I really liked my careers project because I learned so much about careers that I'm interested in. I ended up doing my project on investment fund managers and learned so much about the topic. Here is my project.
Investment Fund Manager
Career outline and description
Investment fund managers make the investment decisions to try to increase the value of a fund: where a group of people (shareholders) pool their savings to invest in financial assets, typically securities or shares. Investment funds can be very low risk or high risk, commonly they are stocks and bonds. The average salary of an investment fund manager is 25,000-90,000 a year but, if you get into a more specific field such as bond or stock trading your salary can be extremely high. If you are good at your profession it can easily range in the hundred thousands. Investment fund managers have a large influence on the financial market because they are usually dealing with such large sums of money and they're the ones that decide what to do with it.
College courses
To become an investment fund manager there is a long process and a few ways into the process. Often before you become an investment fund manager you start your career as an analyst. To get there you need to pass the interviews for the specific company, in many cases there can be as many as five rounds of interviews. You need a degree to enter into this career choice. The usual degree is a business degree but there are also different ones you can study and enter this path. Engineering isn't a business degree but is a common way to also enter in the stockbroking world. Open to graduates of all disciplines. Entry route is usually through a graduate training scheme. Although not essential, most people entering the industry will have a business or finance undergraduate or postgraduate degree. After years of training as an analyst or a trainee fund manager you would usually then apply to move up the ranks. Courses range from BESS, Commerce, Commerce international, Economics and finance, Business and Law, Accounting, Marketing, etc. Almost all courses related to Business is enough to get you through to the first round of interviews. The points for these business courses are usually quite high, ranging from mid 400’s to 589 for the highest at economics and finance.
Content (commerce international)
Commerce international combines a flexible business education from Ireland’s leading business school with the language skills and a cultural understanding to succeed in the exciting world of international business. Students of the course should be well- grounded in the theory and practice of business management and equipped to understand and comment critically on business issues. This, coupled with the study of a chosen language and culture, gives graduates a unique competitive advantage in understanding the global business world. In this course you spend your third year abroad in one of our partner institutions. Your year abroad depends on the specific language you pick at the beginning of your courses which can range from Spanish, French, German, Chinese and Italian. Quoting from the UCD website which I have referred to, “Studying abroad is a wonderful opportunity for you to develop linguistic skills and enhance your understanding of the international business environment. It improves employment opportunities and is a great way to meet new friends and experience different cultures and languages. The academic year abroad is an integral part of the BCIT Degree, studying business and language. You will also follow UCD online modules specifically designed to enhance and understand your experiences while abroad. You will return to UCD for your final year, after what we hope is a great personal experience. We find that students are more independent and self-confident, having developed a great set of inter-cultural communication skills.” The modules that you see in this course on the BCIT programme, all students study a core set of business modules. The business modules cover quantitative skills such as Economics and Finance, Accounting, Maths and Data Analysis. Students also develop their understanding of the softer skills required in the business world by studying how organisations work, how business works in society and the effects of culture on business practices. These modules are delivered by lecturers who are active in the research and practice of specific business subject areas. The language modules cover linguistics, literature and culture equipping students with the critical analysis skills vital to any career. In year 4 students can select specialist options from business subject areas such as Accounting, Banking & Finance, IR & HR, Management, Management Information Systems or Marketing. This course currently requires 509 points for University College Dublin, (UCD) and is a 3-4 degree.
Leaving Certificate Options
Requirements for the business courses which I have stated in the text above are all high because they are wanted by many different people around Ireland and the world. These business degrees require that in your leaving cert cycle you take at least one of the three business classes, business studies, economics or accounting. The expected leaving certificate results range from 350-600 points for almost all business courses in the main colleges in Ireland.
Interest test
Realist: practical, active
26
Naturalist: environmental, organic
13
Enterprising: persuasive, influencing
30
Social: helping, advisory
46
Investigative: analysing, scientific
35
Administrative: conventional, clerical
39
Creative: artistic, imaginative
58
Linguistic: communicative
51
I believe that my interest test was a good reflection of my skills and interests in life, I am very interested in writing, interactions and creativity.
Personality test
Family influences
My family influences come from every single member of my family, mainly focusing on my parents when it comes to career choice but my brothers for about anything else. My parents also love this oath into business and have always said that I have had a business mind. I love the influence and have no bad feedback on it, it only impacts me in a positive way.
Employment trends
The employment trend for an investment fund manager is stable which is great. Since the beginning of trading the jobs have been paid well and available if you have what it takes. The salaries range from 25k-90k a year for average workers but can be much higher with the more experienced employees. The working environment is great and often offices have a lot to offer. On one of my work experiences I visited a stockbroking firm with a free coffee house, a gym and a kitchen on every floor.
Summary and Conclusion
In conclusion I think this career choice is a great fit for me because I am very interested in the field. Not only am I interested but I excel in the areas required for the job. I am very good at maths, business and social interactions. My personality is easily likeable and trustworthy which employers I think would like. I am a hard worker want to pursue this field in the future and am willing and eager to take the correct steps to do so. I am in the right path and I will see it through.
