Researcher - Career Advice - Research and Development

Equity Research Analyst

Research Assistant
Research & Development Manager (under Management Consultant)

Research officers can work in a wide variety of research fields, including medical, biological, educational, social, academic, economic, mathematical, legislation and human rights, human resources, business operations, the arts and creative arts, exploration and mining, communications technologies, logistics, information sciences, operations and political areas.

A Researcher, or Research Officer, supervises research projects to accomplish specific objectives. Their duties include identifying research goals, establishing methods and setting budgets for the organization for which they work. Researchers typically work for academic institutions or for businesses. Researchers gather data during the project life cycle, analyze the data and publish the findings to aid new research, enrich scholarly literature and improve the decision-making process.

ANZSCO ID: Future Growth Very Strong N/A

Alternative names: Research Officer,

Specialisations: Covered in this website:

Operations Research Analyst - develops methodologies for analysing and solving problems in government, business and industry, often using mathematical tools, statistical analysis and computers.

Knowledge, skills and attributes

A successful Researcher has various prerequisite skills and qualifications needed for duties. The specific skills and educational requirements Researchers need depends on their industry. However, most research roles require postgraduate degrees in their field. Successful Researchers have exceptional problem-solving and investigative skills. They are proficient in multiple data collection and analysis techniques and have an exceptional knowledge of statistical computer applications. They are also excellent communicators and can work effectively within teams.

Master’s or doctorate degree in the research field
Two or more years of teaching experience
Proven knowledge of data collection methods
Proficiency in data analysis tools and statistical applications
Excellent written and verbal communication skills
Excellent presentation skills and ability to write doctorate-level research reports for publication in reputable journals
Knowledge of project management
Ability to work within a team and follow the instructions of senior faculty

Researcher
(Source: Seek)

Duties and Tasks

Researchers often work with a team of other researchers and committees to plan research objectives and test parameters. They also identify research methods, variables, data collection techniques and analysis methods. Researchers monitor the project to make sure it follows the requirements and standards. They interpret the data, produce reports discussing research findings and provide recommendations at the end of the project.

Determine areas of research to increase knowledge in a particular field.
Identify sources of funding, prepare research proposals and submit funding applications.
Plan and perform experiments and surveys.
Collect, record and analyze data.
Interpret data analysis results and draw inferences and conclusions.
Present research results to committee.
Use research results to write reports, papers and reviews and present findings in journals and conferences.
Collaborate with research teams, industry stakeholders and government agencies.

Working conditions

Depending on the employer and responsibilities, Researchers may work in laboratory environments or conduct field surveys for data collection purposes. They need quantitative and qualitative skills, knowledge of data analysis tools and proficiency in statistical applications. Researchers can work in diverse industries including academia, medicine, engineering, health, finance, government laboratories and technology.

Education and training/entrance requirements

People who apply for Researcher positions often need a postgraduate degree in their industry. Many organizations demand a master’s degree for entry-level roles, while some require doctorates and substantial teaching and research experience to consider applicants. Candidates who have worked on similar projects either as a student or research officer assistant may have a higher chance of employment.

The role requires an in-depth understanding of the terminologies used in the industry. Applicants will know how to design and conduct experiments. They will also be comfortable following the instructions of a senior researcher who acts as the project manager.

Researcher candidates will be excellent data collectors and need to have a good knowledge of the data analysis techniques of their discipline. They will know how to interpret data, write reports from their inferences and create actionable recommendations to broaden the scope of knowledge or solve specific research problems. If the research position is in tech, economics or biology, the Researcher requires a high level of quantitative and qualitative research skills. However, social sciences require more qualitative knowledge.

Employment Opportunities

Research officers are employed by federal, state and territory government departments and organisations as well as trade unions, political parties, universities and non-profit organisations. Some work in the private sector for organisations that provide consultancy services to other organisations.

Employment prospects for research officers are affected by the level of funding available in their chosen areas.

