Financial firms cast their recruiting net far and wide to encourage applications from all graduates, no matter what their degree subject. Sociologists are as much in demand as statisticians.

Why recruiters value all graduates

Arts and social science graduates tend to be good communicators, after lots of practice writing essays and presenting to study groups at university. Graduate recruiters seek such interpersonal skills, as they breed confidence, maturity and approachability – highly prized in the workplace.

Financial recruiters also trust their own judgement; if you pass their quantitative tests and your professional exams, it doesn’t matter that you’re not a mathematician.

Most of all, candidates must be sharp, dedicated and enthusiastic, prowess that arts graduates possess as much as number-crunchers.

As Christina Kerr, Recruitment Manager at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, explains: ’Having staff from different academic backgrounds encourages creative thinking and also helps us to provide excellent services to our clients, as we can offer staff who can relate to the diversity of their businesses. So, for example, if we have a chemistry graduate working with a pharmaceutical client, we have the best of both worlds. We are simply looking for talent, and we recognise that can exist in a wide array of academic disciplines.’

Financial career paths

Most graduate finance positions welcome applications from students with non-numerical degrees. Here are just a few:

Accountancy and tax
There are several branches to choose from, including chartered, certified, management and public-finance accountancy. All offer audit, tax and other financial management services, either to a range of clients, on behalf of their business or to public-sector organisations.

Insurance and pensions
Advisers recommend and manage pension funds or advise on and underwrite insurance claims.

Investment banking
You can provide specialist advice to companies, institutions and governments. This area is very well paid, but cut-throat. Graduates often train as analysts, working across departments such as debt, equity or mergers and acquisitions, or work with high-net-worth private clients.

Retail banking
Involves managing branches, meeting sales targets and attracting new business.

Finance graduates only!

Some roles are so specialised that graduate recruiters require advanced numerical ability in their candidates.

Actuarial work, which evaluates outcomes and risk through statistical manipulation, certain roles for economists and statisticians, and some specialist IT positions are only open to grads who already have some degree of advanced knowledge in their field.

In these cases, it is also more cost-effective for recruiters to target exactly the sort of students they’re after, rather than taking a gamble on graduates who might struggle in the job.

’Traditionally, a mathematics or statistics degree has been the easiest way to demonstrate the skills needed to study towards actuarial examinations, although many employers positively welcome applications from other disciplines including economics, business studies, engineering, physics and chemistry,’ says Karen Brocklesby, Registrar at the Actuarial Profession.