How Do I Become an Investment Representative?

Investment representatives are professionals who are responsible for helping people and organizations make the smartest investment decisions. These people act as advisers who analyze client portfolios, market trends and market history, then help their clients make decisions that generate the greatest returns and that lead to the greatest degree of stability. To become an investment representative, you should earn an undergraduate degree in a field such as finance or economics. Some employers might require job candidates to have only vocational business degrees of even high school diplomas. In most cases, however, college degrees are essential for landing the best positions, and graduate degrees might even be essential in extremely competitive job markets.

To become an investment representative, it is important that you learn about how financial instruments, such as stocks and derivatives, work. Even if you take courses in this subject, it can be beneficial to read books about investing, so you can learn about different perspectives and gain a better grasp of investment history. A person who wants to become an investment representative also should have a general knowledge of economics.

An individual who wants to become an investment representative should be comfortable using sometimes complex computer programs. Investment representatives often use financial intelligence software to perform technical analysis in which they study the histories of various stocks. They also use software to perform fundamental analysis, which requires them to make decisions based on stocks' actual performances. A person who would like to become an investment representative might take courses in which he or she learns about software that commonly is used in this field.

Many professionals in this field take courses in which they study probability. Probability is an essential tool in risk management. To prepare for worst-case scenarios and determine the odds that unfortunate incidents might occur, it is important to use probably to determine which threats to stocks are most imminent. It is common to find probability courses in mathematics departments.

If you would like to become an investment representative, you should decide on the type of clients for whom you would like to work. You can plan on finding a job in an investment firm. In most cases, firms have certain areas of specialization. For this reason, if you are interested in working with individual clients and helping them improve their investment portfolios, you should find a firm that specializes in personal finance. People who are interested in the investments of larger organizations, however, can find larger firms where they might work in teams to improve corporate finance.