If you were to mention the idea of a job in a financial industry to a thousand people, chances are that about 999 of them would picture a stuffy office with equally stuffy suited-types working in a wholly uninspiring and yawn-inducing environment. And this is of course a pretty accurate picture for many financial roles, but when it comes to Equity Analyst vacancies…well, let’s just say it’s the polar opposite.
In terms of fast-faced and often frantic lifestyles, there aren’t many that come close to that of the research investment analyst. Not only are you on-call pretty much 24 hours a day, but every decision and projection you make could make or break the fortunes of those you work for. One day you’re on Wall Street, the next you’re in Singapore and you round off the week in Moscow – it’s a non-stop thrill ride the likes of which can be one of the most lucrative career paths on the face of the Earth.
The role of the research investment analyst is unique in many ways, one of which being the way that character traits and qualities matter just as much as qualifications. Perhaps even more so, as while it’s one thing to study the ins and outs of how to get by as a research investment analyst, it’s another thing entirely to put this theory to work in the real world when the pressure on your shoulders is colossal.
So, with this in mind, here’s a quick look at the kinds of character traits that generally stack up to create an ideal research investment analyst candidate – those unable to tick such boxes really need not apply:
Intelligence
You can study your backside off for your whole life, but you cannot buy intelligence at any price and nor can you learn how to be intelligent. The long and short of it is that you’re either an intelligent person or you aren’t, which is where the difference lies between memorising facts and figures and actually knowing what to do with them. This is why classroom success doesn’t always guarantee a successful career in finance.
Inquisitive Nature
As a research investment analyst, the biggest part of your job will be to look into not only what’s happening, but why it is happening…or might happen. As such, you need to be the kind of person that doesn’t just listen to what you’re told and believe all the facts spouted by other people, but rather the kind of person that always asks for an explanation. Your friends and family may be sick of you asking ‘why’ on a constant basis, but as a research investment analyst, this is what you must be doing at all times.
Motivated and Punctual
It’s one thing to be able to get out of bed at 5am to be at that meeting at 6am, but another to be so motivated to do so that it’s actually a pleasure for you to be up so early. This is where the difference lies, as if you’re the type that’s already worried about the demanding working hours before getting started, you won’t last long. Punctuality and chaotic working hours need to be the kinds of things you relish, as opposed to just being willing to ‘put up’ with them.
Resourceful and Independent
Never forget that as a research investment analyst, there will be nobody around to hold your hand and in most cases nobody to offer you so much of a shred of guidance. Instead, it comes down to you and you alone to formulate your plan of attack with regard to research, analysis and the projections you map out as a result. You need to know where to look, how to look, what you should be looking for and what to do with the information when you find it…from the billions of resources available to you.
Courage in Convictions
If you ever give the impression for even a split second that you aren’t 100% confident in your advice and projections, you can kiss your career as a research investment analyst goodbye. You are the sole person that’s trusted to give wholly accurate information at all times, so if they can’t have pure faith in what you do, why would they bother coming to you? Again, this is something that just cannot be studied for or bought…you have it or you don’t.
Risk-Taking
Last but not least, unless the idea of taking risks fills you with a profound sense of excitement, the career of a research investment analyst isn’t for you – this is pretty much the mainstay of what you’ll be doing all day and every day.
About Author: Content suggested by Mauneel Desai a leading financial expert who loves to share his professional experience & investment tactics on his personal blog. Visit Mauneeldesai.net regularly to stay updated with new posts.
