OCCUPATION: STOCK ANALYST
Name: Mark Matheson
Company: Cruttenden & Co.
Thumbs up: “I have the best job in the world. I’m at the forefront of every hot new technology. I get right in to see the CEOs. I also like the daily variety. The market is different every day. I always wanted to be a detective when I was growing up. Now I am a stock market detective, which is a lot better paying than a police detective and a lot less hazardous--except to my blood pressure.”
Thumbs down: “The stress. Everyone remembers your bad picks, and they have a short memory on your home runs.”
Advice: “You have to have an addiction for the stock market. But there are so few stock analysts that you have to get your foot in the door. You almost have to work for a firm for free and show them what you can do and work your way up.”
Salary range: In Orange County, $15,000 to $120,000 yearly.
Fringe benefits: Getting firsthand information on companies and getting discounts on buying stocks. Standard benefits include paid vacation, holidays and medical and dental insurance.
Hours: 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays
Educational and training requirements: A bachelor’s degree, usually in finance or business, is a minimum requirement. A degree in a specialty field helpful in the industry, such as computers or medicine, adds to appeal; a master’s degree plus industry credentials, such as chartered financial analyst accreditation, also help, as does experience investing in your personal portfolio.
Size of work force: Very small. In Orange County, 25 people work as stock analysts.
Expected demand: Slight. Matheson, who is a director of research, said: “I get 200 people a year applying for two openings.”
Job description: Analyze individual companies, sales trends, new product potential and revenue growth; talk to chief executive officers, clients, portfolio managers, stockbrokers, suppliers, customers and trade organizations; write research reports for brokers that recommend which stocks to buy and sell.
Major employing industries: Brokerage houses, bank trust departments, pension and mutual fund managers, investment firms.
For information: Call Jo Ann Horutz at the Orange County Society of Investment Managers, (714) 380-0200.
