Financial analyst to investment analyst
A financial analyst already meets 41% of what the investment analyst role asks for. The move turns on 12 required skills not yet in the profile.
61.3/ 100
1 How much of what an investment analyst is expected to do is already part of a financial analyst’s work. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs, because moving into a speciality is not the same problem as moving out of one. 2 Every skill the investment analyst role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
An investment analyst role treats 9 of its required skills as things a financial analyst already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- analyse financial performance of a company
- asset management
- economics
- empirical analysis
- financial products
- fundamental analysis
What stands in the way is 12 required skills the profile does not yet cover. Table 3 groups them; Table 4 says which to take first.
Table 2 · What you already bring
Of the 17 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. An investment analyst role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a financial analyst background worth leading with.
- already held green bonds business, administration and law
- already held sustainable finance business, administration and law
- already held fundamental analysis business, administration and law
- already held empirical analysis generic programmes and qualifications
- already held investment banking business, administration and law
- already held asset management business, administration and law
All 17 carried skills, including the 9 the investment analyst role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 26 missing skills fall into 6 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered in the order worth working in. Areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the optional ones. Nothing here is a verdict on you: it is a list of what this particular job asks for that your current one does not.
- still to learn financial markets required
- still to learn funding methods required
- still to learn international trade required
- still to learn modern portfolio theory required
- still to learn securities required
- optional, not held corporate social responsibility optional
- optional, not held impact investing optional
- optional, not held social bonds optional
- optional, not held banking activities optional
- optional, not held business valuation techniques optional
- optional, not held credit control processes optional
- optional, not held financial statements optional
- optional, not held international financial reporting standards optional
- still to learn analyse economic trends required
- still to learn analyse market financial trends required
- still to learn obtain financial information required
- still to learn provide support in financial calculation required
- optional, not held examine credit ratings optional
- optional, not held perform stock valuation optional
- still to learn review investment portfolios required
- optional, not held communicate with banking professionals optional
- still to learn data visualisation software required
- optional, not held trading software optional
- still to learn actuarial science required
- optional, not held Monte Carlo simulation optional
- optional, not held budget for financial needs optional
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries an investment analyst role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 actuarial science study this
- 02 analyse economic trends practise this
- 03 analyse market financial trends practise this
Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.
Appendix · The rest of the record
All 17 skills that carry over
- already held analyse financial performance of a company skill
- already held asset management knowledge
- already held economics knowledge
- already held empirical analysis knowledge
- already held financial products knowledge
- already held fundamental analysis knowledge
- already held monitor stock market skill
- already held quantitative analysis knowledge
- already held stock market knowledge
- already held analyse financial risk skill
- already held assess financial viability skill
- already held create a financial plan skill
- already held financial forecasting knowledge
- already held green bonds knowledge
- already held interpret financial statements skill
- already held investment banking knowledge
- already held sustainable finance knowledge
14 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held corporate social responsibility optional
- optional, not held impact investing optional
- optional, not held social bonds optional
- optional, not held trading software optional
- optional, not held Monte Carlo simulation optional
- optional, not held banking activities optional
- optional, not held budget for financial needs optional
- optional, not held business valuation techniques optional
- optional, not held communicate with banking professionals optional
- optional, not held credit control processes optional
- optional, not held examine credit ratings optional
- optional, not held financial statements optional
- optional, not held international financial reporting standards optional
- optional, not held perform stock valuation optional
30 held skills the investment analyst role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role accounting knowledge
- not needed by the target role advise on financial matters skill
- not needed by the target role advise on tax planning skill
- not needed by the target role business analytics knowledge
- not needed by the target role business processes knowledge
- not needed by the target role consider economic criteria in decision making skill
- not needed by the target role cost management knowledge
- not needed by the target role create a financial report skill
- not needed by the target role develop investment portfolio skill
- not needed by the target role develop transportation cost metrics skill
- not needed by the target role digital data processing skill
- not needed by the target role ensure compliance with disclosure criteria of accounting information skill
- not needed by the target role explain financial jargon skill
- not needed by the target role financial management knowledge
- not needed by the target role game theory knowledge
- not needed by the target role handle mergers and acquisitions skill
- not needed by the target role macroeconomics knowledge
- not needed by the target role management consulting knowledge
- not needed by the target role mergers and acquisitions knowledge
- not needed by the target role microeconomics knowledge
- not needed by the target role monitor loan portfolio skill
- not needed by the target role offer financial services skill
- not needed by the target role perform business analysis skill
- not needed by the target role perform business research skill
- not needed by the target role prepare financial projections skill
- not needed by the target role provide cost benefit analysis reports skill
- not needed by the target role public offering knowledge
- not needed by the target role statistics knowledge
- not needed by the target role treasury management system knowledge
- not needed by the target role use business simulation tools skill
17 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice
Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.
- still to learn actuarial science required
- still to learn data visualisation software required
- still to learn financial markets required
- still to learn funding methods required
- still to learn international trade required
- still to learn modern portfolio theory required
- still to learn securities required
- optional, not held corporate social responsibility optional
- optional, not held impact investing optional
- optional, not held social bonds optional
- optional, not held trading software optional
- optional, not held Monte Carlo simulation optional
- optional, not held banking activities optional
- optional, not held business valuation techniques optional
- optional, not held credit control processes optional
- optional, not held financial statements optional
- optional, not held international financial reporting standards optional
Other moves recorded from financial analyst
- corporate investment banker 43% covered · substantial
- securities analyst 39% covered · substantial
- investment manager 37% covered · substantial
- investment adviser 35% covered · substantial
- actuarial consultant 33% covered · substantial
- mergers and acquisitions analyst 33% covered · substantial
- investment fund management assistant 32% covered · substantial
- mutual fund broker 32% covered · substantial
Common questions about this move
Can a financial analyst become an investment analyst?
Yes, and it is a substantial move. A financial analyst already covers 41% of what an investment analyst is expected to do: 17 skills carry over, 9 of which the investment analyst role treats as required.
What skills does a financial analyst need to become an investment analyst?
12 required skills are missing, plus 14 optional ones. They fall into 6 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by business, administration and law. The single most important is actuarial science.
How hard is the move from financial analyst to investment analyst?
Its learning distance is 61.3 out of 100, which is the substantial band. That accounts for both how much is missing and how specialised those skills are.
How this record was compiled
Both occupations are taken from ESCO, which lists the skills and knowledge each occupation is expected to have and marks every one required or optional. Nothing here is a prediction about hiring, and nothing here knows that a particular employer wants a particular certificate. Treat Table 3 as a starting point for your own research rather than a syllabus. The full method states what these figures can and cannot tell you.