What a Quantitative Analyst at The Grupe Company Wishes They Had Known Before Entering the Finance Industry
Mariana, a Quantitative Analyst, advises aspiring professionals to understand that fields like accounting, finance, and economics are "very merged," requiring broad knowledge, not just specialized focus in one area. The importance of consistently reading news about economic markets, politics, and new legislation is also highlighted, stating that this habit makes the job "way easier."
Financial Analysis, Economic Awareness, News Literacy, Interdisciplinary Knowledge, Industry Knowledge
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Mariana Roge Ferreira Duarte
Quantitative Analyst
The Grupe Company
University of the Pacific
University of the Pacific - Financial Mathematics
Economics
Finance (Banking, Fintech, Investing), Real Estate
Data and Analytics
International Student, Scholarship Recipient, Student Athlete
Video Highlights
1. The industry is more interdisciplinary than it seems; accounting, finance, and economics are all closely related in practice.
2. A strong understanding of financial statements (balance sheets, cash flow statements, income statements) is crucial for success.
3. Staying updated on current events, including economic markets, politics, and new legislation, is essential for a quantitative analyst.
Transcript
What have you learned about this role that you wish someone had told you before you entered the industry?
I think one big misconception I had while in college was that subjects were really segmented. You know, I thought if I wanted to go into accounting, I should pay more attention to accounting classes. Or if I was going into finance, I should focus on investments or corporate finance classes.
Similarly, if I wanted to go into economics, I’d focus on micro or macro classes. But it's not like that. All these areas are very merged into one big area.
Whenever you join a company, you'll be required to know a lot about the economy, accounting, and finance. Accounting and finance most specifically go hand in hand. When you're reading financial statements, trying to understand metrics, and reading the balance sheet, which goes into the statement of cash flows and the income statement, they all work together.
That's really important to know. So, pay attention to all your classes. The second most important thing is to read the news. Not only about industries that interest you, but also about economic markets, politics, and new legislation. It's really important to read the news and get that habit going because once you get to your job, it's going to be way easier.