Profession of economist. How I found a job - personal experience

The profession of economist is one of the most popular among Russian applicants. It is believed that economic education provides additional career opportunities and is also in great demand in the labor market. Find out if this is really so and what an economist will really have to do during his career. labor activity.

Average wages: 60,000 rubles per month

Demand

Payability

Competition

Entry barrier

Prospects

Economists are needed small companies, and large banks, and international corporations. Who else, besides representatives of this specialty, can indicate the necessary vector for the further development of the entire enterprise or the country in general? Who will competently draw up a business plan - a document that defines the entire marketing strategy, calculates various kinds pitfalls? A good economist is an eminence grise who is valued and listened to.

From the history of the profession

Originally, the ancient Greek term “economics” meant nothing more than the art of housekeeping. In those days, people consumed everything they produced themselves, relied only on themselves and were completely self-sufficient.

The word “art” in this case is not an exaggeration. After all, housekeeping had to be done with limited resources and the absence of commodity production as such. It was very difficult to get out. However, this was required harsh conditions the way of life of that time, built on subsistence farming.

At the moment when things began to be produced not for one’s own consumption, but for exchange or for purchase and sale, the beginning of commodity-money relations was laid. At the same time, the first economists appeared. Of course, the profession did not have such a name in those distant times, but this does not change its essence.

The famous philosophers Plato and Aristotle thought about the problems of economics and sought their solutions, but the creator of the science of economic management and the founder of classical economic theory became Adam Smith. He expressed his views in full scientific work"An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations."

IN further development economic science continued to increase its pace. A number of trends emerged, several theoretical schools were formed, the founders of which were Karl Marx, John Maynard Keynes, Joseph Schumpeter, Friedrich Hayek, John Kenneth Galbraith, Milton Friedman.

Characteristics of the profession

A good housewife is the one who gets by minimum quantity resources and funds to feed the family. She does not allow waste, but also does not force her to starve. However, she does not borrow money from a neighbor or take out consumer loans from a bank.

A good economist should act in much the same way. This is not just a person with the necessary set of necessary knowledge and good analytical thinking, he is a specialist, one of whose main tasks is to make correct forecasts. He must look forward and, calculating everything down to the smallest detail, prove the prospects and profitability of the chosen direction of economic activity.

It turns out that an economist is a kind of predictor. This distinguishes him from an accountant, auditor or tax inspector.

Economists are not boring or boring people. If anyone thinks so, he is very mistaken. Their professional language contains such terms as “invisible hand”, “indifference curves”, “Robinson’s economy” and even “theory of creative destruction”, which only wise-cracking intellectuals could come up with.

Skills and personal qualities

In order to study to become an economist, the following qualities are required:

High level of intelligence. A future specialist cannot become successful without spatial imagination, the ability to reason consistently, logically, and think abstractly. In addition, you need the ability to assimilate large quantity information.
Good memory. The modern generation has all knowledge at their fingertips. I took out a gadget with Internet access, found the answer to a question I saw for the first time - and was ready to answer the teacher, as they say, on the fly. However, for successful study and work necessary information must be in your head.
Attentiveness. You need to be able to concentrate on important points. It is interesting that the Adam Smith we mentioned was an extremely absent-minded person and often fell out of reality. But an outstanding reformer economic development was exclusively a theoretician, so he is forgiven.
Perseverance. This is exactly the case when you drive more quietly - you will go further. This property helps to cope faster and better with complex professional tasks, of which there are many in everyday work. Control over your feelings, discipline and self-regulation - this is what a future economist needs to train.
Ability to work with large volumes of information. There is no escape from this in modern realities. There are statistical and mathematical calculations, technology, business, life cycle data. An economist needs to be able to form a clear and holistic vision of the final product, despite uncertainties.

In addition, a specialist in the field of economics must be able to work on a computer with necessary programs, for example, with “Consultant Plus” and “1C”. He also needs to know English language and freely navigate accounting and tax accounting.

If you are not yet completely sure about your choice of specialty, you can take a career guidance test. This way you can understand whether the profession of an economist is right for you.

