You need an excellent financial analyst candidate, and you need one soon. You’ve gone through dozens of resumes and you’re about to start scheduling interviews … But do you know exactly what you’re looking for? Or are you simply hoping you’ll recognize it when you see it? Every candidate under consideration has a degree in finance, adequate years of experience, and a bright smile. But you need a little more. Start by keeping an eye out for these six essential qualities.

Analytical Skills

Your candidate will need to know how to gather a wide range of information and process this information in a way that leads to accurate predictions and profitable investments. Sharp analytical skills mean strong insights into the marketplace, flexible thinking, and the ability to prioritize, change course quickly, and learn from setbacks.

Communication Skills

Your analyst will be expected to communicate with shareholders, laypeople, financial experts, and industry insiders, all on the same day. This will require a strong command of both spoken and written language and also the ability to assess an audience and deliver a clear message.

Up-to-Date Software Skills

Analysists must be well-versed in new software platforms to analyze financial data, create and view portfolios, identify trends, and make forecasts. They may also need to manage their own complex schedules, navigate databases, and stay connected through a variety of channels.

Decision-making Skills

Decisions in the financial world must sometimes be made on split-second timelines. You need an analyst who knows when it’s time to stop gathering data and start making decisive calls. This means your analyst has to have a certain level of risk tolerance and a natural confidence that allows them to bounce back after a decision, regardless of the consequences.

Detail Orientation

Your financial analyst will have to identify and account for every factor that influences a decision, every word that enters a conversation, and every bit of fine print in a document or report. Successful financial analysts don’t gloss over details or paint in broad strokes. They may look at the big picture sometimes, but they also have to see the nuts and bolts.

Math Skills

How strong is your candidate’s math background? Can he or she accurately estimate the value of financial securities? Can she calculate interest and percentages accurately and quickly? Can he make sense of a chart that documents change over time? Math skills are essential for those who spend their days at the heart of the finance industry.

For more on what to look for in your financial analyst candidates, and how to recognize these traits when you see them, reach out to the staffing experts at Cordia.