Is becoming an investment fund manager right for me?
The first step to choosing a career is to make sure you are actually willing to commit to pursuing the career. You don’t want to waste your time doing something you don’t want to do. If you’re new here, you should read about:
Still unsure if becoming an investment fund manager is the right career path? Take the free CareerExplorer career test to find out if this career is right for you. Perhaps you are well-suited to become an investment fund manager or another similar career!
Described by our users as being “shockingly accurate”, you might discover careers you haven’t thought of before.
How to become an Investment Fund Manager
Becoming an investment fund manager takes a lot of education, training, and patience, and requires a lot of hard work to become certified and build a portfolio. One must have a high level of educational and professional credentials and appropriate investment managerial experience to qualify for this position.
Most brokerage firms or investment houses will look for applicants to possess a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in economics, finance, business, or mathematics. In many cases, an advanced degree such as an MBA or other master’s degree is highly recommended.
There is also a requirement to be licensed. In the United States, the most common licensing forms are the Series 7 and Series 63 or 66 certifications. The Series 7 exam is required to become a registered representative of any broker-dealer firm, or investment firm, within the United States. It is a six-hour test, which a firm will typically sponsor, and will cover all types of investments and regulations – stocks, bonds, mutual funds, individual retirement accounts, annuities, stock options, ethics, documentation, and effecting transactions.
Upon passing the Series 7 exam, the applicant will also need to take either the Series 63 or Series 66 Exam, depending on state of residence. The Series 63 exam is much shorter, and covers knowledge and familiarity with state regulations. Once this exam is passed, the successful applicant will be able to begin building their client base and investing on behalf of those clients.