Where to get an education

There are quite a few prestigious Russian universities that provide high-quality economic education. Let's name just a few of them:

State University of Management in Moscow.
Russian Economic University named after. G. V. Plekhanov.
Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation.
Moscow State University named after. M. Lomonosov.
National Research University " graduate School economy."

A more extensive list is presented in the “” section, in particular “” and “”.

In large international companies Specialists who received education abroad and have work experience are especially valued. The best foreign universities where they study economics:

Harvard University.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
London School of Economics and Political Science.
University of Chicago.
University of California at Berkeley.

To enter a Russian university, you need to pass the Unified state exam in three subjects: mathematics, social studies and Russian language. Admission scores to leading universities are high – from 80.

What specialties to study?

In the direction of higher education "" you can get a fairly large range of specialties, the most popular of which are:

Each of them is interesting in its own way and opens up different prospects for professional development.

Terms of Responsibilities

Being a universal specialist, the economist solves many diverse problems such as:

Forecast the activities of the enterprise and develop action strategies for the future.
Analyze business activities, calculate where you can save money and where you need to invest in new projects.
Find ways to improve production efficiency.
Find ways to increase the profitability of the company.
Prepare financial statements.
Increase profits and create reserves.
Keep your finger on the pulse of all changes in market conditions, quickly and competently respond to any challenges.

Who is the profession suitable for?

People with a humanitarian mindset who find it difficult to do mathematical calculations will simply not be able to qualify for the specialty. This must definitely be taken into account.

A person who decides to immerse himself in the world of numbers, finance, reports, forecasting and analytics will have to study:

Introduction to Economics.
Micro- and macroeconomics.
Economic theory.
Statistics.
Accounting.
Management.
Marketing.
Banks and banking activities.
Finance and stock market.
Risk management and insurance.

The list goes on - this is only a part of the necessary items.

And one more important point. The work of an economist requires constant attention and effort. If a person is emotionally unstable, this profession is clearly not for him.

How much does he earn

Qualified specialists earn good money. Yesterday's university graduate will need more than one year to achieve this.

Economists earn the most in Moscow - 53,000 rubles, the average income in Russia is just over 32,000 rubles. The average salary of an economist in construction is 60,000 rubles, in planning departments of companies and enterprises in other industries - 53,750 rubles. The salary of the chief economist is 50,000 rubles.

According to the website russia.trud.com, for half of the available vacancies, employers indicated a salary in the amount of 20 to 40 thousand rubles, for 28% - in the range from 40 to 60 thousand rubles. In general, an economist’s income depends on several components: region, place of employment and the number of responsibilities. The spread due to this can be impressive.

Career

An economist is a broad concept, and representatives of this profession can perform different responsibilities. Accordingly, some employers are looking for an employee who understands the intricacies of Russian taxation and accounting. Others need a labor, contracts and payroll specialist. Still others need an economist who can in the best possible way calculate investment projects so that the enterprise does not go down the drain.

Within one department, the career growth of an economist looks like this:

economist;
senior economist;
leading economist;
economist 1st category;
deputy head of the department.

Deputy Head of Department of the Ministry of Economy and Finance of the Russian Federation;
Deputy Head of the Budget Management Department;
Deputy Head of the Budget Department;
Head of the Department of Macroeconomic Policy and Banking Activities of the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation;
Deputy Minister of Finance;
Minister of Finance;
First Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation.

To begin with, after graduating from university, you can start working in small enterprises. In the future, when the experience necessary for making responsible decisions comes, offers will appear to occupy key economic positions in larger companies with large cash flows.

There is a lot of competition in the labor market - universities have produced plenty of specialists over the past decades, and there is already an oversupply of them, however, today there are about 2 million students studying at economics faculties. Therefore, career growth will directly depend on strength of character, ambition, ambition and perseverance. With an analytical mindset and determination, there is every chance to quickly build successful career. Therefore, if you work on yourself, you can quickly advance from a junior economic specialist to the position of financial director of an enterprise.

