We surveyed 3,088 financial managers to better understand the work environment and required skills of a typical financial manager. Here are the results.

How much intelligence is required as a financial manager?

Low

High

Working as a financial manager typically requires higher levels of intelligence when compared with the average career. This means that financial managers are required to actively learn new things related to their discipline and solve complex problems.

Can I learn to become a financial manager?

Intrinsic Talent

Acquired Talent

A career as a financial manager typically depends predominantly on qualities you can gain through experience, with a small aspect of skills you are born with.

Is it easy to get a job as a financial manager?

Easy

Hard

It’s typically difficult to find a job as a financial manager. If you’re curious about the numbers, check out the job market for financial managers.

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Do financial managers work full-time or part-time?

95% of financial managers work in full-time roles while 5% work part-time.

Is being a financial manager stressful?

Low

High

Stress is not uncommon amongst financial managers, with daily work sometimes being quite demanding.

Is being organized important as a financial manager?

Low

High

Organization is considered a very important trait for financial managers, and is critical to success in the field.

How competitive is the workplace for financial managers?

Low

High

Financial managers see mild competition in their workplace.

Does being a financial manager require frequent time pressure to complete tasks?

Low

High

Financial managers will see frequent time pressure on the job, likely contributing to an occasionally stressful work environment.

Are financial managers allowed to express themselves creatively?

Low

High

Financial managers rarely get a chance to express themselves creatively.

Do financial managers have control over the direction of their work?

Low

High

Financial managers tend to have a set and inflexible work schedule that they are unable to deviate from too much.

Is being a financial manager physically demanding?

Low

High

Work as a financial managers is rarely physically demanding, making it a suitable option for those unable to perform physically strenuous tasks.

Are financial managers exposed to a wide variety of work?

Low

High

While sometimes repetitive, financial managers tend to have opportunities for variety in their work.

Does being a financial manager require attention to detail?

Low

High

Attention to detail is a vital skill for financial managers, as small mistakes can make or break one's ability to succeed in the career.

Does being a good financial manager require compassion and empathy?

Low

High

The ability to be compassion and empathetic isn't considered fundamental to success as a financial manager.