With experience and sometimes further training, promotion to managerial positions is possible.

A Research Assistant is responsible for gathering accurate, credible information on a subject and summarizing their findings to support senior research staff in scientific and academic fields. Their duties include browsing archives for information, completing literature reviews and conducting research interviews.

They help brainstorm research topics and use initial guidance to find relevant resources in libraries and archives. This involves developing research questions based on a primary Researcher’s area of study.

Research Assistants work to validate a certain hypothesis or understand the reason behind contradictory findings. They review current publications to determine what information already exists on a topic, processing large amounts of text, technical writing and primary resources. They also help conduct original research, gathering data, administering surveys and supervising experiments based on instruction from their supervisor.

How to get an AI research assistant
https://youtu.be/xeRJiCCpGro?si=e8BH1yk9jHto8OCb

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Alternative names: Research Associate,

Knowledge, skills and attributes

Research Assistants need a wide set of skills to perform their work well. For example, they need exceptional communication skills since they need to lead interviews and communicate complex technical information in the simplest way possible. Other essential skills and qualifications include:

Analytical and problem-solving skills
The ability to stay calm under pressure
Extensive knowledge in the area being researched
Time-management skills
The ability to empathize with others
The ability to commit to lengthy, complex projects

Duties and Tasks

Research Assistants perform a variety of duties to help with the publication of work. While the overall goal is to collect and interpret data, a Research Assistant’s work can be broken down into several small duties. A few things that they are responsible for include:

Maintaining quality controls standards to preserve the integrity of data and findings
Scheduling and conducting interviews
Selecting a place to conduct interviews and getting permission from all participants
Analyzing data using various statistical methods
Writing reports to summarize data and the implications of the results
Researching information

Working conditions

Research Assistants often work at laboratories, universities and research centers to study various topics selected by a Professor or Scientist interested in a certain subject.

Tools and technologies

Research Assistants work to validate a certain hypothesis or understand the reason behind contradictory findings. They review current publications to determine what information already exists on a topic, processing large amounts of text, technical writing and primary resources. They also help conduct original research, gathering data, administering surveys and supervising experiments based on instruction from their supervisor.


Education and training/entrance requirements

Research assistant positions typically require candidates to have the necessary qualifications in modern technology and research experiments. It might be worth gaining education and relevant work experience before applying for a research position. Candidates may also learn and develop new skills to help them perform tasks. Most candidates will have one or more years of experience as a Research Assistant. Most of this work is gained while in school, but it’s possible that a person would start working after graduating. Relevant experience is arguably more important than length of experience though.

Research Analysts typically work for corporations across industries and contribute their expertise to a specific department or overall business operations. They work closely with other Research Analysts to analyze data, prove or disprove hypotheses and present their findings to business professionals. Their job is to gather past and present industry data to make predictions. They may also be responsible for offering their professional opinion about whether a company should pursue certain business opportunities.

Traditionally, most research analysts were employed in the financial services sector. But with the explosion of data that is now available to all industries, data analytics professionals like research analysts are in hot demand. 

A recent Australian Government report identified that 5 out of the top 25 emerging occupations in the country involve data analytics. National Skills Commissioner Adam Boyton said, “Data and digital skills are the fastest-growing emerging skills that employers are seeking.”

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Alternative names: Research Consultant, Research Manager,

