Financial Analyst For An Information Technology Company
Career review from a person working in the job
How I Got The Job
My Education: BS, Mathematics, Santa Clara University MBA, Santa Clara University
My Prior Experience: I was the controller for a very small advertising agency and wanted to expand my finance background as well as get into a high tech company.
My Job Profile
My Company: I work for a large information technology company.
Job/Career Overview: I am a pricer for technical services. I decide prices and act as a financial control point for my division's quotes to customers. I must make sure my company's rules about documentation and approvals are followed and support the sales team to put our best effort forward in winning business for the company.
I typically do not have many meetings each day unless there is a big project proposal going on. Since my team and most of the sales staff I support are in the Vermont and New York area (and I'm in North Carolina) all meetings I attend are via the telephone.
I use math skills every day. A facility with spreadsheets and presentation software (like PowerPoint) and effective communication skills - written and verbal - are extremely important.
Love It? Hate It?
I rate this career 7 out of 10.
What I Love or Hate
I like the variety of customers and proposals. I also enjoy not being tied to a traditional accounting or finance calendar ("close"). I like having very intense bouts of work: deadlines and pressure to perform. But I also enjoy having down time since not every day is intense and full of deadlines.
I don't like office politics that come with any job in any company, but I deal with it. I also do not like the documentation aspect of my job. But it is important enough so I try and make sure I do it as well as possible.
My Career Tips
Learn the technical aspects of what you are trying to help sell. Just because you are in a finance job does not mean technical knowledge is irrelevant. The more you know about product(s), the industry you are in, the industry you are selling to and the systems your company uses - whether spreadsheets alone or multiple integrated software systems - the more valuable you will be.
