Investors handle a wide range of investment needs for individuals, investment firms, financial institutions and corporations. Investor jobs available include work as sales agents, financial analysts and investment bankers. Various job titles include stock broker, investment adviser and financial services agent.
With the wide range of investor jobs available comes a wide range of educational requirements. Most investor jobs require post-secondary education in the form of a bachelor’s degree in business or finance. Other related fields of education that can lead to a job working with investments include economics and accounting.
Sales agents, such as stock brokers, seek to attract clients to their firm and offer clients a way to purchase stocks, bonds and commodities. Stock brokers typically work with clients to provide advice on the best options available based on the clients' financial ability to invest. Sales agents spend a large portion of their time prospecting for new clients through a practice known as cold calling.
Those looking for help with investment decisions related to achieving short- and long-term goals turn to financial analysts. Financial analysts serve as investment consultants and work to educate clients on the options available in the stocks, bonds and commodities markets. Clients can include both individuals and corporations.
Among the different types of investor jobs are positions related to investment banking. Corporations utilize investment bankers for a wide range of services. Some of the services provided include helping a company issue an initial public stock offering (IPO). Other services offered include underwriting expansion plans and assisting with mergers.
Other types of investor jobs include those people working on the floor of a stock exchange. This includes floor brokers and market makers. Floor brokers help negotiate the price of securities and commodities. They are responsible for providing sales prices to sales professionals. Market makers help attract action to their particular commodity or security by setting prices and making sales or purchases of the stock on the floor.
Jobs with investment firms include portfolio managers. Those managers also typically have post-secondary education. In addition, portfolio managers must pass specific tests and demonstrate the ability to make complex investment decisions for individuals, banks and credit unions.
Investor jobs also include entry-level associate positions. These positions usually allow those wanting to enter sales positions to advance through the ranks. While working as associates, new employees can pass any necessary testing, such as the Series 6 exam, and get a valuable look at the inner workings of the investment firm.