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Stockbroker

Do you want to become a Stockbroker? Here is some information to help point you in the right direction:

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Stockbrokers buy and sell shares and other financial products for their clients, and aim to help them maximise returns on their investments. They provide three types of service.

• Discretionary stockbrokers have complete authority from their clients to buy and sell investments, without consulting clients before every transaction.
• Advisory stockbrokers present clients with options and advice, which the client may or may not choose to act upon.
• ‘Execution only' stockbrokers act solely upon requests from clients to buy or sell investments. They do not give advice.

Stockbrokers work closely with investment analysts and traders, studying and researching company results and market trends. They also manage and review clients' portfolios at regular intervals, present clients with new investment ideas and strategies, and market their services to potential clients.

They work Monday to Friday, starting early and staying until the trading desk has closed (often beyond 6pm). Those dealing in commodities or Far East markets may work longer hours. Stockbrokers often work in an open-plan office, and the work can be noisy and pressurised.

Salaries range from £25,000 to over £180,000 a year, and bonuses can be large.

Stockbrokers should be:

• good at communicating information quickly and clearly
• good with numbers
• decisive and confident
• interested in how the financial markets and global economy work.

There are around 13,000 stockbrokers working in the UK. Employers include financial investment houses and global banks, as well as specialist stockbroking firms. There is always fierce competition for posts, with more applicants than vacancies.

Most stockbrokers have a 2.1 degree and good A levels/H grades, and increasingly entrants have postgraduate qualifications. Most stockbrokers are under 40 and enter as graduates.

Stockbrokers giving advice to clients or trading in the financial markets must pass an appropriate examination and be registered with the Financial Services Authority (FSA). Most trainee stockbrokers receive on-the-job training.

Promotion is based upon performance. With experience they may be able to take on larger client portfolios or move into an associate position, responsible for a larger team. Later in their careers, successful stockbrokers may move into account/fund management or take on a more consultative role.

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