The Economics course trains professionals capable of managing the financial aspects of a company.

To do this, the economist studies the market to understand the processes of distributing products and services to organizations and to the end consumer.

Upon graduation, the professional will have a strong understanding of mathematics and human relations, enabling them to evaluate economic phenomena based on societal behavioral patterns, political issues, and social concerns.

Thus, the economist is able to develop financial strategies with the with the objective of promoting business growth and expansion, presenting competitive scenarios to the market.

He can work in public and private ventures, industries, colleges, planning companies, consulting firms, and project advisory services.

In this text, you will understand what an Economics course is like, the main areas of work for an economist, the current job market, and discover if you have the profile to be a professional in this field. Happy reading.

What is it like to study Economics at university?

First, it's important to understand What is the field of Economics?.

This sector encompasses all matters related to economic development and its impact on people's lives.

This segment also seeks to understand how the connection between economic systems and their agents occurs.

The analyses range from production to the consumer and are not limited to just that. Mathematics and Statistics. The use of numbers is applied to understanding consumer behavior and, therefore, is not limited to calculating interest rates.

This area seeks to understand the impacts, make projections, and bring benefits to society. Therefore, it is very diverse and full of professionals who want to be involved in important decisions.

A Faculty of Economics It lasts 8 semesters (or 4 years), with a workload of 3,600 hours. It is a bachelor's degree program and aims to prepare students to work in both the public and private sectors.

A good college should have experienced professors, masters and doctors in the field, and extensive professional experience.

Therefore, they gain a better understanding of how market demands and needs work, enabling them to guide students towards the best opportunities.

Student support during college is fundamental. Academic projects and programs help guide students, promote preparation for the job market, and provide a well-rounded education.

The course enables students to acquire the necessary knowledge to interpret, understand, and intervene in socioeconomic reality. To achieve this, it is necessary to master the theories and techniques that allow for comprehensive performance in a wide variety of professional activities.

Who is it suitable for?

A degree in Economics is suitable for those who enjoy read, study what is happening in the world economy, Staying up-to-date and performing calculations are some important skills for those who want to pursue this degree.

• capacity for abstraction;
• Analyze the market before acting;
• Focus for studying;
• creativity to innovate;
• knowing how to deal with complex problems that involve both quantitative and qualitative issues;
• I like challenges.

What do students study in an Economics course?

The updated curricula for the Economics course favor the analysis and resolution of problems, as they have the technology as one of the supports for the construction of knowledge.

Collaborative platforms, Virtualization of payments, cloud services, and the rise of fintechs. Startups focused on improving the financial sector through technology have profoundly changed the work of economists. In this context, a multidisciplinary course increases the professional's career possibilities.

The goal of this degree program is to spark students' interest in promising sectors of the financial job market, with a strong foundation in the disciplines of Statistics, Finance, and Econometrics.

Furthermore, The introduction of Big Data and Artificial Intelligence helps to train economists capable of using financial data to optimize corporate management.

In the context of research, scientific initiation should be encouraged from the beginning of the course, so that the faculty can contribute to society and propose models for public policies.

The teaching and learning methodology and processes must be innovative, which implies intense and effective student participation.

To achieve this, the proposed activities need to integrate classroom knowledge with extracurricular and multidisciplinary programs.

It is also important to develop the socio-emotional skills of future economists. This provides the basis for training professionals who are capable of thinking strategically, are resilient, and are ready to work in large companies.

The students' theoretical training is provided through subjects that cover... The curriculum includes principles of economics, history of economic thought, and economic history, as well as a solid foundation in quantitative concepts.

The main subjects of the course are:

• Analysis and Development of Projects;
• Classics of Economic Thought;
• Business Communication;
• Accounting Social and Balance of Payments;
• Differential and Integral Calculus for Economics;
• Econometrics;
• Brazilian Economy;
• International Economics;
• Monetary Economics;
• Public Sector Economics;
• Economic Statistics;
• Corporate Finances;
• Economic and Social Formation of Brazil;
• Fundamentals of Accounting;
• General Economic History;
• History of Economic Thought;
• Legal Institutions for Economists;
• Introduction to Economics;
• Introduction to Probability and Statistics;
• Introduction to Social Sciences;
• Macroeconomics;
• Applied Mathematics for Economics;
• Financial Mathematics;
• Derivatives Market;
• Fixed Income Markets;
• Methodology of Economics;
• Microeconomics;
• Industrial Organization;
• Game Theory;
• Research Techniques in Economics;
• Special Topics in Economics (Artificial Intelligence, Big Data, etc.).

Furthermore, it is necessary to prepare a final course project in the last year of undergraduate studies. The activity is done in the form of a dissertation, and the student must develop the topic with which they most identify.

