Finance & Real Estate
The finance and real estate career cluster encompasses a variety of professions that are dedicated to managing financial resources and real estate assets. The careers in this cluster involve working with money, investments, and property, and require a strong understanding of finance, economics, and the real estate market. Careers in this cluster require a strong analytical mindset, attention to detail, and the ability to navigate complex financial and legal systems.
Common Job Titles
- Account Associate
- Associate Financial Analyst
- Assurance
- Business Advisory Consultant
- Business Analyst
- Client Specialist
- Commercial Banking Analyst
- Commercial Real Estate Analyst
- Consultant
- Corporate Real Estate Analyst
- Corporate Banking Analyst
- Credit Analyst
- Data Analyst
- Deal Advisor
- Equity Options Trader
- Financial Analyst
- Financial Reporting Analyst
- Financial Services Consultant
- Forensic Services Associate
- Financial Software Developer
- FP&A Specialist
- FSO Risk Advisor
- Internal Auditor
- Investment Analyst
- Investment Banking Analyst
- Loan Asset Administrator
- Portfolio Manager
- Project Manager
- Private Equity Analyst
- Real Estate Consultant
- Real Estate Data Analyst
- Real Estate Appraiser
- Regulatory Analyst
- Risk Analyst
- Risk And Financial Advisory Consultant
- Strategy Analyst
- Strategic Development Analyst
- Trading Analyst
- Valuation Analyst
**This is just a sampling of career titles, for more career titles explore:
- Occupational Outlook Handbook
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (bls.gov)
- O*NET OnLine (onetonline.org) Vault: Research Employers – UConn Center for Career Development
Preferred Skills
- High proficiency in technology and applicable software including R, Python, VBA and SQL.
- Effectively gather, clean, organize, and analyze large sets of data while presenting results to senior leaders.
- Willing and able to learn and work independently with minimal supervision, as well as take ownership and pride in work product, in addition to working well on a team and being a team player.
- Provide specific analysis as to the key drivers of expenses and the key drivers as to variances to last year and to plan.
- Calculate daily fund position and cash reconciliations for complex funds.
- Comprehensive understanding of various investment solutions, and can educate customers on the values and differences of each
- Organizational skills are important when it comes to compiling and presenting this data.
- You should be able to clearly communicate ideas, both verbally when making presentations and on paper when writing reports.
- The work requires strong analytical skills, so a knack for numbers and attention to detail are also helpful.
- An interest in solving problems will go a long way. It is important that a financial analyst be accurate and thorough in preparing financial statements.
- You should enjoy reading and be able to retain what you read, since it is important to keep up with what's happening in the industry and take it into account when offering financial solutions to employers or clients.
Applying and Interviewing
Resumes and Cover Letters
It’s important to customize your application documents for the industry/position you will be pursuing. Highlight your relevant experience by incorporating desired skills and qualifications into your application documents. How does your experience align with the skills the employer is seeking?
Interviewing
- Many banks will conduct virtual interviews for the first round. Often you will be required to pre-record an answer within a set time limit. Follow-up after every interview with a thank you email or letter.
- Research company and understand their competition. Identify reasons that would make you proud to work at this company.
- Review job description and understand location. Locating a company in NYC is much different than in the suburbs or small cities. Plan accordingly.
- Know how your skills are transferable
- Prepare success stories to demonstrate your industry knowledge, teamwork, communication skills, leadership, problem solving, and analytical/critical thinking skills
- Have at least 2-3 good questions to ask the interviewer to show your enthusiasm for the job
Some of the important skills you may want to highlight:
Hard/Technical Skills
- Quantitative and Statistical Analysis
- GAAP accounting processes and regulations
- Risk Analysis
- Strategic Planning
- Financial Modeling
- Data Visualization: Tableau, Power BI
- Cash flow management
- Technical Analysis
- Microsoft Excel & Access
- SQL
- Quickbooks
- SAP software
- R
- Python
- SAS
- Bloomberg
- S & P Capiq
Soft Skills
- Communication skills
- Problem-solving skills
- Decision-making
- Detail-oriented
- Leadership
- Presentation Skills
- Negotiation Skills
- Client Management
Related Courses
- FNCE 5101. Financial Management
- FNCE 5151. Introduction to Economic Markets
- FNCE 5202. Investment and Security Analysis
- FNCE 5205. Global Financial Management
- FNCE 5206. Financial Institutions: Management and Capital Markets
- FNCE 5209. Corporate Finance
- FNCE 5310. Introduction to U.S. Capital Markets
- FNCE 5312. Financial Institutions - A Risk Management Approach
- FNCE 5353. FinTech Applications in Risk Management
- FNCE 5409. Advanced Valuation and Portfolio Management
- FNCE 5532. Real Estate Investment and Portfolio Management
- FNCE 5533. Real Estate Capital Markets
- FNCE 6202. Corporate and Institutional Finance
Getting Started
The Office of Graduate Career & Professional Development can assist graduate business students by providing tailored guidance on resume crafting, interview preparation, and networking strategies to enhance internship and post-graduation prospects. Additionally, the team organizes industry-specific events and workshops, connecting students with potential employers and fostering valuable professional relationships.
To explore opportunities in this career cluster, reach out to the team at gradcareer.business@uconn.edu.
