Poll: Which Skill Will Be Most Important for Investment Professionals in 10 Years?
Given the rapid pace of change in the finance industry in recent years, it’s hard to foresee what types of skills will prove most essential to investment professionals in the years ahead.
The ongoing debate over the utility of active investing, the rise of robo-advisers, and other technological innovations, to name just a few developments, have created a measure of uncertainty as to what the future will look like and what sort of talents finance professionals need to focus on strengthening to excel over the long term.
With these issues in mind, we asked CFA Institute Financial NewsBrief readers which areas of expertise they anticipate will be most essential to success a decade from now.
Not surprisingly, a vast majority of the 822 respondents emphasized the importance of hard technological and knowledge-based skills, with a plurality (34%) saying that financial modeling and analysis will be most essential, 22% anticipating that knowledge of global business practices will be, and 9% opting for computer programming.
Which skill will be most important for investment professionals in 10 years?
Meanwhile, a strong minority (29%) believe that softer skills — presentation, communication, and writing — will be most important, suggesting that finance professionals would do well to foster their social savvy.
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