Financial analyst job description: what you'll do and what to write on your resume
Applying for financial analyst at a company finance team, investment firm or consulting office? Copy the duties below into your resume, then read what the interview asks.
Duties to write on your resume
Start each line with what you did. Keep the ones you've really done.
Built Excel financial models to forecast revenue, costs and cash flow
Prepared monthly budget reports and compared actual results against the plan
Analyzed variances and explained the causes to managers in plain language
Gathered and cleaned financial data from accounting systems and spreadsheets
Created charts and dashboards that showed key business numbers at a glance
Reviewed investment proposals and calculated returns using standard methods
Supported the yearly budgeting cycle by collecting inputs from each department
Presented findings and recommendations to management in short reports and slides
A resume objective you can adapt
Finance graduate looking for a financial analyst role, ready to turn Excel data into clear reports that help managers decide.
Skills employers ask for
Excel and spreadsheet modelling
Reading financial statements
Spotting errors and patterns in numbers
Explaining numbers simply in English
Careful work under tight deadlines
What the interview asks
How would you build a simple budget forecast? Start with past numbers, state your assumptions, then say how you'd check the result.
How do you explain a bad number to a manager outside finance? Give the cause first, use plain words, and offer one next step.
Which Excel functions do you use most? Name ones you've really used, like lookups or pivot tables, and give one example.
Tell me about a time you found a mistake in a report. Say what you spotted, how you fixed it and what you changed so it won't repeat.
Most posts ask for a bachelor's degree in finance, accounting, economics or a related course.
Build a few sample models in Excel from public company reports, and keep them ready to show.
Prepare a resume, a valid ID, NBI clearance and your government numbers such as SSS, PhilHealth, Pag-IBIG and TIN.
Apply online or through company career pages. Some posts add a short Excel or case test after the interview.
What the work is like
You'll sit at a desk most of the day, in spreadsheets and reports. Month end and budget season are the hardest, because the numbers must match and managers want answers fast.
Questions
Do I need experience to become a financial analyst?
Many posts ask for some experience, but junior and entry-level roles exist. An internship or a few solid Excel models can help your application.
What should I study to become a financial analyst?
Most posts ask for finance, accounting, economics or business administration. Some accept other degrees if you can show strong Excel and finance skills.
Is financial analyst work part-time?
Most posts are full-time. Some firms hire part-time or project-based analysts, usually for budgeting season.
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