Specialisations

Market Research Analyst [on this site]: Market Research Analysts specialize in marketing and use their knowledge to aid businesses with identifying market trends, product popularity, competition and consumer preferences. The market research analyst are the ones who help the company to design, promote and market a company’s product or service.
Financial Research Analyst: This type of Research Analyst reviews a business’s financial statements and compares them with current economic factors. Their goal is to help business owners make sound financial decisions regarding investments, downsizing or expanding into new markets. They are more related to a company’s financial planning and analysis. They work on the budgeting and forecasting methods of a company and help in cost optimization and revenue generation techniques.
Operations Research Analyst: These professionals review a company’s operational data relating to organizational structure, employee data and other factors to determine ways to improve business operations. This is more focused on the company’s operation and is the think tank for companies to build an efficient and effective operational model. They use a combination of math, statistics, and data mining techniques to develop efficient solutions.
Medical Research Analyst: Medical Research Analysts work on clinical trials and medical studies to record participant data and reach conclusions about the effectiveness of a pharmaceutical drug or procedure.
Network Analyst: Network Analysts research and analyse network architecture, and recommend policies and strategies for designing, planning and coordinating an organisation's network, such as the total system environment and architecture. They may also perform operational tasks such as monitoring system performance, software and hardware upgrades, backups, support and network maintenance.
Bioinformatics Analyst [on this site]: Bioinformatics specialists are technology and information specialists working within biotechnology as well as other areas of biomedical studies. They collect, store, manage and analyse complex biological information which may include data about DNA and genome, protein sequencing, and processes. It is an entry-level position. A bioinformatics scientist is responsible for performing statistical and custom bioinformatics analysis. A master's in bioinformatics is the basic requirement for this role.
Economic Analyst: They conduct research and prepare plans to cater to the economic problems of the production and the assembly line.
Equity Research Analyst [below]: They conduct analysis on organizations, keep a check on the performance of stocks, and provide intelligent information to investment advisers and investors about the prospect of buying a particular share.

Types
(Source: Wall Street Mojo)

Knowledge, skills and attributes

A good Research Analyst has a passion for their industry and an investigative mindset. These qualities, in combination with one another, inspire a Research Analyst to complete valuable research projects. They value continued education in their field and devote some of their free time to reading reports and reviewing market data. Further, a good Research Analyst has the ability to work as part of a team and on their own when necessary. This allows them to collaborate on research projects but doesn’t hinder them from pursuing challenging research topics independently.

A good Research Analyst also has excellent public speaking abilities, enabling them to present their findings to industry professionals in a comprehensive manner.

Research analysts should know how to use a computer in order to perform data research.
Statistical software and creating charts and graphs is done via a computer.
Communication skills are important in order to present the results of the data collected.
Analysts present their findings to clients and managers.
The ability to communicate effectively with all types of people is important, as research analysts deal with co-workers, managers, clients and vendors in their job.
Research analysts should use their advanced organizational skills in order to multi-task effectively and meet deadlines.
Analytical skills is very important as a research analyst because they deal with mathematical models, statistics and the gathering of data to reach conclusions.

Research Analyst
(Source: University of Technology Sydney)

Duties and Tasks

A research analyst typically specializes in a particular field in order to provide the most efficient analysis of data. For example, a financial analyst will collect market data, while a marketing specialist will apply socioeconomic data to their reports. The following are the general duties and responsibilities of a research analyst:

Use mathematical models to come up with objective answers based on historical data.
Perform research to base buy or sell recommendations to money managers, brokerages or investors.
Analyze data using statistical software.
Identify trends and make recommendations to improve.
Create presentations with charts and graphs to present to higher-ups and management.
Develop recommendations for the future of the business.
Measure the strategy effectiveness of the business.

Working conditions

On a typical day, a Research Analyst starts by checking their email and voicemail to respond to time-sensitive messages from industry Consultants or company employees. Throughout the day, they meet with department heads and company leadership personnel to discuss their progress with research projects. During downtime at their desk, Research Analysts continue entering data into statistical software and read industry articles to aid their ongoing research initiatives. They also use this time to write reports and create presentations to show to their colleagues at a later date.


Tools and technologies

A Research Analyst is responsible for using their knowledge of research tools and industry trends to conduct research projects. Their duties include communicating with business owners and industry professionals to identify research objectives, reviewing statistical data or industry reports to aid research projects and compiling their findings into a comprehensive report for their employer to use when making business decisions.

Education and training/entrance requirements

A Research Analyst also has particular skills and qualifications in order to perform their job well. These should be learned and improved on throughout the university level and entry-level work.

