Investment analyst : Entry requirements

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1. Job description
2. Salary and conditions
3. Entry requirements
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• Investment consultant: Jo

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SIO is the professional body that represents the investment industry in Scotland. Since our founding nearly ten years ago, we’ve helped an enormous number of graduates begin challenging careers in our industry by educating them about our sector and providing links to companies, jobs and training.

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Although this area of work is open to all graduates, a degree in one of the following subjects may increase your chances:

• mathematics;
• statistics;
• economics;
• accounting.

Knowledge of other degree subjects may also be relevant, depending on your area of research; for example, life sciences will be relevant to work in pharmaceuticals.

Most employers seek a 2:1 or a first. Most will also require a minimum of 300 UCAS points at A-level (or equivalent). 

Postgraduate qualifications are not essential, although a relevant Masters can help. Humanities students in particular may well find that a relevant Masters degree is helpful.

Pre-entry experience, such as work experience or vacation work in a financial institution or specific industry, is highly beneficial. Most financial companies use summer internships to pre-select graduate recruits. Competition for these is often more intense than for graduate vacancies, as there are fewer placements. London-based companies recruit across Europe and competition is high.

Candidates will need to show evidence of the following:

• the ability to research, analyse and evaluate; 
• the ability to work under pressure, e.g. to produce reports to deadlines;
• numeracy;
• strong written and oral communication, including the ability to present effectively;
• self-confidence, drive and tenacity;
• an interest in current affairs and an appreciation of their impact on the market;
• the ability to work effectively in a team;
• initiative;
• an entrepreneurial mind set;
• good attention to detail.

Computer literacy is essential, especially Excel, although some computer skills can be acquired during training. Language skills are also an advantage.

Participation in relevant student societies, e.g. those related to investment, economics and business, and evidence of an interest in the market, such as reading the financial press or running a shadow portfolio of securities, will demonstrate your interest in investment and impress employers.

Closing dates for entry to investment banks, stockbrokers and specialist fund management companies (also known as investment management and asset management) may be as early as the October of your final year and rarely later than the following January. Some companies, particularly the big investment banks, run structured graduate training programmes and recruit to them annually. Others may offer trainee positions as and when they are required.

For more information, see work experience and internships and search courses and research.