Economist-manager: characteristics, functions, work and training

The profession called economist-manager implies work in the field of economics of an enterprise or organization. Specialists of this level are in demand both in government agencies and in private commercial companies.

An economist-manager is a specialist who possesses the basic foundations in economics, management, accounting, as well as knowledge in the field of finance and credit, investment economics... In large enterprises, an economist can hold a mid-level position and be directly subordinate to the chief accountant, director of finance, or chief economist. In companies of a more modest size, the economist-manager can be a manager and a performer in one person, reporting directly to the CEO or manager.

In general, the activity of an economic manager implies analytical work aimed at studying, forecasting and managing business processes from an economic point of view. An economist endowed with management functions is not only well versed in the norms and laws, but also perfectly knows how to perform analytical work. The economist-manager is responsible for the basis of any business is its profitability.

To master this difficult profession, a person needs a penchant for the exact sciences and a special cast of character. Of the personal qualities of people who have devoted their lives to the profession of an economist, the following can be distinguished:

• attentiveness, accuracy and a high level of responsibility;
• interest in studying such disciplines as mathematics, logic, economics;
• the ability to clearly structure and analyze a large amount of information consisting of numbers;
• a well-developed ability to express their thoughts and be able to convince other people, substantiating their arguments with facts;
• a high level of self-discipline, accuracy, attention to detail, perseverance;
• desire for self-improvement and raising the level of their knowledge;
• interest in trends in the world economy;
• the ability to anticipate and make analytical predictions.

In this profession there is no novelty and frequent change of scenery, but the economy attracts those people who, having a good memory and the ability to operate with numbers, find pleasure in it.

The profession of an economist-manager in Russia and abroad is considered prestigious. Not every graduate of a specialized educational institution is capable of becoming a professional. But whoever remains faithful to the chosen cause, finds certain advantages in it:

• high demand for the profession in the labor market;
• rapid career and salary growth;
• a wide range of skills and the ability to work in your own business;
• the opportunity to work in related specialties related to the economy.

Of the disadvantages of the profession, the following can be distinguished:

• activity is associated with the constant use of a computer, while the daily load on the organs of vision and the spine can lead to health problems;
• it can be difficult for a graduate with no work experience to start work in a chosen direction;
• very high responsibility and the risk of error create stressful loads;
• there is rather high competition for promising positions with a high level of earnings.

At first, a career may not pay off as well as one would like. At best, a university graduate will be hired as an intern or an assistant of an experienced specialist, while the salary at first will be small - from 15 to 25 thousand rubles. And only after 3-5 years, when experience has been gained, it is possible to count on an increase in salaries from 30-35 thousand or more.

Depending on the size of the company and the annual cash turnover, the responsibilities of the economist manager will vary. But the main tasks that this specialty implies are the following:

• performing work on market analysis and planning based on it the company's development strategy;
• business planning for the development of the company for the short and long term;
• calculation of profit for current business projects and their economic justification;
• promotion of economic and managerial solutions for the development of the company;
• analysis of the competitive environment and assessment of their positions;
• control over the movement and distribution of financial flows in the company;
• forecasting possible risks and choosing a method to optimize them;
• economic justification of pricing, investment efficiency, determination of the volume of the payroll, current business costs.

The scope of application of the knowledge and skills of an economist is very large. To solve the tasks assigned to him, a specialist needs to be fluent in not only theoretical knowledge, but also to be able to apply it in practice. Besides, position implies knowledge of computer programs used in this enterprise to carry out entrepreneurial activities.

The profession of an economist-manager is quite versatile and can be in demand in various sectors of the economy.High qualifications and work experience will allow you to find a job in the field of IT technologies as an economist in the department of computing information systems. In commercial structures, the economist will find application as a marketing analyst, supply or sales manager, accounting specialist, will be able to perform the duties of an employee of the planning department or engage in investments.

Often, enterprises require experienced labor and payroll economists, contract department managers, and complaints handling specialists. If you wish, you can find a job in the banking sector, engage in trade, production, provision of educational or economic services, and scientific research. All these areas are related to the economy, therefore the profession of an economist is simply irreplaceable for their development.

If you decide to look for a job abroad, then it is worth considering that diplomas of some Russian universities are very much appreciated there too... For example, specialists with experience who have graduated from the Plekhanov Economic University, MGIMO, Lomonosov Moscow State University, and the Higher School of Economics are willingly hired. Additional specialized education will be a good plus for successful employment.