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albertmills
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Joined: March 13th, 2007, 1:09 pm

Scientific research to research as a financial analyst?

March 25th, 2015, 4:59 pm

For all the ex-scientists on these boards, did you ever consider becoming a financial analyst?From what I understand research is a major part of being a financial analyst, so if you enjoyed research as a scientist, why not consider becoming a financial analyst rather than a quant or financial engineer? Besides which a CFA is a lot cheaper than an MBA.Or maybe I'm mistaken about the research nature of being a financial analyst. If so, are there any other careers in finance where research plays a large role?
 
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bearish
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Joined: February 3rd, 2011, 2:19 pm

Scientific research to research as a financial analyst?

March 25th, 2015, 10:13 pm

I was never a "real" scientist, but as far as I can tell, financial analysts don't carry out what would generally be considered "research". Investigation, perhaps, but research? Since I have also never been a financial analyst, nor paid much attention to what they produce, I could be way out of line here...
 
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Hansi
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Joined: January 25th, 2010, 11:47 am

Scientific research to research as a financial analyst?

March 26th, 2015, 7:43 am

QuoteOriginally posted by: bearishI was never a "real" scientist, but as far as I can tell, financial analysts don't carry out what would generally be considered "research". Investigation, perhaps, but research? Since I have also never been a financial analyst, nor paid much attention to what they produce, I could be way out of line here...Based on my experience that description is spot on.
 
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BigAndyD
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Scientific research to research as a financial analyst?

March 27th, 2015, 2:36 pm

Clue is in the job title...Finacial Analyst conducts analysis, definitely not research in the scientific sense.
 
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twofish
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Scientific research to research as a financial analyst?

March 31st, 2015, 2:24 am

Sell side financial analysts are marketing people, and in that world "research" means writing advertising brochures. The managing director comes in and says "we need to sell hammers" and your research comes up with convincing ways of selling hammers.It's not a bad job, it has to be done, but it's not something I'm particularly good at, or something that I want to spend much time doing.Anything involving trading, portfolio management, or risk involves "real research." Buy-side financial analysis also involves a degree of "real research" in that you are trying to figure out whether or not the hammers that you are being sold is really a good deal or not.
Last edited by twofish on March 30th, 2015, 10:00 pm, edited 1 time in total.
 
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CrashedMint
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Joined: January 25th, 2008, 9:12 pm

Scientific research to research as a financial analyst?

April 27th, 2015, 6:37 pm

QuoteOriginally posted by: albertmillsFor all the ex-scientists on these boards, did you ever consider becoming a financial analyst?From what I understand research is a major part of being a financial analyst, so if you enjoyed research as a scientist, why not consider becoming a financial analyst rather than a quant or financial engineer? Besides which a CFA is a lot cheaper than an MBA.Or maybe I'm mistaken about the research nature of being a financial analyst. If so, are there any other careers in finance where research plays a large role?It will be extremely shallow and stretch the very definition of research. If you can use the VAR and CORR functions in Excel you will be considered "vba guru". Add some random regression and R^2 to it and boom, you're doing research right there. So, yeah, it will be research in a technical sense just as Wendy's is technical healthy food when compared to, say, eating wood chips.