The future of the profession

There is no reason to worry that the specialty will become outdated and disappear as unnecessary. In the near future, economists will be needed in small and large businesses, in the financial and banking sectors. Need them insurance companies, state enterprises, transnational corporations.

For your career, it is better to get a “paired” position. For example, an economist - financier, analyst or engineer. You can work in different areas - production, marketing, logistics, innovative technologies, quality management, consulting.

English "Economist") is a British weekly magazine for business people, the main content of which is the latest in management, business, the experience of business schools, and the development of economic relations. Since 1995, a Russian-language version of the magazine has been published.

Great definition

Incomplete definition ↓

ECONOMIST

Job responsibilities. Performs implementation work economic activity enterprise aimed at increasing the efficiency and profitability of production, the quality of products and the development of new types of products, achieving high final results with the optimal use of material, labor and financial resources. Prepares initial data for drawing up projects of economic, financial, production and commercial activities (business plans) of the enterprise in order to ensure growth in product sales and increase profits. Performs calculations on material, labor and financial costs necessary for the production and sale of products, the development of new types of products, advanced equipment and technology. Carries out an economic analysis of the economic activities of the enterprise and its divisions, identifies production reserves, develops measures to ensure economy, increase production profitability, competitiveness of products, labor productivity, reduce production and sales costs, eliminate losses and unproductive expenses, as well as identify opportunities additional release products. Determines the economic efficiency of labor and production organization, implementation new technology and technology, innovation proposals and inventions. Participates in the consideration of developed production and economic plans, carrying out work on resource conservation, in the implementation and improvement of on-farm calculations, improvement of progressive forms of labor organization and management, as well as planning and accounting documentation. Prepares materials for concluding contracts, monitors deadlines for fulfilling contractual obligations. Monitors the progress of implementation of planned targets for the enterprise and its divisions, and the use of on-farm reserves. Participates in conducting marketing research and forecasting production development. Performs work related to non-routine settlements and monitoring the correctness of settlement transactions. Keeps records of economic indicators of results production activities enterprise and its divisions, as well as accounting of concluded contracts. Prepares periodic reports within established deadlines. Performs work on the formation, maintenance and storage of a database of economic information, makes changes to reference and regulatory information used in data processing. Participates in the formation of the economic formulation of problems or their individual stages, solved with the help of computer technology, determines the possibility of using ready-made projects, algorithms, application software packages that allow the creation of economically sound systems for processing economic information.

Must know: legislative and regulatory legal acts, teaching materials on planning, accounting and analysis of enterprise activities; organization of planned work; the procedure for developing long-term and annual plans for the economic, financial and production activities of the enterprise; procedure for developing business plans; planned - accounting documentation; the procedure for developing standards for material, labor and financial costs; methods economic analysis and accounting of performance indicators of the enterprise and its divisions; determination methods economic efficiency introduction of new equipment and technology, labor organization, rationalization proposals and inventions; methods and means of performing computational work; rules for preparing materials for concluding contracts; organization of operational and statistical accounting; procedure and deadlines for reporting; domestic and foreign experience rational organization economic activity of the enterprise in conditions market economy; economics, organization of production, labor and management; basics of production technology; market methods of management; the possibility of using computer technology to carry out technical and economic calculations and analyze the economic activities of an enterprise, the rules of its operation; labor legislation; rules and regulations of labor protection. Great definition

Incomplete definition ↓

An economist, who is he and what does he do, it is worth turning to the concept of “economics”. Economics is science, economic activity and everything connected with it. Thus, the profession of economist involves the study, analysis and forecasting of the economic activities of a specific economic entity. Economists are responsible for financial efficiency work of the enterprise.

In many ways, the profession of economist is close to such professions as accountant, financier, and marketer. In small enterprises, the duties of these specialists can be performed by the same employee, whose position will most likely be called an accountant. Large enterprises usually have entire economic departments, which can also be called planning or commercial departments.