Research Analysts should have a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in a subject like marketing, finance, economics, business or a similar field. As a Research Analyst, companies prefer candidates who have a master’s degree in finance or similar subjects. Those with a Chartered Financial Analyst designation have proven to have the necessary credentials as a Research Analyst.

Research Analysts can gather experience during their university studies by taking part in internships with financial institutions, the government or non-profits. Working in accounting, marketing, sales, research is important experience that counts. Positions which require analyzing data, creating reports and collecting data are very helpful in starting as a Research Analyst.

Some companies do offer some training to recent graduates or those who took part in internships and help them grow within the company if they see great potential. The certifications available for Research Analysts can prove knowledge in the area.

The job of an ER Analyst is to analyze a company/industry, think where it is heading and write about it. An Equity Research Analyst is a storyteller that ends his story with a Buy/Hold/Sell recommendation. However, stories should be backup by data, knowledge and hours on analysis.

An ER Analyst is a professional who analyzes and researches financial data, trends, and analysis in order to provide advice to investors. They perform this analysis through their knowledge of the financial markets and principles of economics.

An Equity Research Analyst is a financial analysts who work for a brokerage firm or investment bank. Their job is to analyze the stocks of companies, make recommendations to clients, and provide analysis on future trends in their industries.

ER analysts typically work for investment banks, brokerage firms and other financial service companies. They are responsible for making recommendations on which stocks to buy or sell based on their analysis of the current market conditions.

An Equity Research Analyst is a highly skilled professional who assists companies in answering questions about their equity. The Equity Research Analyst is a role that combines the analytical and financial expertise of an investment banker with the quantitative and qualitative skills of a data scientist. They serve as the bridge between their respective disciplines, bringing together different ways of thinking about markets and investing.

The premise of equity investment is markets are imperfect, and many of the scrips are either overpriced or underpriced at any point of time. with respect to their future performance, in terms of earnings or quality of earnings. As the quality of earnings grow, the price earnings increase. As the earnings grow, EPS grows.

How to become
(Source: Finance Walk)

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Alternative names: ER Analyst, Equity Analyst, Sell-side Analyst

Specialisations: An Equity Research Analyst may specialize in a particular industry or sector, such as consumer goods, energy or technology. They also may focus on providing recommendations for investors who want to invest in specific companies or industries. The role of an ER Analyst is similar to that of investment banking analysts: They are responsible for performing financial analysis and making buy-and-sell recommendations to clients.

Types of Equity Research Analysts

They are divided into following types:

Financial Services

Consumer Goods

Healthcare (Medicine) and Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Pharma Companies Focused on Life Sciences, Clinical Trials & Vaccines & Biologics)

Industrials etc.

Knowledge, skills and attributes

Analytical skills– ability to analyse large amounts of data, identify trends and make recommendations based on the findings.
Financial analysis
Research analysis and market research skills– The ability to collect information through numerous sources including books, articles online etc. In order for someone who wants this job title knows exactly what kind of research needs must be met before making any decision about investing funds into certain companies’ stocks or bonds.”
Financial modeling, data analysis, financial reporting and forecasting capabilities.
Business acumen – understanding of industry dynamics, competitive landscape and business strategy; ability to work collaboratively in a team environment; communication skills – writing reports/presentations that clearly convey information in an engaging manner.
Teamwork and Collaboration: The ability to work as part of a team on projects or assignments. This includes being able to plan the task together with your team members, prioritizing tasks according to your group’s needs while also keeping track of deadlines shared by all parties involved in the project/assignment/etc.

Equity Research Primer (Salary, Pros and Cons, Recruiting)
https://youtu.be/o5F0Tirs0TE?si=pxcg4RxhOZ7HdQ7i

Duties and Tasks

Much of the time of an Equity Research Analyst goes to identifying the kind of growth in EPS that can be expected. Obviously, there will be many ER Analyst in the market, and their projections cannot converge in general. Worst still, the discounting or PE that they attribute for future earnings could also be different.

