Financial Analyst

Welcome to The 2011 Hot Jobs Guide

Why It’s Hot: In business, it pays to be where the money is. This is one of the reasons why the financial

sector has so many richly paid employees. Financial analysts in particular are set to see up to 20% job growth over the next decade. This career also offers great upward mobility with the potential to earn well in excess of 6 figures and attain the highest corporate posts. Although breaking into the industry can be tough due to fierce competition, the rewards for those who do are significant.

• What You’ll Do:

A financial analyst has the job of providing guidance to individuals or businesses that are interested in making investment decisions. They assess various investments including stocks, bonds, mutual funds, real estate investments, business investments and a myriad of other investments, and use this information to make decisions and recommendations to clients. They also use this information to determine the net worth of an individual or corporation. They work for insurance companies, banks and for financial planning firms. Many financial analysts work independently as personal advisors. Financial analysts are also called investment analysts and securities analysts. Financial analysts can either work for the buyer of investments or for the seller of investments. For example, a company with a large amount of money to invest may hire a financial analyst to help them to develop an investment strategy for their money.