Career In Financial Analysis – Your Complete Guide

Table of Contents

Introduction

Choosing a career in Financial Analysis, studying the required skill for financial analyst, and searching for the perfect jobs financial analysts can do is a stressful affair. One often wonders if they have made the right choice. You may be wondering if you have the skill for financial analyst that employers require. If you are reading this, then you are on the right path. This article has been written keeping you in mind. We will be discussing everything you need to know about completing a career in financial analysis and the different types of jobs available for financial analysts.

Financial Analyst plays a crucial role in the global economy by providing financial advice and insights and is valued employee at international financial institutions. 

What Does "Financial Analyst" Mean?

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Financial Analyst is a person who analyzes the financial statements of the company. He comments whether a particular asset or financial condition is in a sound position or not. A financial analyst is someone who offers business suggestions based on the analysis. They do research on issues such as market trends, a company’s financial health. They are basically responsible for suggesting financial models. These models will help the business with its decision-making process. Financial analysts analyze financial data using a variety of software. They also predict, identify trends, and develop portfolios for their customers.

Jobs For Financial Analysts

There are different jobs for financial analysts. The jobs are based on the function they perform because the role of the financial analyst is different from one analyst to the next. Here is a list of the jobs to start a career in financial analysis.

Investment Banking Analyst

Analysts in investment banking help companies to invest. They look at a company’s needs and spot its goals. Also, analysts try to find new investment options. If a company already has investments, they may guide them to see if they work well. They might also change some investments.

Equity Research Analyst

An equity analyst’s job is to study stocks and predict how they will do in the future. An analyst does research on these stocks. He also writes reports about stocks and tells people what stocks to buy.

Treasury Analyst

A treasury analyst is a person who keeps track of the money that is coming in and out of a company. They look at the money coming in and out and make sure that the company has enough money to pay for things that they need to buy. He also makes sure that the company does not have too much money that they are not using. Treasury analysts also look at the records of the money coming in and out. They need to make sure that the records are correct. They also need to make sure that the company has enough money and that they are not spending too much. Treasury analysts make sure that they are spending the right amount of money. They are important because they make sure that the company has enough money to buy things that they need.

Financial planning and analysis (FP&A)analyst

Financial planning and analysis help you to predict your company’s income and expenses. It also helps you to predict your company’s income and expenses for the next year. Financial planning and analysis are important aspects of your company. It helps you to know how much money you will make and spend. It also helps you to know how much money you will make and spend in the future.

Risk analyst

Risk analysts help companies to make plans for the future. They tell the companies what to do so that they will make more money. They make plans for the future that are less risky, which means that the company is less likely to lose money.

Budget Analyst

A budget analyst prepares budgets for companies. A budget is a plan to spend money. It’s a way to keep track of how much money a company has and how it spends it. A budget analyst looks at how much a company spends on things like office supplies, rent, and food. He also looks at how much money a company makes. Analyst says things like “We need to buy paper in bulk because it’s cheaper.” A budget analyst also says things like “We should spend more money on advertising because it will help us make more money.”

What Are The Skills Required For Becoming A Financial Analyst?

“The future belongs to those who learn more skills and combine them in creative ways”. This is an excellent quote stated by Robert Greene. To become a financial analyst, you need to practice the skill for financial analyst. After all, practice makes a man perfect. To start your career in financial analysis, you need to learn these skills. After learning the different types of financial analysts, let’s look over the skills required to start a career in financial analysis.

MS Excel skills

MS Excel is the main element and the major skill of financial analyst. A financial analyst should use Excel as much as he could. Nowadays, Excel provides many more options to do the analysis part on the PC. Candidates wishing to become financial analysts can learn Excel skills from various online sources. For example, multiple Youtubers like Excelisfun, Excelcampus, Mr.Excel.com, and Leila Gharani are providing free tutorials on Youtube

Accounting skills

Just like Excel skills, even every finance role needs accounting skills besides them. They are interrelated to each other. A financial analyst needs to follow the accounting procedures. This can be done through IFRS (International Financial Reporting Standards) and GAAP (General Accepted Accounting Standards). Budgeting and forecasting, cost analysis, managing cash flow, reconciliation, and other skill for financial analyst will improve an analyst’s work.

