Analyst

Analyst is a term used to describe a professional whose primary task is the examination of a particular area.

Analysts usually specialise in specific industries, such in these major sectors:
Finance
Financial analysts, who are sometimes known as securities analysts, research analysts, equity analysts or investment analysts, are responsible for conducting financial analysis for external or internal clients.
Typical duties include:

• gathering information by studying public records and filings made by the company
• helping the company make sound investment decisions
• performing balance sheet analysis to assess lending risks

Management
Management analysts, can work in one or many areas within a company and are responsible for making businesses more competitive by changing their structure.
Typical duties include:

• analysing the inner workings of a company
• suggesting ways to improve the company from a financial standpoint
• maximising competitive strategies

Accounting
Accounting analysts are given the task of evaluating and interpreting the financial statements of public companies.
Typical duties include:

• initiating the analyses of accounting systems and procedures
• planning and deploying proactive accounting systems in sales and marketing departments
• establishing accounting controls to generate reports

Business                                                          
Business analysts specialise in analysing the organisation and design of businesses as well as assessing business models.
Typical duties include:

• identifying the strategic business needs of the company
• reviewing the company’s policies and marketing business approaches
• interpreting business rules and requirements

Typical Employers

• private corporations
• financial institutions such as investment banks
• government departments

Qualifications
A degree in business administration, statistics, finance or accounting.

Key Skills

• accurate and attentive to detail
• high level of professionalism
• excellent teamwork qualities
• exemplary communications skills
• have the ability of processing information from others
• focused on the wellbeing of the company