7 answers
9
Updated 1481 views

How do you become a financial analyst?

SIMPLE DREAM TO FINNISH MY COURSE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY #finance #financial #financial-analyst #analyst

finance financial analyst financial-analyst
Answer This

+25 Karma if successful
From: You
To: Friend
Subject: Career question for you
9

7 answers

0
Updated
Share a link to this answer
Share a link to this answer

Shreya’s Answer

I would recommend majoring in finance or a similar business field in college and taking advantage of as many job fairs or networking events as possible. I would also recommend getting an internship in your sophomore or junior year in college that way by the time you graduate you will have two to three summers of work experience in your related field. The best way to go get those related internships is to go on LinkedIn and find those in positions you want in companies you want and contact them so that if possible you can get referrals if they connect well with you.
0
0
Updated
Share a link to this answer
Share a link to this answer

Carolina’s Answer

First, let's start by earning your bachelor's degree in finance or financial management. Next, it would be a great idea to search for internships that match your career ambitions. Remember, every company has its own unique approach to finance, and internships are a fantastic way to dive into the field and learn more.
0
0
Updated
Share a link to this answer
Share a link to this answer

Anwar’s Answer

Hello Reina,
I will start with learning basic financial skills such as how to balance a checkbook, invest money into stock market etc. I will recommend college courses in Accounting and Finance along with a potential internship in a bank or a corporation. Good news is that a financial analyst is needed in every business and a good analyst has a good career path in Personal Finance, corporate finance etc.

You are choosing a good path and I wash you success in this field.
0
0
Updated
Share a link to this answer
Share a link to this answer

Emmanuel’s Answer

Step 1: learn a lot about what the job entails, and whether you really like the technical side of finance. This tends to be an often overlooked step. Don't do it because you think you are going to make a lot of money, or your friends are doing it, or your parents want you to. Check out your local CFA chapter to get to know the people and their typical day and lifestyle. Think through what your values are, and whether you can be true to your self while being in that work culture: The hours, commute, pretentiousness, etc. Do you want to wake up at 3 in the morning in the Poconos to get to new york and work till 10 every day, or sit in a close room with little to no person to person engagement? Do you want to read 8 hours a day?

Step 2: If you are sure you want to do it, try to find a job in asset management that would allow you to gain experience while you are studying. Fund Accounting tends to be a common entry point for smart people with good grades and no industry experience.

Step 3: Once you get your foot in the door "manage up." Do this by explaining what you want to do with your manager, and ask what is specifically expected of you to get good ratings and upward advancement. With technology, its become extremely competitive and a lot of people are jockinging for less and less spots. Experience is extremely critical to really making it, even with credentials behind your name. It could take 3 to 5 years to earn your CFA. Its not really expensive (compared to an MBA)*but they'd also help with the cost of the materials. Work your but off.
*-unless you are accepted to an IVY or top 15 MBA program, you will be making an over investment in your education. Pace yourself. Get experience along the way, and then pursue the MBA if you want to specifically manage people.

Step 4. Save your money. Get vested. Practice for interviews. Brush up your resume, and interview internally and externally for an analyst job.
0
0
Updated
Share a link to this answer
Share a link to this answer

Kenneth’s Answer

Hello, Reina! Financial analysts are employed in all types of organizations, and each position may be greatly different than the others. For example, some analysts study securities, while some study the operations of an organization. You will need a good background in accounting and finance, so you will want to complete a degree at a minimum of the undergraduate level. An MBA is even better. Depending on how your career develops, you may also wish to consider becoming a Chartered Financial Analyst. This is considered the most cherished professional designation for people who are financial analysts, especially if you are in the securities industry. It is a rigorous course of study.
Once you graduate, I suggest you seek employment with the type of firm where you would like to work. In fact, if you are interested in a particular organization, see if you can do some research on how financial analysts are employed there. This research will help you set a career path.
I hope that I have provided some assistance. Good luck to you in the future!

Kenneth recommends the following next steps:

Research colleges and universities to see what kind of programs they offer for financial analysts.
Research the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.
Select five or more organizations where you would like to work and see how they use financial analysts. Perhaps you can look at job openings in your research?
0
0
Updated
Share a link to this answer
Share a link to this answer

Nafatari’s Answer

To become a financial analyst you would first of course look into colleges and universities that have business management or Finance degree. There are also Financial management degrees.
Once you have a bachelor's of science in Finance, you would look for positions with companies that offer jobs as financial analyst.

I would also suggest look for internships while in college or get a job at a bank while in school.
0
0
Updated
Share a link to this answer
Share a link to this answer

Christopher’s Answer

Hi Reina,

This is a super question. I personally started my career on the heels of 2008, which was a rough time in the job market. Becoming a financial analyst was very challenging for me when I started. From this I learned a few tips:

(1) Do something to set yourself apart from other candidates. This could be something extra-curricular you do that is related to the job. It could be something you create that demonstrates your business acumen. The only limit is your imagination. The main key is that it demonstrates your interest and aptitude in this career path.

(2) Meet with people who are doing it already and see if you can job shadow for the day. Some Companies and/or colleges partner to assist students on this.

(3) Start to learn the tools of the trade. If you start to get familiar with tools such as Excel, PowerBI, and SQL, this will pay dividends

(4) Consider a full internship

(5) Specialize your degree to finance. There are many business degrees, but if you know you want to be an analyst you are going to want to narrow your choices to (1) Finance (2) Accounting or (3) Economics. A powerful combo here is a Finance/Accounting double major. Additionally, these 2 degrees often share alot of the same pre-reqs, so it is not as bad as you might think. Ultimately, the one you choose will be related to the type of analyst you want to be

(6) Related to the last, there are many types of analysts out there. The field is more diverse than you might think. You could be a financial analyst for a company, or you could be a financial analyst for an investment company. These are very different positions and require different skill sets. By figuring out which you prefer, you can better optimize your prep

Christopher recommends the following next steps:

See Bureau of Labor Statistics on Financial Analyst career path. This was useful to me when I started and turned out to be quite accurate
0