In the process, for the same set of historic data, different ER analysts are likely to come out with different projections of target price of the script, with both EPS and PE projections diverging for future. This itself causes buy, sell and hold recommendations for the same scrip, amongst different equity research analysts, and for market participants who base their decisions on such estimates.

With the share of equities in the total savings going up, and as India is getting the demographic dividend, the need for ER analyst is only accelerating for the current generation. Markets per se, are imperfect. So long as there is a market, the imperfections are here to stay. Viewed in this context, equity research analysis as a profession is here to stay till the markets remain relevant as a major investment vehicle.

Having said that, there is a need for equity research analysts to embrace big data, internet of things, artificial intelligence, blockchain etc. to come out with cutting edge research and predict the future more scientifically and appropriately.

In the good old days, accountants who can quickly total correctly, cast and post ledgers were deemed more efficient. Today all these are taken care of by the computer, and an accountant’s role in analyzing the cost and profit centres have become more important than totaling, casting, posting ledgers etc. Similar change is evolving in the audit profession too, and in cutting edge research for equity, commodity, mutual fund, insurance and economy too.

An Equity Research Analyst tracks the developments in one or more sectors, and the major listed entities thereof. They periodically come out with reports on their expectations of growth in revenues and profits of select entities, and based on various parameters, come out with valuation reports, and based on such valuation, they come out with buy, sell or hold recommendation, by comparing their valuation with the current market prices of the relevant scraps.

Career Insight: Equity Research Analyst Explained
https://youtu.be/3lQ_wBs5Hx0?si=ds7SG2L7bN-Oa3qC

Working conditions

An Equity Research Analyst usually works full time, although they may have flexible hours. They often travel and spend long hours in the office. They may also receive bonuses based on their performance.

They typically work in the financial industry. They may be employed by a brokerage firm or investment bank, where they provide analysis on stocks and other investments. They may also work for an investment management firm or an independent research firm.

An ER Analyst is also responsible for providing investment advice and recommendations to clients. They analyze stocks, bonds and other securities to determine their worth and potential. They may also help companies with their financial planning and analysis.

They may also be responsible for developing investment strategies and making recommendations on which stocks to buy.

An Equity Research Analyst usually works in an office environment, although they often have to travel for meetings or conferences. They usually work full time, but their hours may vary depending on their employer’s needs.

Tools and technologies

Excel Modelling: One of the most easiest and always hyped skill in the domain are your excel skills. The reason being you can grow strong only if you practice. Rather than going for courses and stuff you just need to google and watch some videos on YouTube. Explore the amazing world of excel and try using some frequently used short cuts. You will be amazed how quickly you grab stuff once you start practicing.

Basic understanding of account statements: All the three FS forms the basis of financial modeling. So if you know your Assets in BS, the Cash flow statements and linking the income statement(PLA) with the other two then 90%of the job is done.

Education and training/entrance requirements

An Equity Research Analyst must have a bachelor’s degree in business, finance or economics. They may also need to earn an MBA from a top business university.

In addition to their BA or MBA, An ER Analyst must have at least three years of experience in financial analysis. They may also need to pass a licensing exam and comply with continuing education requirements.

Did You Know?

The Conversation 5 August 2021

This article shows the research that has gone into the transitions between jobs.

The full transitions map is big and complicated, but you can see how it works below in a small version that only includes transitions between 20 occupations. In the map, the “source” occupation is shown on the horizontal axis and the “target” occupation on the vertical axis.

If you look at a given occupation at the bottom of the map, the column of squares shows the probability of moving from that occupation to the one listed at the right-hand side. The darker the square, the higher the probability of making the transition.

Transitions

Accountant	Auditor	Biochemist Research Biochemist	Data Analyst
Immunologist Research Immunologist	Management Consultant	Meteorologist Research Meteorologist	Nurse Nurse Educator & Researcher
Political Scientist	Scientist	Statistician