Career outline and description
Investment fund managers make the investment decisions to try to increase the value of a fund: where a group of people (shareholders) pool their savings to invest in financial assets, typically securities or shares. Investment funds can be very low risk or high risk, commonly they are stocks and bonds. The average salary of an investment fund manager is 25,000-90,000 a year but, if you get into a more specific field such as bond or stock trading your salary can be extremely high. If you are good at your profession it can easily range in the hundred thousands. Investment fund managers have a large influence on the financial market because they are usually dealing with such large sums of money and they're the ones that decide what to do with it.
College courses
To become an investment fund manager there is a long process and a few ways into the process. Often before you become an investment fund manager you start your career as an analyst. To get there you need to pass the interviews for the specific company, in many cases there can be as many as five rounds of interviews. You need a degree to enter into this career choice. The usual degree is a business degree but there are also different ones you can study and enter this path. Engineering isn't a business degree but is a common way to also enter in the stockbroking world. Open to graduates of all disciplines. Entry route is usually through a graduate training scheme. Although not essential, most people entering the industry will have a business or finance undergraduate or postgraduate degree. After years of training as an analyst or a trainee fund manager you would usually then apply to move up the ranks. Courses range from BESS, Commerce, Commerce international, Economics and finance, Business and Law, Accounting, Marketing, etc. Almost all courses related to Business is enough to get you through to the first round of interviews. The points for these business courses are usually quite high, ranging from mid 400’s to 589 for the highest at economics and finance.
Content (commerce international)
Commerce international combines a flexible business education from Ireland’s leading business school with the language skills and a cultural understanding to succeed in the exciting world of international business. Students of the course should be well- grounded in the theory and practice of business management and equipped to understand and comment critically on business issues. This, coupled with the study of a chosen language and culture, gives graduates a unique competitive advantage in understanding the global business world. In this course you spend your third year abroad in one of our partner institutions. Your year abroad depends on the specific language you pick at the beginning of your courses which can range from Spanish, French, German, Chinese and Italian. Quoting from the UCD website which I have referred to, “Studying abroad is a wonderful opportunity for you to develop linguistic skills and enhance your understanding of the international business environment. It improves employment opportunities and is a great way to meet new friends and experience different cultures and languages. The academic year abroad is an integral part of the BCIT Degree, studying business and language. You will also follow UCD online modules specifically designed to enhance and understand your experiences while abroad. You will return to UCD for your final year, after what we hope is a great personal experience. We find that students are more independent and self-confident, having developed a great set of inter-cultural communication skills.” The modules that you see in this course on the BCIT programme, all students study a core set of business modules. The business modules cover quantitative skills such as Economics and Finance, Accounting, Maths and Data Analysis. Students also develop their understanding of the softer skills required in the business world by studying how organisations work, how business works in society and the effects of culture on business practices. These modules are delivered by lecturers who are active in the research and practice of specific business subject areas. The language modules cover linguistics, literature and culture equipping students with the critical analysis skills vital to any career. In year 4 students can select specialist options from business subject areas such as Accounting, Banking & Finance, IR & HR, Management, Management Information Systems or Marketing. This course currently requires 509 points for University College Dublin, (UCD) and is a 3-4 degree.
Leaving Certificate Options
Requirements for the business courses which I have stated in the text above are all high because they are wanted by many different people around Ireland and the world. These business degrees require that in your leaving cert cycle you take at least one of the three business classes, business studies, economics or accounting. The expected leaving certificate results range from 350-600 points for almost all business courses in the main colleges in Ireland.
Interest test
Realist: practical, active
26
Naturalist: environmental, organic
13
Enterprising: persuasive, influencing
30
Social: helping, advisory
46
Investigative: analysing, scientific
35
Administrative: conventional, clerical
39
Creative: artistic, imaginative
58
Linguistic: communicative
51
I believe that my interest test was a good reflection of my skills and interests in life, I am very interested in writing, interactions and creativity.
Personality test
Family influences
My family influences come from every single member of my family, mainly focusing on my parents when it comes to career choice but my brothers for about anything else. My parents also love this oath into business and have always said that I have had a business mind. I love the influence and have no bad feedback on it, it only impacts me in a positive way.
Employment trends
The employment trend for an investment fund manager is stable which is great. Since the beginning of trading the jobs have been paid well and available if you have what it takes. The salaries range from 25k-90k a year for average workers but can be much higher with the more experienced employees. The working environment is great and often offices have a lot to offer. On one of my work experiences I visited a stockbroking firm with a free coffee house, a gym and a kitchen on every floor.
Summary and Conclusion
In conclusion I think this career choice is a great fit for me because I am very interested in the field. Not only am I interested but I excel in the areas required for the job. I am very good at maths, business and social interactions. My personality is easily likeable and trustworthy which employers I think would like. I am a hard worker want to pursue this field in the future and am willing and eager to take the correct steps to do so. I am in the right path and I will see it through.