How to Become a Financial Account Analyst

Financial account analysts assess the financial situation of companies and recommend investment options for excess capital. They often work closely with the officials of a company to accurately gauge a company's financial situation. Financial analysts can also work for the business media, offering impartial analysis.

Difficulty: Challenging

Instructions

1. Get a bachelor's degree. In order to become a financial analyst, you definitely need to have a bachelor's degree, preferably in business with emphasis on accounting, finance or statistics.

2. Get your MBA. Although it is not completely necessary to have an MBA, financial analysts face stiff competition. Often, having an MBA doesn't even give you an edge, it just puts you in the game to begin with.

3. Develop your people skills while in school by working jobs that emphasis customer service. Learn how to make people feel at ease and trust your decision-making abilities.

4. Keep up on the latest financial news and trends. In order to make the best investment and financial analysis, your knowledge needs to be constantly up-to-date to avoid risky mistakes. Also, you need to recognize that learning is a life-long endeavor, and you need to keep abreast of new theories and technology as well as the latest news.

Tips & Warnings

• Take the Series 7 and Series 63 exams.
• Participate in the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), you must have a minimum of 3 years investment experience and hold a bachelor's degree.
• This is a highly competitive field, and it's best to take as many accounting, economics, math and other business classes while an undergraduate and get an MBA.

Resources

• Forbes Investopedia
• The Princeton Review

Who Can Help Sponsored

• Earn your degree from industry experts at University of Phoenix. Take the next step in your career.