Junior Financial Analyst at a Top Tier Financial Services Company
Q: Where are you located?
A: Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Q: What is your role title?
A: My role title is Junior Financial Analyst.
Q: In your words, describe what you actually do?
A: As a Junior Financial Analyst, I gather and analyze data, build financial models, create
presentations, and support the senior analysts.
Q: How long have you been doing this role for?
A: I have been in this role for about 3 years.
Q: How did you get to this point in your career?
A: I studied Economics in college. I completed an internship and then got hired full-time
after graduating.
Q: When it comes to remuneration, what are your three B’s? (Base, Bonus, Benefits?)
A: My base salary is $90k. Bonus is around 20% of base. Benefits include health
insurance, 401k matching, and 3-4 weeks PTO.
Q: I’m not going to ask you who you work for, but, what industry is your company in?
A: I work for a top tier financial services company.
Q: When it comes to work flexibility, is your work primarily office-based, fully remote, or a
mix of both? Which do you prefer? Does your company allow you to be flexible?
A: My work is primarily office-based but may offer some flexibility to work remote
occasionally. I likely prefer a mix of office and remote.
Q: What does an average week or a typical day look like for you? Can you walk me
through your day? What time do you arrive and start at work, what are your main
tasks/responsibilities, who do you interact with, what meetings do you attend, etc.?
A: I start work around 8am, attend the morning meeting, spend mid-morning doing
technical work, have lunch around 2pm, more technical work in the afternoon, then wrap
up around 10pm. I interact with colleagues and senior analysts.
Q: What does a typical day look like when things are going well vs a more
challenging/stressful day?
A: On good days I finish tasks efficiently. Challenging days involve tighter deadlines,
technical issues, or problems with data/models.
Q: What skills or knowledge are most important for your day-to-day work?
A: Critical skills are research, financial analysis, modeling, writing, communication and
presentation abilities.
Q: What are some examples of recent accomplishments or contributions you've made in
this role?
A: I've created models, presentations or analysis that led to profitable investments as
well as deals for a number of clients.
Q: Do you have a supportive manager and do you feel valued?
A: My manager provides guidance but can be pressured by tight deadlines. I feel valued
for my contributions.
Q: How much time do you spend collaborating with colleagues vs working
independently?
A: I collaborate heavily with colleagues but also have independent work.
Q: Is there anything you wish you would have known before starting this role?
A: I wish I had known how steep the learning curve would be starting out.
Q: What do you hate most about your role?
A: The long hours and tedious parts of the job can be draining.
Q: What do you love most about your role?
A: I enjoy doing impactful work and learning new things every day. The pay and
advancement potential are also great.
Q: What’s the next role for you and when do you hope to achieve this?
A: In my next performance review I hope to be promoted to Senior Financial Analyst.
Q: Is your next role going to be with the same company or a different one?
A: I plan to stay with the same firm to move up, but if an opportunity comes up
externally which is better, then I will definitely leave to take it!
Q: What’s one piece of advice you could give to someone who aspires to reach your
position?
A: Be proactive in seeking opportunities to develop skills. Build strong technical
expertise but also communication abilities. Seek mentorship. Success comes through
hard work and strong relationships.
Q: It’s Day 1 for someone in your role. What one piece of advice would you give them to
succeed?
A: Here is the one piece of advice I would give to someone on Day 1 in this role:
Ask questions and don't be afraid to ask for help. The learning curve is steep, the work is
complex, and the hours are long.
Remember, you won't be expected to know everything right away. Lean on your colleagues and
senior analysts for guidance. Admit when you're unsure about something - it's better to ask
questions upfront rather than make mistakes down the line.
Work hard to soak up as much knowledge as possible from those around you. Building
relationships and understanding your role in the broader team will be key to ramping up quickly
and adding value in your first months. Stay curious and proactive in filling your knowledge gaps.
The technical expertise will come with time and experience.
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