Generally, the work is presented to an examining board, composed of professors and professionals in the field. They evaluate whether the arguments presented answer the questions that were proposed. After approval, the student is ready to obtain their diploma.

Read also: Understand the difference between microeconomics and macroeconomics.

What are the main areas of activity in Economics?

O Economics course It is one of the most traditional fields in the market, and the area is fundamental in the business world. Furthermore, economists can work in various sectors, according to their preferences.

Financial market

Brokerage firms, banks, insurance companies, and the corporate financial market are some of the options available to economists.

In the banking sector, he is responsible for evaluating the planning, competition, and scheduling of the business in relation to economic plans, and for conducting studies to identify potential clients.

In the financial sector, the professional must prepare and To monitor current expense and investment budgets, cash flows, propose and analyze projects, and maintain contact with regulatory bodies. to keep them informed about company-related matters.

The economist is able to To work with the securities and real estate market, which involves investment agents, distributors, and brokers., brokers and independent contractors from holding companies.

In financial leasing, he works on typical activities to determine the useful life of assets and the profile for obtaining financing.

Financial guidance

Those who choose to work in this sector You should analyze the most profitable investments, as well as the types of investments that can be made according to the client's risk profile. This professional is able to observe the landscape of both the service and product markets.

Upon graduating, Those with a bachelor's degree in Economics also work in this field with financial and fiscal investments and with monetary business analysis. It contributes to the preparation of income and expenses, budgets, and projection of results — both present and future.

It is also the economist's responsibility to provide guidance on sources of financing and in the analysis of companies' rates of return, from both an economic and social standpoint. This service can be offered directly and through cooperatives, organizations, and entities.

Audit

Some economists work in Partnering with accountants in companies to conduct audits. with the goal of ensuring excellence in business administration. Furthermore, they guarantee product quality, which is essential for the commercial viability of an institution.

This professional works in evaluating the cash flow of organizations, identifying possible discrepancies and abnormalities.

During the audit process, he is responsible for examining the company's finances and, at the end of this analysis, he is able to indicate the points that should be improved and the actions to be taken.

Import and export

In this field, the An economist works with international issues. They study how the external economy interferes with the domestic economy, in variables such as investment and consumption.

When prices in other countries fall, consumers tend to import more and buy fewer goods from companies located in Brazil.

When the dollar strengthens, people tend to import less and buy more from companies located within the country.

All these relationships have an impact on the domestic economy — and it is the economist who analyzes how these influences occur and what their consequences are.

Those who choose this field can work in both the public and private sectors, in matters related to foreign trade, import and export.

It is also possible to provide guidance on international investments (by monitoring the economic landscape), conducting research to determine the best location for opening a particular business, among other things.

Economic feasibility of projects

In this area, the An economist develops and analyzes projects, evaluates whether a venture is viable or not, whether it has the capacity to pay, whether it will be profitable, and what will be necessary to make it happen in the best way.

A professional working in this sector can verify, for example, Is opening a new franchise a good business or not?, whether the project will be profitable, whether it is more or less advantageous, and whether it would be more interesting to invest in another option.

It is also possible to create projects for companies that wish to apply for financing from development banks, such as the National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES).

Professionals who work with economic feasibility tend to work in the infrastructure sectors of large companies, especially state-owned enterprises, or in consulting organizations that deal exclusively with financial availability.

Foreign trade

The economist has a broad understanding of the globalization process affecting the world economy and, therefore, is qualified to perform this activity.

In this field, professionals work for both private companies and the government, including banks, export companies, industries, and other entities.

His duties include drawing up charts, identifying areas for trade and investment, discovering overlooked investment opportunities, analyzing conditions for establishing joint ventures abroad, providing guidance to foreign companies on the Brazilian privatization process, and more.

Therefore, an economist working in foreign trade is a market researcher. Some of the characteristics of this professional include:

• Proficiency in the English language;
• Solid cultural background, with an emphasis on Geography and Contemporary History;
• Knowledge of computer resources;
• A broad market overview to compare cost, exchange rate, and price quotes;
• Understanding the stock market of the major global stock exchanges.

It is also necessary to develop a good perception to understand the economic side that is hidden in the shadows of political decisions.

Read also: Unsure whether to choose economics or business administration? We can help you decide.

Budgets

This area is rarely chosen by economics students because budgeting tends to be extremely complex. However, it is an important field for both private institutions and the public sector.

O An economist working for private companies has the mission of evaluating and detailing the costs and expenses that need to be used for goods and services, as well as specifying the investments that should be applied over a certain period of time.

In the public sector, he plans and monitors the Budget Law of the region in which the institution is located. The professional also observes the Multi-Year and Annual Work Plans and the Budget Guidelines Law.

This activity provides support in determining the prices and values of goods and services, enabling an advanced outcome in the institution's economic and financial landscape.