Knowledge of Corporate Finance

Corporate finance is a field of study that deals with the use of money to increase the value of a business. It is very important for a company to have good corporate finance skills because it helps the company to raise money and use the money to make more money. Corporate finance is used to help a company be more successful.

Knowledge of Financial analysis software

A financial analyst should know about financial analysis software. There is much software that you can use to help you with financial analysis. One example of this is MoneyGuidePro. This is one of the most popular software that you can use to help you with financial analysis. You can use this software to help you with financial planning. This software will help you with financial planning. It will help you create solutions for a company. Also, you can use accounting software skills to help you with financial analysis.

Research Skills

Research is important skill for financial analyst. You need to research a company before you can figure out whether to buy it or not. Also, research what the company does, how it does it, and whether it is profitable. If you don’t research the company, you can’t buy it. You need to read newspapers, journals, and magazines to learn about the company. Keep your knowledge up to date. Analysts also need to read the company’s annual report. You can find out what the company does and if it is profitable or not.

Communication and writing skills

Once you have analyzed the company, the next step is presenting your results to your client. There may be times when you’ll be working in a team, and you have to write your reports down. Try improving your writing skills. Also, you need to present the reports in front of your senior analysts. You should try improving your communication skills over time. This skill for financial analyst will help you to deliver your message.

Decision Making skills

A financial analyst has to make a report to the company. The report has to include the financial analysis of the company. The financial analysis is done by the analyst. The financial analyst has to decide on the growth of the company. The decision-making process is very important. It is important to follow the steps to get the result. If you follow the steps, then you can make a good decision.

What Are The Responsibilities Of A Financial Analyst?

A financial analyst works in the finance department of a company. Their job is to make sure that the company has enough money to pay for salaries and office supplies. They also make sure that the company makes enough money to stay open. A financial analyst is in charge of doing market research and data collection. Financial analysts develop models such as Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A), Leveraged Buyout (LBO), Discounted Cash Flow (DCF).

A financial analyst’s job is to help a company make more money. They look at many numbers to figure out how much money the company is making. Also, how much they are paying, and how much money they have left. The numbers help them figure out how much money the company is making. After studying the skill for financial analyst, let’s understand their responsibilities.

Collecting the data

In order to do research, you need to find information and organize it. The first step in doing research is to find information. When you do research, you need to find information that is important and relevant to your topic. You need to find information that will help you with your project. When you do research, you need to find information that you can use to help you figure out what you want to say. When you do research, you need to find information that is reliable. In order to do research, you need to find information that you can use to help you with your project.

Analysis of the data

After a company has been analyzed, a financial analyst studies the company’s financial position. This means the analyst looks at how the company is doing financially. The analyst looks at things like how much money the company makes, how much money it has, and how much money it owes. The analyst also looks at things like how much money the company makes compared to how much it owes, or how much money the company makes compared to how much money it has.

Creating Excel notes

Excel is a program where you can do lots of things. It is used for many different things. One of the things that people use it for is to do their jobs. For example, a financial analyst uses excel to do their job. They use it to make reports and to do the math.

Financial reporting

Financial reports are important. They help companies make money. A financial analyst helps companies make money by looking at their reports and then making ideas and recommendations. For example, if a company is spending too much money on things that aren’t important, then the financial analyst might tell them to stop spending money on those things and use that money to make even more money.

Responsibilities of an Equity Research analyst

Equity research analysts work for large companies. They research stocks. Equity analysts research the companies. They look at the financial statements to see how much money the company is making and how much money they are spending. Also, look at the company’s products and see if they are selling well. The analysts look at the company’s competitors. They look at the economy to see how it is doing and see if it is going up or going down. Equity research analysts look at all of this information and then tell investors whether they should buy, hold, or sell the stock.

Responsibilities of an Investment banking analyst

Investment bankers are the people who help companies raise money. They do this by helping to sell stock to the public. Investment bankers also help companies buy other companies. These analysts help companies that want to sell stock to the public to decide what they should charge for the stock. Investment bankers are very good at math. They use math to figure out how much money companies can make and how much money they need to make it. Analysts also use math to figure out how much money companies will make in the future. Investment bankers write reports and papers. They write reports to tell other people what they have learned.

