5 reasons why investment management could be for you

When you think of investment management, do you think of a guy in a pin-striped suit yelling commands across a bustling trading room floor? Thankfully that’s just the plot of every movie about Wall Street; working in real-life investment management is pretty different.

Staff in this sector come from all sorts of backgrounds, and have really different skill sets. Whether you’re a quiet problem-solver, or have the gift of the gab, there’s something for everyone.

So with help from the experts at Investment2020, we’ll take a look at 5 great reasons why investment management could be the right career path for you.

1. It's really interesting  

Why work in investment management? Well, to put it simply: it’s a fascinating field.

Investment management (aka asset management) is all about advising people and companies about where and how to invest their money. For a recap, check out what is investment management and why is it relevant to me?

Investment management pros (you can read an overview of investment management jobs here) find the best places to invest their customers’ money in. That could be a company or collections of similar companies.

So what this all means is that investment management is a really interesting field to work in. No two days are the same. You have to get out there and investigate different companies that you might invest in, meeting people and asking questions.

One day you could be meeting the designer of a new eco-friendly car. And the next you could be trying out the latest social media app built by a young technology start-up.

What’s more, deciding where to invest money can be affected by everything from politics to the weather! So you’ll always be kept on your toes.

2. You can follow your own interests

Let’s say you’re interested in fashion and beauty. Or maybe sport and fitness is more your speed. Or maybe you’re a sucker for all the latest tech. With investment management jobs, you don’t have to leave your own interests behind.

Another reason why investment management could be the right fit for you is that you can use your hobbies when it comes to deciding where to invest your customer’s money.

You need to get to grips with different industries – so if you’re a sport buff you could immerse yourself in the world of tennis. Or if you love fashion, you could travel to Paris to check out the newest clothing lines.

The idea is that investment portfolios (that means the group of companies and businesses that you’ve invested your clients’ money in) should be as diverse as possible, ie made up of lots of different businesses, projects and sectors. And the more diverse the staff’s interests are, the more diverse the portfolio will be.

What that means is that employers want to hire a diverse group of young people – people from a huge range of different backgrounds, education and skill sets. They want to hear about your different interests, life experience, and what you can bring to the table.

3. It’s not just for number-crunchers

Investment management isn’t just for people who are really strong at maths. Employers are looking for people with diverse skills, abilities and characteristics. Here are a handful of the qualities needed for working in investment management: 

• Curious: you’re interested in what’s happening in the world.
• Confident: you’re not afraid to ask questions, debate with your colleagues, challenge old ways of doing things and suggest new ones. You’re good at weighing up information and making decisions.
• Dedicated: you’re ambitious and work hard. You thrive off learning and discovering new information.
• Persuasive: you need to be able to make a clear argument and influence people’s opinions. That means verbally and in writing.
• Analytical: you think about everything in a critical way. You understand how to analyse information and extract the most important facts.

4. You’ll earn a good salary

Investment management jobs pay very well. An analyst (the person who researches options to invest customers’ money) can expect to earn an average of £45,000 in Europe.

Managing directors of investment management companies earn an average of £222,000.

5. You don’t have to go to university

Why work in investment management? Well, another great reason is that you don’t need a degree to get started in the industry. You can do an apprenticeship instead of going to university.

Investment 2020 offer apprenticeships for different roles in investment management. You can apply straight from school. You’ll work towards a professional qualification while working for an investment management firm, gaining valuable skills and experience.

Rowan Ball is doing Investment 2020’s apprenticeship scheme, working for M&G Investments.

She says: “As a young person without a degree or any relevant work experience in finance, I doubt I would have been able to get into the asset management industry if these apprenticeship schemes weren’t being run. Now that I am here, I am thoroughly enjoying the experience and looking forward to the next stages of my apprenticeship and career going forwards.”

You’ll be given lots of support and mentoring from Investment 2020, with access to all their resources and events.

"I've been given excellent training, ranging from how to be more confident and writing skills, to gaining professional qualifications" —Harrison Crossley Investment2020 Trainee

Convinced that investment management is right for you? Check out Investment 2020’s opportunities today.

Image credits

Main image by Lesly B Juarez and staff by Štefan Štefančík via Unsplash