James Brooks

Name: James Brooks
Job: Graduate investment trainee
Area of work: Investment banking
Employer: Martin Currie Investment Management Ltd
Qualifications: MA economics, University of Edinburgh

My desire to work in investment management stems from a general interest in that sector of the financial world. I was a member of a student-run investment society during university, which acted as a basic introduction to the general methods of stock analysis and definitely cemented the idea that investment management was right for me. I chose Martin Currie because, as a specialist equity boutique, I knew there would be more opportunity for exposure and more responsibility from the beginning. I saw the graduate training scheme advertised at my university jobshop and applied online. It was a fast and efficient process; the HR contact gave me feedback at each stage so I wasn’t left hanging.

My job

My job mostly involves stock-specific analytical work – I track stock, check its progress in the market and help with the day-to-day running of global financial funds. I also make buy and sell recommendations for the wider market. To do my job you need to be on top of numbers – you don’t need to be a rocket scientist in terms of mathematics but it helps to be quick with calculations. Having good communication skills is also essential, especially when recommending ideas to fund managers.

The highlights

My favourite part of the job is seeing other analysts on Bloomberg come into line with where my estimated numbers are and consequently seeing share prices react. Time management can sometimes be challenging as it takes a while to filter the relevant information from piles of data, but there is always support available from my colleagues. Generally I work from 8.00 am to 6.00 pm in our Edinburgh headquarters. The team is relatively small and the atmosphere is friendly, so it is easy to get to know everyone and there are plenty of opportunities to socialise. In the future I want to pass my CFA (chartered financial analyst) exams and gradually take on more responsibility in the company.