Question: What's a career other than stockbroker where you pick stocks?
I like to work with stock information, but...
...I don't want to become a stockbroker because it's just a glorified sales position and I don't want to seek out sales or deal with an unstable income.
...I don't want to get an MBA.
Are there any investments careers for me?
Answer:
Trader?
We pick stocks, then invest in them for our own fund, rather than try and sell to other people and get a commission. It's more fun that way!
In terms of 'stability of income', it depends whether or not you would view a bonus as part of your income, or as a bonus. Generally, a trader is paid a salary high enough to live a reasonably good lifestyle, even if they weren't paid a bonus (of course it isn't worth the agony doing it just for that!), the bonus is to catalyse this.
Were you to go into trading:
- Live as if you only earn a salary. (Don't rely on a bonus to pay for your mortgage, we don't want to bring back the 80's days of the pit trader who sleeps in his car!)
- Spend your bonus enjoying yourself. (Buy a car (within reason), or pay down your mortgage, or go on vacation, that sort of stuff).
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The route in:
Go to a good university. As somebody from the UK; that's Cambridge, Oxford, Imperial, LSE, UCL, Warwick for the top banks. (You're still talking top 30 for most of the smaller banks). In America; you'd be looking at probably the top 2 universities from each state.
Study something mathematical; it could be pure mathematics, physics, engineering (especially electrical engineering), or something more relevant like economics or statistics.
A lot of people do have MBA's or a masters of some sort, but it is possible to get in without.
You'd join as an analyst or clerk (or if you're a lucky one, trainee trader (with various names)). If in some strange universe you'd be able to choose, I wouldn't pick clerk. You then work up to the trading desks; but it can be quite a good education in itself (a very steep gradient of learning...).
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If you're not interested; go to 'Careers' on the Goldman Sachs website, and they have an interesting multiple choice questionnaire which might direct you to a career in IB which would suit you.
Depends how much stock information and to what end you wish to do.
If you want to work with markets and stock information, an analyst for an investment firm could work out well for you. Also, you could look into the regulatory side of things, and work for the SEC, Secret Service or possibly the FBI.
Financial analyst (help people with investment decisions and other financial advice). Investment Banker, or even accountant if you want to look at the technical sides of stocks.
Hope this helps
Financial analyst, generally you will need a bachelors degree though.