Financial Analyst

► Can you describe the practices you use for analysis of financial and management reporting?

► Do you have experience in annual planning processes?

► What profitability models have you used for forecasting a project?

► Are you familiar with developing business casing and ad hoc analysis?

► How would you maintain this information throughout a project?

► Have you ever worked on a budget for an expansion program?

► Describe a project; what financial practices did you target?

► Can you explain quarterly forecasting, updating revenue and expense models?

► Describe projects in which you have implemented these skills?

► In conjunction with these projects how do you execute input of detailed plans and forecast into the financial systems?

► Describe how you coordinate plan transfers?

► Are you familiar with creating daily sales reports?

► What processes do you use to create reports?

► Have you created month-end sales reports?

► Have these reports involved your knowledge of analysis concerning actual and planned revenues, balance sheets and expenses?

Analysts are hired by banks, buy- and sell-side investment firms, insurance companies and investment banks. Of these specialties, three major categories of analysts are those that work for 'sell-side' investment firms, those that work for 'buy-side' investment firms and those that work for investment banks.

As interoffice protocol goes, analysts interact with each other as colleagues while they tend to report to a portfolio manager or other senior in management. A junior analyst may work his or her way up to a senior analyst in a period of three to five years. For senior analysts who continue to look for career advancement, there is the potential to become a portfolio manager, a partner in an investment bank or senior management in a retail bank or an insurance company. Some analysts go on to become investment advisers or financial consultants.

A financial analyst is a person who performs financial analysis for external or internal clients as a core part of the job.

► How do you relate with program administrators and financial personnel?

► Do you compile and share monthly data involving income, investment, sales forecasting, shipments and cash flow reports?

► What long range plans have you implemented for the firm?

► Are your accounting and knowledge of financial systems abilities used to integrate profit/loss reports?

► Have you been responsible for maintaining a financial system database?

► Have you ever prepared work force reviews?