A booming stream of career: the stock markets

Prafful Garg

In India when people talk about careers, they talk about IT, Management, Business, Medical etc. Pursuing a career in financial services is probably the last in people’s mind.

Even when they think about a career in financial services, they think about becoming accountants, investment bankers, portfolio managers, corporate finance managers etc.

People hardly think about becoming equity advisors, stock marketers or providing financing services in the stock market.

Even in our education system, studies of financial markets have been given step-brotherly treatment.

However, as job markets are entering a phase of saturation and the global economy is on a shaky path, things need to change now.

In India, traditionally the most prevalent means of conserving money has been saving. Most Indians still consider bank savings as their asset for future and difficult times. However, many Indians have now started realizing that if the rate of inflation is higher than the rate of interest given by the bank, the savings account is actually making them poorer by every passing year.

With this fact in mind, they are gradually switching from saving the money & keeping it stagnant to investing the money and making it grow.

In the past few decades, the stock market has emerged as the most viable means of investing money and getting quick & high returns.

As more and more Indians are moving towards stock investing, stock markets are emerging as a lucrative career option for the millennials.

India’s stock market has enormous potential; however, it still faces the shortage of trained professionals.

There is a constant need of analysts, risk assessors, relationship managers, traders etc in the market. 

While other careers in the country are suffering saturation, the stock market still is a rather unexplored territory in terms of career opportunities.

The stock market is full of career opportunities for people with both financial studies background and non-financial studies.

Although there are no specific educational requirements to pursue a career in the financial markets, people with formal education and knowledge of the financial markets hold a slight edge.

While those trained in financial studies can immediately start at specialized positions like stock analysts, financial advisors, portfolio managers etc, those with little to no knowledge can start as investors and gradually move on as they learn.

There are specialised courses full time as well as part time, which people from any age group or educational background can take up and prepare themselves for careers in stock marketing.

Depending on what course one takes, these courses prepare individuals from entry level up to the highest level in the market.

Although there is no age limit to enter the financial markets as a professional, the sooner one starts preparing oneself for this profession, the better it is.

It is noteworthy that to pursue a career in the stock markets, one does not necessarily have to quit their existing profession.

A career in stock markets can be followed with studies, business or even jobs. There are many successful examples of people who started in the stock market in part time and gradually became full time professionals.

The Indian stock markets are robust and on a growth path. They have faced the test of time and have successfully navigated through several global financial turbulences.

They have enormous potential for careers for the millennials, full time as well as part-time. The world wide web has removed the limitations of time and place, therefore whether you are in a big city or in a small rural area, the stock market welcomes you with open arms.

At a time when the entire global economy is growing through a phase of volatility, people must prepare themselves for alternative careers such as the stock market, as stock markets are here to stay.

The writer is Founder of Younity