Career Path Guide
Although there are several paths you can take to become an international trade analyst, a very effective route for entering this profession is to follow these general steps:
1. Excel at Math, Economics, Business, English and Second Language Studies in High School
2. Determine if this profession is suited to your personality and professional interests
3. Pursue a bachelor’s degree in International Business, or a similar field
4. Get work experience related to international trade while you’re a student
5. Get a permanent job in an industry that interests you after graduation
6. Earn an MBA in International Business or a related field
7. Advance into roles of greater responsibility and pay as you gain experience
Read on below to learn more about what it takes to become an international trade analyst!
How Can I Prepare For This Career in High School?
If you have the good fortune of still being a high school student, you can begin to prepare for a future career as an international trade analyst by excelling in coursework such as economics, mathematics, English, business, second language studies and any other coursework that’s related to this field.
Excelling in these areas will help set a good foundation for your university studies by helping you qualify for top business degree programs, and by helping you gain crucial math and communication skills, and a basic understanding of business (which will be elaborated upon during your university years).
What Formal Education Will I Need?
To become an international trade analyst, you typically need at least a bachelor’s degree in economics, business, business administration, commerce, accounting, finance, marketing, international business or a similar field.
Some employers however, will prefer that you have a master’s degree in one of these areas, or a law degree.
What Work Experience Will I Need?
Employers typically prefer to hire candidates with a demonstrated ability to perform the functions of the job, which includes having knowledge of:
• The production of goods and services in international trade
• The technical and economic factors influencing international trade and competitiveness
• Commodity and trade data collection methods and analytical techniques
• Trade laws, agreements, and policies regulating international commerce
Success Tip: Typically, the more experience you have, the less education you will need, and vice-versa; one can be hard to gain without the other though, so a bachelor’s degree is typically considered the minimum entry requirement in this field.
What is an International Trade Analyst?
International trade analysts are responsible for providing assistance to international trade specialists by collecting and analyzing information related to international trade opportunities, including the research and validation of country specific regulations.
Their overall goal of helping complete business cases for their organization’s entry into new geographic markets.
What Do They Do?
Although their duties can vary from job to job, international trade analysts are generally responsible for performing the following functions:
• Working with foreign government trade offices to maximize business investment opportunities in other countries for business clients and trade partners
• Preparing technical reports related to international investment opportunities
• Providing international traders with statistics, forecasting and future projections concerning international trade and investments
• Conducting market analysis and segmentation based on foreign business and financial indicators
Is This a Good Choice for Me?
Before diving into this career, it’s important to determine if working in this field will be well-suited to your personal characteristics and professional ambitions. If the following attributes describe you, then you might be very well-suited for a career as an international trade analyst:
• You’re willing to constantly learn and stay abreast with developments in the field
• You have enthusiasm for working on large-scale projects
• You have a natural aptitude for working with numbers
• You have an interest in traveling internationally for work
• You’re comfortable preparing reports and presenting them to others
• You’re willing to do a significant amount of research in regards to foreign trade programs, taxation, import and export laws, environmental regulations, and more
• You’re interested in a career that draws heavily from a variety of disciplines, including math, computer science, economics, introductory business, foreign language, political science and finance
Who Creates Jobs for International Trade Analysts?
International trade analysts are typically employed by pubic sector organizations such as federal, regional and even municipal government departments. They can however, also be employed by private and publicly traded companies in almost any industry, although in this case they are more commonly referred to as “international business analysts”.
Basically, they can be employed by any organization that’s are interested in selling products or services in new markets, or investment opportunities to foreign companies, individuals, or governments.
Job Postings
Our job board below has a listing of "International Trade Analyst" postings in your area of Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom or Australia.
What Career Advancement Opportunities Will There Be?
If you develop a reputation for being competent, hard-working and dedicated in your work, then several career advancement options should become available to you. For example, with enough experience and skill you might:
• Receive increases in pay and responsibility
• Move into various management positions
• Move from the public sector to the private sector, or vice-versa
• Become a self-employed consultant, or start a consulting company
• Move into a similar position with a higher-grossing department or company
What are Careers Similar to This One?
Listed below are careers that may be in the same field, or they may involve many of the same skills, competencies and/or responsibilities as “International Trade Analyst”:
• Business Development Officer
• CPA
• Economic Development Officer
• Intergovernmental Relations Coordinator
• International Business Analyst
• International Trade Specialist
What Scholarships Are There for Aspiring International Trade Analysts?
The “Majors in Our Database Relevant for this Career” section below lists fields of study that are relevant to becoming an international trade analyst. You can search for relevant scholarships by finding those majors on our "International Business Scholarships” page.
Success Tip: Apply for any and all scholarships that you even barely qualify for; there are MILLIONS of dollars of scholarships that go unused every year due to a lack of applicants...not just a lack of fully qualified applicants!
Sources for This Career Guide
The following resources were used to gather information for this career path guide:
Classification & Qualifications: “International Trade Analyst, 1101.” (January, 2018). United States Government - Office of Personnel Management website. Retrieved December 27, 2019.
Please Note: Much of the information used for this career guide was obtained from actual job postings, which due to the brief nature of their online publication presence aren’t listed here as references.
Majors in Our Database Relevant for this Career
We have career guides for over 60 university majors in our database. Below we've outlined those that are most relevant to becoming an international trade analyst. Click on the links to see what else you can do with these majors!