Responsibilities of a Treasury analyst

The treasury financial analyst is responsible for managing the company’s cash. He should make sure that the company has enough cash. If a company spends too much money it may not have enough money to pay its bills. The treasury financial analyst is also responsible for making sure that the company is not spending too much money. However, if a company spends too much money it may not have enough money to pay its bills.

How To Start A Career In Financial Analysis?

Until now if you feel that you should develop your career in financial analysis, keep on reading further. Because this section will provide a full-proof guide on- How to start a career as a financial analyst?

Step 1: Bachelor's degree and Internship

So, if you want to start a career in financial analysis, you need to have a bachelor’s degree or higher. You can get a bachelor’s degree in Finance, accounting, or economics. With a bachelor’s degree, you can also get a job as a junior financial analyst in a company. But, we suggest you do an internship first. This will help you to understand what work gets done on a daily basis. You will understand the working environment of the company.This will also help you with creating a new network with senior financial analysts. Even for entry-level positions, most businesses prefer to recruit employees with experience. Internships also allow you to show interest in becoming a financial analyst. This will eventually progress your career.

Step 2: Find a job

Once you are an intern, you can apply for a job as a junior analyst. You can search for jobs on websites like LinkedIn and Indeed. You can find them on the internet. A senior analyst helps you with the job. They will help you with the work. You will be responsible for reviewing income statements, managing files, processing financial statements, and assessing plans and predictions. The younger analysts may be able to develop these skills in the future. If you want to advance, it often requires a certification or a master’s degree.

Step 3: Get a certification course

Once you get a job, see to it that you also do a certification course of financial analyst. It can also be from a reputed institute. Certain companies may ask you to get Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) licensing. Although there are many courses available, we have listed some courses in the next section of this article.

Courses Available To Start A Career In Financial Analysis

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Those candidates who want to pursue a career in financial analysis can take up a certification course. If you want to be a financial analyst, you can take a course. There are many courses you can take. Some courses are for a short time, and some are for a long time. Some courses are for learning about how to be a financial analyst. There are many different kinds of courses you can take to start your career in financial analysis.

Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA)

The Chartered financial analyst (CFA) is the most recommended course by many professionals. The CFA Institute designs this course. It usually consists of 3 levels. You need to pass all three levels. Yet, to complete this course, an individual requires 4 years of dedication. The eligibility criteria of this course is a graduate degree. It would be best to have a bachelor’s degree to attend this course. To achieve this course, you must also pass three major tests conducted by the CFA Institute. The CFA syllabus also includes accounting, economics, security analysis, and money management subjects. 

Financial Modeling & Valuation Analyst (FMVA) Certification

This certification course is provided by CFI (Corporate Finance Institute). Individuals who wish to pursue their careers as financial analysts can attend this course. It is a 6-month period course. The whole course is conducted online. They provide more than 29 courses. Also, CFI will give you an entire library of excel templates. They can prove to be very helpful for you. In the end, you are provided with a digital certificate verified by blockchain technology.

PGDM in Financial Analysis

PGDM (Post Graduate Diploma Management) is another certification course provided by institutions. It is a 2-year long course. After 2 years, you will become a financial analyst. The minimum eligibility criteria for applying to this course is a graduate degree. Some colleges may also ask for work experience in the same field. Make sure you do internships also. The topics covered are Financial statement analysis, Financing Modelling, Equity Research, and International Finance. If you wish, you can apply for this course. These courses will help you in your career in financial analysis.

Certified Financial Planner (CFP)

This certification course is provided by Financial Planning Standards Board (FPSB). One can earn certification courses through two modes. The two modes are Regular Pathway Eligibility and Challenge Status Pathway Eligibility. In regular Pathway eligibility, the candidate must have passed class 12th std. He should have also cleared the five exams covering all six modules of the certification program. After he passes, he can be certified as a CFP by the FPSB. The Challenge Status eligibility indicates the candidate to pass either of these courses. These courses include CA/Intermediate level, CFA, ICWA, CAIIB, CS, LLB, Ph.D., MPhil, PG, Licentiate/Associate/ Fellowship of Life Insurance, Actuary, FFSI & FLMI from LOMA, Civil Service Examinations by UPSC. To acquire the certification in this format, students must pass only the fifth test (Advanced Financial Planning). Although it is a tough course, the results will be amazing.

