Stockbroker
Look after investments for people or companies.
Also known as: wealth manager, investment manager
About the job
What it's like
You would look after investments for people or companies. It would be your job to get the best financial returns by buying and selling stocks, shares and other financial products.
You could offer three types of service:
Discretionary – making investment decisions for your clients
Advisory – giving clients advice about investments
Execution only – buying and selling only if clients ask you to, without giving advice
You may specialise in one type of service or offer all three.
For all types of service, you would:
Manage clients' investment portfolios
Help clients develop their investment strategy
Work closely with investment analysts to research financial markets
Answer clients' questions
Keep clients informed about their investments and changes in the market
Instruct stock market traders to get the best market prices
Market your services to new clients
In larger companies, you might specialise in investing in certain markets such as technology or finance, or in specific regions such as the Far East.
Hours
You would work long hours, typically 7am until around 6pm, Monday to Friday. If you work with commodities or Asian markets, your hours may be irregular due to international time differences.
Environment
You would usually work in a large, open plan office, and spend most of your time at the computer and on the telephone.
Explore more information about this job
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Related industries
Many jobs can be done in lots of different industries. We've highlighted the ones we think are most important for this job.
Financial and professional services
Top skills
Skills are things you're good at. Whether you know what yours are or not, everyone has them!
It's useful to learn which ones are important in a job so you know the areas you need to brush up on. It can also help you work out if you're suited to a career.
Top specialised skills
These are the top specialised skills that have been found in job vacancies across Scotland. From March 2024 to March 2025.
- investments
- wealth management
- investment management
- financial planning
- asset management
- generally accepted accounting principles
- international financial reporting standards
- portfolio analysis
- derivatives
- auditing standards
Meta skills
Here are some of the meta skills you'll need to do this job.
- analysing
- making decisions
- taking initiative
- attention to detail
- working with numbers
- verbal communication
- networking
- cooperating
Your skills are important
Our unique skillsets are what make us stand out from the crowd. Learn about each skill in depth and discover what employers look for in your applications and interviews.
Getting in
Explore each section to find more information about getting into this career.
Colleges and universities will list subjects you'll need for entry to a course. Some useful subjects include:
Accounting
Business
Economics
Maths (Mathematics)
Skills for Work: Financial Services
Statistics
Foundation Apprenticeship: Financial Services
Applications of Mathematics
You can get a head start in this career by doing a Foundation Apprenticeship in S5 and S6.
You'll get an SCQF level 6 qualification which is the same level as a Higher. You'll also learn new skills and gain valuable experience in a work environment.
Discover what's on offer at your school on Apprenticeships.scot.
Most entrants are graduates.
Employers expect an honours degree at 2:1 or above (SCQF level 10). Some employers now look for postgraduate qualifications (SCQF level 11) such as a Master of Business Administration (MBA).
Degrees in accountancy, economics, law or another business-related subject are useful.
Ability in one or more foreign languages.
Once in the job you must achieve industry-recognised qualifications and register with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
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