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Investment fund manager

Investment fund managers provide financial advice and services to private and corporate clients about a range of investment matters including buying and selling unit/investment trusts and shares/bonds.

For candidates wishing to make speculative applications, the Association of Private Client Investment Managers and Stockbrokers lists member companies on their website.

Investment fund manager job description: Typical employers | Qualifications and Training | Key skills | Useful links | Find jobs and courses

Investment fund managers work very closely with investment analysts - fund managers take decisions about investments, while analysts provide them with financial information and recommendations that enable such decisions to be made.

Typical tasks include:

regularly meeting with investment analysts and company managers to discuss financial matters
researching companies
gathering information
reading financial briefings (often written by investment analysts)
making informed financial recommendations and decisions
keeping knowledge up-to-date about the UK economy, current financial news, financial markets and more
assessing and interpreting complicated financial information
liaising with clients.

Investment work provides high levels of responsibility, good promotional opportunities and impressive financial rewards for the most successful employees.

Typical employers of investment fund managers

investment banks
investment and asset management companies
stockbrokers
life assurance companies
charities
banks
large companies.

Vacancies are advertised by careers services, specialist recruitment agencies, via the Internet, in newspapers including The Financial Times and The London Evening Standard, and in publications such as Business Week, The London Financial News, Investors Chronicle, The Economist, and The Banker.

Sector and company research, networking and speculative applications are essential. Early applications for vacancies are advisable.

Qualifications and training required

A 2.1 in any subject is usually required for entry into the profession. Qualifications in business studies, management, statistics, finance, mathematics, accounting or economics can be helpful, as can an MBA or similar professional qualification. Relevant paid or voluntary experience gained via job shadowing, vacation work and placements (often known as internships) can be particularly beneficial.