What does a senior investment analyst do?

An analyst internship is a student program where an intern is assigned to assist analyst professionals by analyzing business goals, objectives, and needs. Analyst interns assist in the planning and designing of business processes and suggest recommendations for improvement. They conduct research and analysis to support business operations and resolve issues using systems and data. They also help estimate the costs and benefits of multiple business actions and help the business organization launch new initiatives.

These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a senior investment analyst are more likely to require skills like "powerpoint," "risk management," "investment management," and "fixed income." On the other hand, a job as an analyst internship requires skills like "data analysis," "management system," "python," and "data entry." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.

A financial analyst intern is responsible for supporting an organization with financial activities and tasks. Typical duties and responsibilities may include creating and analyzing financial reports, preparing financial statements, and helping with audits. You may be asked to perform some administrative tasks while observing the various aspects of portfolio management, accounting, and financial reporting. As a financial analyst intern, you are expected to conduct competitive analysis and market research and help prepare reports and recommendations on due diligence. You are also expected to join in on meetings and calls with company prospects.

While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that senior investment analyst responsibilities requires skills like "powerpoint," "portfolio management," "risk management," and "investment management." But a financial analyst internship might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "data analysis," "financial data," "r," and "financial statement analysis."

Analysts are employees or individual contributors with a vast experience in a particular field that help the organization address challenges. They help the organization improve processes, policies, and other operations protocol by studying the current processes in place and determining the effectiveness of those processes. They also research industry trends and data to make sound inferences and recommendations on what the company should do to improve their numbers. Analysts recommend business solutions and often help the organization roll out these solutions. They ensure that the proposed action plans are effective and produce the desired results.

There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a senior investment analyst is likely to be skilled in "powerpoint," "portfolio management," "risk management," and "investment management," while a typical analyst is skilled in "customer service," "troubleshoot," "data analysis," and "management system."

A finance analyst is responsible for evaluating a company's financial data and historical reports to assess investment opportunities and provide accurate financial statements in support of business strategies and company performance prediction. A financial analyst's duties also include suggesting recommendations to boost operations efficiency and grow revenues, researching the current market performance and economic trends to adjust budget goals as needed, and managing client portfolios. Finance analysts must have excellent critical and analytical thinking skills to identify the best actions for the company's profitability.