts.
Next, make sure that your text is structured clearly and logically. This means using a sequence of events or a cause-and-effect approach to organize your points. You can also use an organizational tool like a mind map to visually represent any kind of complex argument or information you have in your text.
Style And Tone
Every piece of writing, no matter the form, needs to have a certain style and tone. This refers to the overall approach you take when writing, the language used, and the way you present information. In general, you want your writing to be:
- engaging
- informative
- accessible
- down to earth
As important as these elements are, it’s also essential that you develop your own voice. The best way to achieve this is by regularly reading business publications of all kinds and participating in online forums related to your industry. Doing this will expose you to a wealth of business information and viewpoints.
What we’ve discussed so far is the mechanical side of writing for finance. Without further ado, let’s move onto the important stuff…
The Structure Of A Financial Article
This is the part where you’ll find out how to write the perfect business article, whether you’re talking about a print publication or an online platform. Every article has a unique structure, and it’s important you learn how to write one that’s solid and effective. The following are the major elements you need to include in your article:
1. The Introduction
The intro should be used to hook the reader and set the stage for what’s about to follow. You might want to start by briefly explaining what the article is about and why it’s important. In addition, you can include a summary of the discussion in the introduction.
2. The Reasoning
The reasoning is a formal part of the argument. Here, you’ll need to develop and support the claims you made in the introduction. In other words, you’ll need to provide reasons why the topic is important and worth discussing. When writing the reasoning, make sure that you include all the necessary information the reader needs to understand your point. What makes this part unique is that you’re actually developing your argument.
Think of it as a debate in the form of a blog post. You’ll be arguing your case while providing sufficient evidence to support the claims you make. Formal essays typically have three parts: the body, the conclusion, and the apodosis. The body includes the information you need to prove your point, and the apodosis is the part where you elaborate on the point you made in the introduction. So in this sense, the body will serve as the evidence for your claim.
3. The Body
The body is made up of the information needed to prove your point. In a formal essay, it usually has three parts: the exposition, the demonstration, and the conclusion. The exposition is where you introduce the topic and provide general information about it. The demonstration is where you build on what you established in the exposition and provide the reader with the information they need to understand and agree with your point. The conclusion is a summary of the discussion, restating the main points and offering any further thoughts or comments.
Each part of the body should have a beginning, a middle, and an end. Start by laying out your evidence and reasoning clearly and succinctly. Make sure you explain everything in a straightforward and straightforward manner. When writing the demonstration, be sure to include any notes or references you have that are relevant to the topic at hand. This will help prevent the article from being misinterpreted as just another marketing pitch.
4. The Conclusion
The conclusion should be concise and restate the main points of the argument. In most cases, the conclusion is where you bring everything together and wrap up. Be sure to include a call to action at the end of your article, asking the reader to take some sort of action, such as buying a product or visiting a site.
5. The Apodosis
The apodosis is the part of the formal essay where you elaborate on your point. In most cases, this is where you develop the main idea further. In the context of a paper or a blog post, this is usually presented in the form of a conclusion, restating the main points and offering any further thoughts or comments. As you already know, writing is all about showing your reasoning and evidence to support your claims. So the apodosis will be where you do that!