Skills Needed to be a Financial Manager

My dream job is to be a financial manager. I love the idea of managing the finances of individuals or organizations. Having a sharp interest in the micro- and macro-economic currents around the world, the various markets -- from bonds to equities to derivatives to currencies -- and the way in which events impact valuations, I enjoy the thought of being able to manage assets in a world where the risk-reward relationship is fraught with peril. It is a role the demands an executive level of commitment, foresight, caution, scope and care. My personality type, as indicated by 16 Personalities is ESTJ -- "The Executive" personality. According to the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator ESTJ stands for Extraversion, Sensing, Thinking and Judgment. In other words, my personality is such that I am an extravert (I am outgoing and expressive), I am able to sense what is going on around me, I am thoughtful, and I am capable of making judgments. These are all qualities that fit with the Executive type of personality -- which is perfect for what I want to do in terms of a career: I want to be the one to make executive decisions regarding assets, sales, purchases, and so on.

In today's world, where financial scandals happen all the time, it is important to have a financial manager who is trustworthy and understands right from wrong. As 16 Personalities points out, "ESTJs are representatives of tradition and order, utilizing their understanding of what is right, wrong and socially acceptable to bring families and communities together." Bringing families and communities may not seem like something that a financial manager would do -- but it actually is something he would facilitate -- especially if he is successful at his job. The better one manages a fund, the more the contributors to that fund are able to enjoy their wealth, spend time with their families, and contribute to their communities. Being a good financial manager takes a special personality -- an executive type personality -- and that is why I feel I am enrolled in the right major for my dream job.

The type of skills I need to develop in order to be successful at this job include the ability to monitor world events, as what happens in one economy or political environment on one side of the world can have a tremendous impact on the economy of a country on the other side of the world. One must be able to accurately foresee and predict events -- judging the way the dominoes line up and fall, so to speak. One must also be able to accept responsibility and show accountability at all times -- even if unforeseen events cause losses to occur. Of course, a good financial manager will hedge appropriately so that losses are minimal to non-existent -- but sometimes markets move in a direction that cannot be controlled. A financial manager needs to have the skill and wherewithal to make quick decisions based on sound judgments.

My personality being what it is, I feel I have already developed these skills to a high degree. I practice predicting trends, reading micro- and macro-events on a daily basis, studying the effects of political and economic variables on markets, and so on. In my school work, I take responsibility and hold myself accountable at all times for my studies, and my grades show the degree to which I apply myself. I work diligently to succeed in every class, no matter the subject, because I believe that if I want to do well by others, I have to first do well by myself. That means committing myself all the way when I sign up for a course and staying firm till the end. With these skills, I feel confident that my major is the right one for me and that my dream job will be ultimately attainable.

Works Cited

16 Personalities. Web. 17 Jan 2017. https://www.16personalities.com/estj-personality