How Do I Become a Portfolio Officer?

A portfolio officer is a senior company employee who is responsible for managing a range of products, services or assets. Someone wishing to become a portfolio officer must complete an undergraduate college degree and gain some industry relevant experience. Additionally, laws in many nations require many people who manage certain types of assets to pass licensing or certification examinations.

While the precise job responsibilities of officers vary between industries, people employed in these roles have to buy and sells assets, produce financial reports and some of these individuals also oversee a team of associates. Consequently, many employers prefer to fill these roles with people who hold bachelor's degrees in business administration, finance or related topics. Additionally, anyone wishing to become a portfolio officer at a major firm may have to complete an advanced degree in one of these subjects. Some companies actively recruit postgraduate students on college campuses.

Prior to graduating from college, anyone planning to become a portfolio officer can gain some work experience by taking part in a college internship. Financial firms including banks, insurance companies and brokerage houses offer internships to college students and these sessions normally coincide with breaks between college semesters. Students work alongside seasoned portfolio officers and gain an insight into their daily activities while assisting with various administrative tasks. In many instances, firms offer permanent jobs to interns although these employment opportunities are normally contingent upon the students actually completing their degree programs.

A portfolio officer employed by a bank may be responsible for managing a number of consumer or commercial loans. These individuals must ensure that borrowers make timely payments and in some instances, the officer may be able to buy and sell these debts to other companies. Likewise, people overseeing portfolios of securities or insurance contracts also liaise regularly with clients and trade these assets with other financial firms. Someone wishing to become a portfolio officer at a financial firm may have to attend a series of training classes that culminate in a licensing examination. Typically, people cannot trade loans, stocks, bonds, insurance policies or other types of financial assets without holding the appropriate licenses or professional designations.

Retail companies, marketing firms and manufacturing businesses also employ portfolio officers to manage pools of assets such as product lines, inventory or even accounts receivable contracts. Anyone wishing to assume one of these roles must first gain some experience working within the particular industry in an administrative role. Many firms also require applicants for these roles to have previous supervisory experience, whether it was gained within the particular industry or while working in a different arena.