In exploring careers in finance, one quickly begins to realize that there are a variety of jobs, with several types of organizations, requiring varying levels of education and training. Unfortunately, the word finance reveals few details about what one actually does as work in a finance career. The Career Guide to Industries (edition 2000-2001), produced by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, organizes finance careers according to three broad categories: banking, insurance, and securities and commodities. Careers in the banking industry focus on providing loans, credit, and payment services to individual and large institutional customers. Insurance industry jobs focus on providing clients with protection against financial losses and hardships due to such things as fire. Finally, securities and commodities careers are typically what most people think of when considering a career in finance. These jobs focus on advising and assisting individual and institutional investors with...