Imagine a smart phone that worked on only one carrier's network. Now add in the cost of a wallet-draining $20 monthly data plan. The thing has no keyboard, and you can't even swap out the battery if you're on the road and want to keep on talking without stopping to charge up.

You don't have to imagine it--it's been here since 2007, and it's called the iPhone. In fact, if you were among the first to buy the original iPhone in June 2007, your two-year contract is almost up. Sure, you could buy the upgraded version, the iPhone 3G, and sign up for a new two-year contract if you're willing to shell out $199 for the phone and another $30 a month for the data plan. But guess what? It's now "the future," and you've got options.

The iPhone 3G is one heck of a phone, to be sure. It's a first-rate digital media player; it can handle e-mail and light Web surfing--oh, and you can use it to talk to people, too. And, thanks to Apple's (nasdaq: AAPL - news - people ) App Store, it's almost infinitely customizable. Looking for a portable gaming device that also lets you control your desktop computer remotely? The iPhone can do that.

The iPhone, however, is no longer your only option if you want a touch-screen, multi-function smartphone. So if you're not comfortable with AT&T Wireless, for whatever reason, you've got plenty of options.

Verizon Wireless is now countering the iPhone with a raft of touch-screen phones from Samsung, Research In Motion (nasdaq: RIMM - news - people ), HTC and others. T-Mobile carries both the G1, which is powered by Google's (nasdaq: GOOG - news - people ) Android operating system, and the Sidekick, a Web-savvy smartphone with a slide-out keyboard and a cult following that predates the iPhone.

Sprint (nyse: S - news - people ) will soon be selling the Palm Pre (see "Palm Strikes Back"). And there's more on the way, with a host of iPhone-inspired smartphones introduced at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona this week.

The so-called netbook represents another alternative that has broken into the mainstream since the iPhone's launch. The tiny, low-cost notebook computers are selling fast, driving down the average selling price of computers across the entire PC industry. With a broadband data plan, one of these will still cost you less than an iPhone each month, yet a good netbook includes a user-friendly keyboard and much of the functionality you'll find in a personal computer.

For the business graduate, obtaining a degree is just the beginning. What's left is to take a closer look at available career options, measuring which industry sectors have the greatest need for new professionals. The finance industry is multifaceted, offering a variety of positions catering to a number of different skills and interests.

Financial services have multiple sub-industries encompassing niche opportunities. The key to individual success is to research, locate and land the financial job that has the greatest compatibility with your skills and interests. The same is true for professionals seeking a change in scenery and who want to give a new sector a shot.

Here are some common career paths you may pursue in the financial-services industry:

Corporate finance: These jobs involve working for a company in the capacity of finding and managing the capital necessary to run the enterprise. This is done while maximizing corporate value and reducing financial risk.

The functions you may implement while in such a position include: setting up the company's overall financial strategy; forecasting profits and losses; negotiating lines of credit; preparing financial statements and coordinating with outside auditors.
More sophisticated corporate finance jobs might involve mergers and acquisitions activity, such as calculating the value of an acquisition target or determining the value of a division for a spin-off.

Corporate finance positions can be found in companies of all sizes, from large, international entities to small start-ups. Additional corporate finance positions include financial analysts, treasurers and internal auditors. (Learn more about a career as an analyst in "Becoming A Financial Analyst," and as an internal auditor in "An Inside Look At Internal Auditors.")

Commercial banking: Commercial banks, from large entities to local institutions, offer a range of financial services, from checking and savings accounts to IRAs and loans. Career options available in this sector include bank tellers, loan officers, operations, marketing and branch managers. Talented professionals can advance from a local branch job to a position in corporate headquarters. Such a promotion would expose you to a number of other areas, such as international finance. (Learn more about a career in institutional marketing in "The Marketing Director's Pitch.")