I would recommend this career to those who have a strong background in finance, and enjoy analytical work. In order to succeed, one must have strong analytical abilities and be constantly aware of details of the subject area you cover. Familarity of macro events are a must. One must also be articulate in reporting ideas and opinion.
Credit analysts have good career advancement prospects and are typically well paid. Work is challenging and fast paced. At times, long hours are required.
For those who wish to pursue this career, a background in finance or a CFA is preferred.
This is a strong career, which provides numerous opportunities to make a solid amount of money within a few years. I am just starting out, but my brother has been in the field for around 7 years and he is close to 6 figures and loves his job. I am enjoying what I am learning, and have no regrets in following this career. This is a pretty self explanatory field, and there really are no surprises in this type of industry. Pros are staying busy, devleloping strong relationships, and learning extensively how the credit world works. Cons- some may be impatient with the time it can take to earn the money you want quickly.
I find it to be very tedious, same thing day in and out. Very easy to get angry at people because they will lie to you and it's very difficult to get them to keep promises that they make consistantly. Really requires attention to detail and concentration, can be very long hours.
Lots of people think that being an analyst at a hedge fund is automatically highly lucrative. It's fun and challenging, but not necessarily the path to riches that everyone assumes! People should really enjoy finance and be prepared to deal with quirky personalities.