What Is The Salary Of A Financial Analyst?

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For the work you do, rewards are given in the form of a salary. The salary of a financial analyst basically depends on the years of experience. The more you have worked, the greater will be your salary. According to Payscale, the average base salary of a financial analyst is $62,476 per year. Now, the salary of an analyst may increase depending on your experience. For example, as per Payscale, an entry-level financial analyst with less than 1-year experience will earn a salary of $56,621 p.a, including tips, bonuses, and overtime pay. Similarly, a senior analyst with 5-9 years of experience will earn a salary of $70,070. 

Frequently Asked Questions In The Interview

When you go for an interview, you might get a job as their are plenty of good jobs for financial analysts. An interview is when you talk to a person about getting a job. You will have to answer questions. If you are not prepared, you might not get the job. If you are prepared, you will know what to say. You will have to answer questions about your skills and your education. You need to be prepared to answer questions. Here are some examples of questions you might be asked.

  1. Why do you wish to be a financial analyst?
  2. What is the one strength that will benefit you in your career as a financial analyst?
  3. What are the four financial statements used to monitor a company’s finances?
  4. If you could only choose one profitability model to forecast your projects, which would it be and why?
  5. What tools would you use to prepare illustrated reports with graphs, spreadsheets, or charts?
  6. Why would a company’s quick ratio be lower than its current ratio?
  7. What components would you use to convince an investor about your company’s financial health?
  8. Which ratios are you familiar with, and how would you use them to evaluate the company’s financial health?
  9. Tell me two advantages of raising debt over equity.
  10. How would you handle a very unhappy internal client during a business meeting?
  11. Why do you want to work for us? Why should we choose you amongst other candidates?
  12. Where do you see yourself in five years?

There are many different types of questions that can be asked in an interview. The interviewer could ask you about financial ratios, what your strengths and weaknesses are, how you would solve a problem, or how you would design something. These questions will definitely help you to crack your interview.

Key Elements To Include In The Resume Of A Person Who Wants To Start A Career In Financial Analysis?

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The resume speaks on behalf of you when you’re silent. This quote is very complementary to real life. The first impression of yourself is your resume. The resume shows all your experiences and achievements till now. But, often, we make mistakes while preparing the resume. If even you want to have a perfect resume for yourself, then consider these elements in your resume. Listed below are some elements you should include in your resume.

  • Choose a decent template
  • Give a descriptive summary of yourself.
  • Pick your most Relevant skills and present them nicely.
  • Mention your Experiences in the form of headings and explain them below. This will make it look clear.
  • Also, pen down your Achievements dated till now.
  • Highlight your Education and Certifications the right way.

Is It Worth Starting A Career In Financial Analysis?

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If you are also confused about whether applying for a job for financial analysis is a good career, keep reading further. Financial Analyst is also an excellent job for those who are good at analysis and who has the skill for financial analyst. Also, those eager to do research, forecast the companies, and analyze the companies’ financial reports. A financial analyst is a key factor that drives the company’s performance. They play an essential role in the company. Working as a financial analyst allows you to build strong professional networks. This might also enhance your career. Financial analysts are usually paid high because of their experience and knowledge. These analysts may also earn up to a six-figure salary. Financial analysts have access to critical and sensitive data. This will help them to understand and make judgments. They are found among high-ranking industrial people and earn huge respect.

Conclusion

This article provides an easy guide on starting a career in financial analysis. Further, it discusses the different jobs available for financial analysts and their roles and responsibilities. Also, various courses available for becoming a financial analyst are listed above. Eventually, you will also come across frequently asked questions in financial analyst interviews. While preparing the resume, you should also include the key elements in the resume of the financial analyst. This article will eventually accelerate your career as a financial analyst.