Only a person with a specialized education can hold the position of economist, since to work, an economist needs to understand many things. So, good knowledge of accounting and management accounting, auditing, economic theory, marketing, statistics, and analysis of financial and economic activities is simply necessary. Knowledge of tax and labor legislation will be useful. In addition, an economist must understand the specifics of the enterprise’s activities and understand its nuances.

Responsibilities of an Economist

The main responsibility of an economist is to analyze the economic activities of his enterprise according to a number of indicators. Such an analysis makes it possible to look at the organization’s activities through numbers. This makes it possible to identify strengths and weaknesses, find reserves for increasing the efficiency of the enterprise and its specific structures.

Another of the most important is drawing up a forecast for the future period, based on today's indicators. Planning is necessary for management accounting purposes. Based on the data received from the economist, the head of the enterprise makes the following decisions: management decisions, whether the enterprise should receive a loan (in what amount and for what period), whether to reduce or recruit employees, whether to increase additional production capacity, etc. The economist receives information for analysis and planning from special forms accounting and operational reporting.

If you explain in simple words, an economist, his activities are aimed at increasing the efficiency of the enterprise, reducing costs and increasing income.

From the end of the last century to this day, the profession of economist remains the most fashionable. The crisis has made some adjustments to the popularity of this specialty. Is it easy to find out whether graduates should enroll in universities in this area?

Many applicants strive to enter economic institutes, but not everyone knows exactly what functions an economist performs and what the meaning of his work is. What is it? Let's look into this in more detail.

Who is this economist?

Generally speaking, economists can be classified as specialists who ensure efficient operation of enterprises and companies. Most often, this profession is related to marketers, financiers, accountants, and managers.

Economists are people who are always in high demand at those enterprises where it is necessary to conduct constant analysis economic activity, it is necessary to correctly calculate finances and control the expenditure of funds. This profession is always needed, it can confidently be classified as highly paid. Due to the fact that there are many related areas, the scope of activity is quite wide. For example, an economist-manager is someone employed in the areas of business administration. Back in the last century, the concept of a manager appeared, when assistants (managers) began to be invited to enterprises. The manager had to clearly plan and organize all the work at the enterprise, teach people, distribute responsibilities, in general, know everything necessary for the coordinated work of the team. Now in a large organization there are managers in every department; they are responsible for some narrow area, for example, an advertising manager, a sales manager or an economist manager.

What do you need to know?

An economist is a profession, the basis for which is higher education. Further, for a specific direction, you must have an appropriate set of knowledge. For statistics you need one thing, for statistics - another, for financial management - a third. In general, any economist must have an analytical mind, have mathematical thinking, be diligent and scrupulous in work, and be able to quickly concentrate in any situation. Often, for career growth, an economist needs to know foreign languages. And certainly fluent English will have a positive effect on your salary level.

What should economists know?

Economists are professionals with an excellent understanding of complex legal acts, resolutions, orders and regulations. They are simply obliged to study all the new methodological materials on auditing, accounting, and analysis of economic activity. Should:

Understand the intricacies of planned economic work.
Know the procedures for developing financial annual plans for the future and various business plans.
Understand the maintenance of all accounting documentation.
Know the procedure for developing materials, financial and labor costs.
Know all methods of statistical accounting and economic analysis.
When introducing new technologies and techniques, the economist must determine them
When drawing up contracts, know the rules for drawing up materials, methods and methods for carrying out computational work.
Clearly know and comply with reporting times and procedures.
Study foreign and domestic experience in the rational organization of economics in production under market conditions.
Know market farming methods, production technologies, operating techniques for equipment.
Study the basics of labor legislation, rules and regulations on labor protection.

Economists are workers who must be guided in their activities by developed job descriptions. The head of the enterprise appoints and dismisses the economist in accordance with the order.

Main Responsibilities

The responsibilities of economists cover a wide field of activity, because the profession intersects with accounting, management, financial activities. Specific responsibilities depend on the specifics of the enterprise, the distribution of functions between departments, and other features of doing business. In some companies, economists work on business plans, in others they act as accountants, conduct cost feasibility studies, and determine expense levels. It even happens that economists engage in investments, calculate business prospects, and solve strategically complex problems. There are seemingly many directions - this is complexity. But on the other hand, higher economic education provides an opportunity to build a career in many areas of business.

