Finance Analyst – Job Description

  
Finance Analyst – Job Description

Learn more about becoming a Finance Analyst

Main Duties

A finance analyst researches economic conditions and the business to come up with recommendations. They may decide that company stock should be bought or sold. They will also need to make future predictions with regards to the economy and make recommendations based on that.

The finance analyst may work in a specialist industry or provide more general recommendations.
Not many people work as finance analysts and so being in a small niche means that there are often many career opportunities. However, it can be a challenging job.

Working hours are likely to include a 10-11 hour day and weekend working may be necessary at reporting time. The working day tends to start at 6.45am. Many jobs are in London although there are jobs in some other cities in the country.

Expected Salary

Starting at graduate level you can expect upwards of £28,000 for a starting salary with the possibility of bonuses on top. These salaries can rise up to £100,000 with higher bonuses after five years. They will vary depending on location and company, with investment banks likely to pay  the highest.

Pros

A very good starting salary.
A niche job which can lead to bigger and better opportunities that are even better paid.
An exciting job where you have to keep up with the latest economic developments.

Cons

A lot of pressure to make correct future predictions in a field which cannot always be predicted.
Need to make correct financial predictions with regards to future investments so pressure to be right.

Tight deadlines will have to be met.

Qualifications Required

You will need a first or 2:1 degree and although subject is not important it will be preferred if you have maths, statistics, economics or accounting. It may also be helpful to have a knowledge of other subjects relevant to the industry that you want to work in.

It may be necessary to have 300+ UCAS at A level

A relevant masters degree may be useful, but it is not necessary. It may be preferred for students whose degree is not of a relevant subject.

Work experience is beneficial. Summer internships may be available which will really help to place your favourably in a company and more likely to be employed.

Required Skills
Research, analysis and report writingCommunication and presentation skillsA good head for figuresGood time management skills and an ability to stick to deadlinesSelf-confidence and driveInterest in current affairs and enthusiasm to keep economic knowledge up to dateEntrepreneurial spiritAttention to detail