Skills set required to become a financial analyst. Should I do an MBA or take up a job?

Skills set required to become a financial analyst. Should I do an MBA or take up a job?

What are the skill-set required to become a financial analyst. I am a commerce student in the second year of bachelor’s degree from Jawaharlal Nehru University. Should I look for a financial analyst job right after graduation or go for an MBA instead?

You can start working at entry level Financial Analyst job with an undergraduate degree in accounting, business administration, economics, finance, management or statistics. Work experience will be a pro to deal with the trends of markets and gather as much as you can about the ongoing trends and finance strategies. A master’s degree would be beneficiary as it would provide you an edge of specialization that would open up better job prospects for you. The decision to opt for a master’s degree or to start working and later join the course should be entirely yours depending on your financial status and keenness to work or study. Getting experience working in a financial services environment while you’re still a student will be beneficiary. Keep your grades up because there are a lot of business students out there and employers only want the best ones.

These are the skills that you must possess to do well as a financial analyst:

• The ability to understand and work with numbers

• Grab every detail for movements in the industry

• Highly oriented to gathering information

• Possess superior reviewing and valuation program skills

• Ability to work with spread sheets

• Time management and prioritizing work on deadlines

• Presentation skills with advanced communication knack.