What is the job market like for economists?

Professionals graduating with a degree in Economics find a demanding and competitive job market, but one with high employability.

Today, having just a college degree is not enough—increasingly, it's necessary to go beyond technical skills.

Companies seek individuals with strong soft skills and a proactive attitude. Therefore, economics students should develop their interpersonal relationships and build a strong professional network.

It's also necessary to work on your communication skills, as professionals in this field need to know how to express themselves both orally and through reports.

You should be concerned with knowing how to work in a team, having a leadership profile, being more innovative and entrepreneur, in order to contribute new solutions, ideas, and products to organizational processes.

A few years ago, the speed at which information was exchanged was much slower than it is now. By the time a student graduates, there is already a vast amount of new knowledge, publications, and research—and it's necessary to stay updated.

Focusing solely on what happens within the university environment can lead you to become a complacent professional. For this reason, it is necessary to always seek information that goes beyond these horizons.

Technological demands

Big Data analysis helps predict what will happen in the industry in which organizations operate.

By studying consumer behavior, professionals create a solid relationship between company and client. This makes it easier to anticipate demands and meet the expectations of both parties.

With a good understanding of the data, which is becoming increasingly comprehensive and appearing in enormous quantities, the Economics sector can develop targeted actions for its audience, because it knows what they are looking for.

And it's not just private companies that use Big Data as a tool in the economy.

The government sector has already been developing projects aimed at collecting and analyzing information from various sources, such as data from the Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade.

This allows us to understand the population profile, their formal employment status, the activities they carry out, average salaries, as well as all exported items and the volume of those exports. These analyses are used, for example, by companies that wish to invest in a particular location.

With this, they can receive a detailed assessment of business opportunities, surplus of qualified personnel, or gaps in the job market, since they have all this information in their databases.

Even the Federal Government uses Big Data to control inflation. Through exclusive tools, economists are able to measure the impacts that political decisions will have on people's lives and can suggest alternative ways to mitigate these consequences.

By monitoring the data that organizations release online, experts can also gain a better understanding of price variations and how market competition impacts sales and drives the economy.

Salary of an economist

An economist's salary varies according to the professional's experience and area of expertise—however, there is no national minimum wage. Despite this, the Federal Council of Economics (Cofecon) is exploring the possibility of regulating a minimum wage for the profession.

According to the website Vagas.com, The economist has an average starting salary of R$3,818 and can earn more than R$8,500 with career development.

The average salary for Economists in Brazil is R$$6.016. Having postgraduate degrees, such as a master's degree, specialization, and other courses, also influences monthly earnings.

Read also: Is studying Economics worth it?

What is the profile of an Economics professional?

It is important for economics professionals to have a good understanding of current systems, especially since the field of Big Data has a large scope for application.

Today, companies work with a considerable amount of information that must be processed and analyzed in order to extract truly relevant data that contributes to organizational decision-making.

In addition to technical skills, an economist must possess behavioral competencies. — so-called soft skills. These personal attributes are fundamental for a professional to stand out and be successful in their workplace.

Check out the main characteristics of an Economics professional.

Curiosity

To succeed both professionally and as a student of Economics, you must have a strong sense of curiosity.

Several questions are fundamental to motivating you to pursue your path in this field. Among them are the following.

• What is still uncertain or unknown in the area?
• How do the ideas of other professionals and fields affect your understanding of the subject?
• What points are being debated and what arguments are being presented by each side?

Aptitude for Mathematics

When it comes to Economics, there's no escaping Mathematics. Knowing how to work with numbers is an essential skill for any economist. From handling large sets of numerical data toto interpret visual information such as graphs and tables, It is necessary to feel comfortable working with values and mathematical principles.

But don't worry, the content is simple and you'll master the subject in just a few lessons.

Knowledge of Social Sciences

Mathematics isn't all you need to be a successful economist. Economics also has much in common with other social science subjects, such as psychology, history, and sociology.

Having a practical understanding of the factual basis of these subjects and the methods used in them is the missing benefit for economists who will work on related topics.

Open mind

Having an open mind is fundamental to achieving success in any field. It's important to embrace new ideas and not get too stuck in your own experiences and perspectives. You should listen to other people's opinions and engage in efforts to seek improvements, even if you don't agree with their reasoning.

A debate with a coworker can be a highly productive experience, but only if you are willing to listen to different opinions and adjust your own ideas when necessary.

Since the market can change rapidly, economists must always be in a state of continuous improvement. To understand financial sector statistics, it is important to comprehend the history of economic relations.

Therefore, the Economics course is based on subjects from both the exact sciences and the humanities, and a good understanding of these subjects is fundamental for data analysis in the field.

Do you want to stand out in the market and get your degree from a recognized institution? Then, learn more about... Economics course at ESEG and have a successful career.