Careers in finance require a thorough understanding of systems in place to move capital and how these systems manage the spending and budgeting of money. Those in the field of finance must use the resources at their disposal to determine how risk, time and money will affect the future of business. In an industry where little is guaranteed, professionals in this field must be meticulous and responsible.

PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), one of the nation's largest employers of college graduates, has launched the 8th Annual xTREME Games, a nationwide competition designed to prepare accounting and finance students for the rigors of the industry, Reuters reports.

The event features a contest in which students demonstrate their capacities to solve real-world business problems in attempts to net almost $300,000 in prize money. Participants will be asked to solve tax, accounting, policy and planning issues.

"When it comes to preparing students for successful careers in accounting, there is no substitute for hands-on, real-world experience," Christina Fitzpatrick, National Campus Sourcing Program Leader for PricewaterhouseCoopers, said to reporters. She added that the competition instills valuable workplace qualities in students, such as collaboration, problem solving and effective communication.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics expects the employment of financial analysts to grow by 37% until 2016 - a growth fueled largely by the expectation that Baby Boomers will seek advice managing retirement investments.