Corporate Finance jobs are an appealing and highly rewarding option for newly qualified accountants, as they require the utilisation of their accounting and financial skills.

Corporate financiers provide a range of financial services to companies, institutions and governments seeking to manage corporate, strategic or financial opportunities. These include acting on behalf of clients in financing and managing (or even defending) mergers, acquisitions and reconstructions, raising money on the capital markets, e.g. issuing bonds (debt) and shares (equity) or lending money, supporting privatisations for government, managing initial public offerings (IPO's) and other flotations. Corporate finance includes advising on and leading management buyouts, providing strategic advice to clients and identifying and securing new deals.

The main role of a corporate financier is to advise companies, institutions and governments on how they can achieve their financial goals and implement their plans. Corporate financiers work in dedicated teams focusing on specific transactions or market sectors. A typical corporate finance deal involves two stages:

• Origination: assessing the desirability of a deal, which is sometimes an innovative idea from the bank rather than the client. Financial models are used to simulate possible outcomes (this requires a deep understanding of the sector).
  
• Execution: the structuring and negotiation of the detailed terms of a deal, often in liaison with other professionals.
  

Many investment banks deal in three main areas:

• Mergers and acquisitions (M&A): assisting clients with expansion in order to increase profitability, safeguard market position, diversify, etc. Investment bankers manage the transaction process, assessing the target organisation and the impact of the deal. This involves knowledge of legal and regulatory issues.
  
• Debt capital markets: working with lenders such as financial institutions, agencies and public and private companies to support client debt. This includes restructuring debt, refinancing debt and raising new debt.
  
• Equity capital markets: advising clients on ways to raise capital, how much, from whom and when.
  

Although dealing with specific business areas, teams will invariably liaise with each other during the two phases of a deal in order to obtain relevant specialist information and market intelligence.

On a day-to-day basis, typical activities will include:

• thoroughly researching market conditions and developments;
  
• identifying new business opportunities;
  
• carrying out financial modelling, then developing and presenting appropriate financial solutions to clients;
  
• liaising with the chief executive and chief finance officer of large organisations;
  
• structuring marketing campaigns for transactions;
• Co-ordinating teams of professionals, including accountants, lawyers and PR consultants.
  

Competition for corporate finance jobs is strong as they tend to offer higher than average packages for newly qualified accountants. However, newly qualified accountants going into corporate finance jobs should be aware that long hours and weekend work are the norm.

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