Financial and Investment Analysts Occupation Details

General Job Description and Education/Training Levels for Financial and Investment Analysts

The main tasks and work activities of Financial and Investment Analysts are to create images of data, locations, or products, analyze business or financial data, apply mathematical models of financial or business conditions, analyze industry trends. In general, for the Financial and Investment Analysts, critical Thinking, reading Comprehension, active Listening, mathematics and other 9 skills are required.

Financial and Investment Analysts Job Description
Education	Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
Related Experience	A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
Job Training	Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.
Example	Many of these occupations involve coordinating, supervising, managing, or training others. Examples include real estate brokers, sales managers, database administrators, graphic designers, chemists, art directors, and cost estimators.

The following chart shows the education/training levels for Financial and Investment Analysts jobs.

Less than a High School Diploma

0.00%

High School Diploma (or the equivalent)

0.00%

Post-Secondary Certificate

0.00%

Some College Courses

0.00%

Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)

2.42%

Bachelor's Degree and Above

97.58%

Tasks and Work Activities of Financial and Investment Analysts

Draw charts and graphs, using computer spreadsheets, to illustrate technical reports.
Inform investment decisions by analyzing financial information to forecast business, industry, or economic conditions.
Monitor developments in the fields of industrial technology, business, finance, and economic theory.
Interpret data on price, yield, stability, future investment-risk trends, economic influences, and other factors affecting investment programs.
Monitor fundamental economic, industrial, and corporate developments by analyzing information from financial publications and services, investment banking firms, government agencies, trade publications, company sources, or personal interviews.
Recommend investments and investment timing to companies, investment firm staff, or the public.
Determine the prices at which securities should be syndicated and offered to the public.
Prepare plans of action for investment, using financial analyses.
Evaluate and compare the relative quality of various securities in a given industry.
Present oral or written reports on general economic trends, individual corporations, and entire industries.
Collaborate with investment bankers to attract new corporate clients to securities firms.
Conduct financial analyses related to investments in green construction or green retrofitting projects.
Determine the financial viability of alternative energy generation or fuel production systems, based on power source or feedstock quality, financing costs, potential revenue, and total project costs.
Evaluate financial viability and potential environmental benefits of cleantech innovations to secure capital investments from sources such as venture capital firms and government green fund grants.
Forecast or analyze financial costs associated with climate change or other environmental factors, such as clean water supply and demand.
Identify potential financial investments that are environmentally sound, considering issues such as carbon emissions and biodiversity.
Research and recommend environmentally-related financial products, such as energy futures, water rights, carbon credits, government environmental funds, and cleantech industry funds and company stocks.
Purchase investments for companies in accordance with company policy.

Interacting With ComputersUsing computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
Getting InformationObserving, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Analyzing Data or InformationIdentifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.
Processing InformationCompiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
Identifying Objects, Actions, and EventsIdentifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with StandardsUsing relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal RelationshipsDeveloping constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
Monitor Processes, Materials, or SurroundingsMonitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
Updating and Using Relevant KnowledgeKeeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing WorkDeveloping specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.

Create images of data, locations, or products.
Analyze business or financial data.
Apply mathematical models of financial or business conditions.
Analyze industry trends.
Assess risks to business operations.
Recommend investments to clients.
Determine the value of goods or services.
Develop financial or business plans.
Present business-related information to audiences.
Market products, services, or events.
Analyze risks related to investments in green technology.
Assess the cost effectiveness of products, projects, or services.
Analyze market conditions or trends.
Identify strategic business investment opportunities.
Research issues related to the environment or sustainable business practices.
Purchase products or services.

Skills and Abilities for Financial and Investment Analysts

Critical ThinkingUsing logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Reading ComprehensionUnderstanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Active ListeningGiving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
MathematicsUsing mathematics to solve problems.
SpeakingTalking to others to convey information effectively.
WritingCommunicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Judgment and Decision MakingConsidering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Complex Problem SolvingIdentifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Active LearningUnderstanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
MonitoringMonitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Systems EvaluationIdentifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
Systems AnalysisDetermining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.

Near VisionThe ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Written ExpressionThe ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
Oral ExpressionThe ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Written ComprehensionThe ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Oral ComprehensionThe ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Deductive ReasoningThe ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Number FacilityThe ability to add, subtract, multiply, or divide quickly and correctly.
Inductive ReasoningThe ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
Mathematical ReasoningThe ability to choose the right mathematical methods or formulas to solve a problem.
Speech ClarityThe ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
Problem SensitivityThe ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
Information OrderingThe ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
Speech RecognitionThe ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
Category FlexibilityThe ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
Flexibility of ClosureThe ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.
Fluency of IdeasThe ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
Selective AttentionThe ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.

Desktop calculatore.g. 10-key calculators
Desktop computerse.g. Desktop computers
Notebook computerse.g. Notebook computers
Personal computerse.g. Personal computers
Personal digital assistant PDAs or organizerse.g. Personal digital assistants PDA
Tablet computerse.g. Tablet computers

Economics and AccountingKnowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
English LanguageKnowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
MathematicsKnowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Computers and ElectronicsKnowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
Communications and MediaKnowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
Customer and Personal ServiceKnowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Law and GovernmentKnowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
Administration and ManagementKnowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Sales and MarketingKnowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

Financial and Investment Analysts Occupation Detailed Description

Tasks and Work Activities of Financial and Investment Analysts

Skills and Abilities for Financial and Investment Analysts