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A Career as a Stockbroker

The job role

Stockbrokers work on behalf of individual clients or companies and are responsible for ensuring optimum profitability through the buying and selling of stocks and shares.  They manage an investment portfolio, primarily in accordance with their client’s instructions, but are often authorised to make decisions in response to changes and trends in the markets.  Their primary objective is to improve the overall performance of the portfolio.

Relevant qualifications

Most Stockbrokers are graduate entrants with a relevant degree such as Economics or Business although it is also possible to achieve a trainee role through internal promotion.  Either way, this is a competitive industry with a rigorous application process consisting of interviews and psychometric testing.  Professional qualifications can be achieved through the Financial Services Authority (FSA), the Securities and Investment Institute (SII) and the UK Society of Investment Professionals (UKSIP) and are essential for further progression.

Skills requirements

This is a notoriously stressful and demanding industry sector often involving early starts and late finishes.  Stockbrokers should be able to work effectively on their own and as part of a team to ensure that they respond appropriately to fluctuations in the market which may affect their client’s portfolio.  Good mathematical skills are essential when handling figures and statistics and when using these to make important decisions.

Career development

The majority of positions are available in London’s stockbroking firms, investment banks, private banks and members of the London Stock Exchange including ABN Amro, BNP Paribas and all the major banks such as Natwest and Barclays.

The highest salaries and the best positions are offered to those who perform the most successfully in this extremely competitive and challenging industry sector while there are also fast-track options available which are hotly contested.  Positions can also become available in other international organisations for those with the required language skills.