Retraining

My main question to you would be what would be the most relevant courses to undertake to become something along the lines of an Investment Specialist/Fund Manager or Financial Planner/Analyst. I would not be against the idea of going back to university as I’m not worried about how long the qualifications will take but more important to me is that I am given the best chance to succeed.

Sunny

Hello Sunny. Many thanks for your question. One of our in house team has provided the following answer to your question:

There are many training colleges which offer relevant courses for those wishing to work as Financial Planners or investment specialists. You may choose to study for the Financial Planning Certificate which is the most recognised qualification available to Financial Advisers. You can find further information at http://www.cii.co.uk/financialservices/qualifications/certFP.aspx.

If you wish to pursue a career in Fund Management or as a Financial Analyst, you will need to consider training as an accountant, as many Fund Managers and Financial Analysts are qualified accountants. The major accounting institutes - CIMA, ACCA or ICAEW for example - offer lots of advice for those wishing to enter the profession.

Alternatively, working as an Accounts Assistant (for which qualifications are not always necessary) would give you an opportunity to see if you are suited to working in finance.