Prospects, salaries of economists

Economists are people who look far ahead. Each of them starts from an ordinary position, but many successfully move up career ladder, subsequently becoming department managers or enterprise managers. A beginner specialist can easily expect to earn from 800 to 1000 dollars. Often the salary depends on the specifics of the company’s activities: in the food and construction business, salaries reach up to $1,500. Income increases when you gain experience and move up the career ladder. Experienced economists earn income from the enterprise from 1500 to 3800 dollars. Although much, of course, depends on the specifics, size and profitability of the company (much more modest amounts are possible). If you have analytical thinking, working with numbers is your strong point, you are diligent and scrupulous, then the specialty of an economist will definitely suit you.

Since the beginning of the construction of a market economy in our country, the profession of an economist has gained great popularity, although not every young person seeking to obtain it correctly understands its content and the responsibilities of a person working as an economist. In a practical sense, an economist, if he is not a scientist or teacher, is engaged in the analysis of economic activity at an enterprise based on knowledge of the laws of economics. To improve the efficiency of the company, such a specialist identifies additional material or financial reserves, develops measures to rational use available resources. Analysis, business plans, descriptions of necessary activities are accompanied by calculations confirming the reliability of positive results from their implementation. The goal of an economist’s work is to obtain the greatest profit for an enterprise at rational costs. As you know, analysis of production activities and development of measures to optimize them are needed in any organization. This explains the increased demand for the profession of economist in many firms and organizations.

Modern production or financial management is impossible without analyzing the reasons for stabilization, increase or decrease in profitability. Such an analysis is accompanied by a proposal to resolve the problems that have arisen in the most rational way. It is the activities of economists high level professionalism contributes to the prosperity of companies and lays the vector for their reliable development in the near future.

Very often, a person with an economist degree is hired as an accountant, auditor, or even financial director. The fact is that a full-fledged economic education gives a person the opportunity to successfully master related specialties. This is the peculiarity of the profession of economist. If, after graduating from a university, you were unable to get a job as an economist, you can start climbing the career ladder from the position of an ordinary accountant or auditor, and subsequently rise to the rank of chief accountant or financial director of an enterprise.

Personal qualities

What qualities should a person have so that Economist Day becomes for him over time the best of holidays, so that the profession of an economist, with all its pros and cons, becomes a native element that brings financial well-being and a feeling of success? Initially, good mathematical abilities and the ability to concentrate on the task at hand are required. A good economist keeps a large amount of information in his memory and is able to logically present the interconnections of its individual blocks and clearly identify priorities based on the results of an analysis of the enterprise’s activities. A professional specialist continues to study throughout his career; he must have high intellectual performance.

Education (What do you need to know?)

The economist has higher education. A university graduate must have a systematic understanding of the structure and diversity of economic processes in modern society, understand their relationship and impact on the development prospects of an individual enterprise and the state as a whole.

During the formation of a large number of private firms, commercial organizations A lot of specialists were required to work as an economist. The popularity of the profession has led to the emergence of an economics department in almost every university. The level of training in non-specialized educational institutions is low, and the teaching staff is not highly qualified.

Currently, in order to hope to get a job as an economist in a prestigious organization in the future, it is necessary to enter higher education. educational institution known for its reputation for decades. The specialization of such a university should be economic or financial. It is advisable to begin practical work already during the years of study. Only high efficiency, combined with excellent theoretical knowledge acquired during the years of study, will allow you to achieve a highly paid job.

Place of work and career

The profession of economist is in demand in almost all enterprises. You can start working in a small organization, even a budget one. The practical experience gained at your first job will help you find a more prestigious and highly paid position. These are small, medium and large business organizations, banks, insurance agencies. Prestigious work in such government institutions, like the Central Bank, Ministry of Finance. Career growth active and talented person with an economic education is practically unlimited. If the tendency to practical work no, then you can become a good economics teacher and do scientific work.