Investment

James is an investment analyst working for an insurer. His role is to review the investment strategy to ensure the business earns appropriate returns whilst managing investment risk and ensuring claims can be paid.

Although there’s no such thing as a typical day, James is often required to produce updates on what’s happening in financial markets. He also monitors how the investment portfolio is performing and ensures the portfolio remains within the strict guidelines set for financial services businesses.

So what skills do you need to succeed in this role?

James highlights four: “Curiosity about markets – you don’t need to know everything about investments, but you have to be interested to learn and understand what drives markets. You also need analytical skills, good communication and an ability to negotiate with stakeholders. As investment conditions change, you have to provide your viewpoint on the portfolio based on Company’s requirements and the investment outlook.”

After a couple of years in the role, James explains analysts may get the opportunity to present to senior stakeholders: “Work we do is reported at regular Board meetings. We discuss and generate ideas, write papers, and then present them. We’re always focused on market and liquidity risk – for example we stress-test the assets’ ability to meet claims in the event of a large natural disaster”.

Now with three investment qualifications under his belt – IMC, CFA, and Level 6 apprenticeship in investment management – the future is promising for James. 

“Insurance is an important market for people working in investment. When I was a student, insurance didn’t come up in the context of investment, but understanding how insurers invest is a huge career asset. As one of the largest types of investors, what should they do with the assets they have? That’s quite an interesting problem to solve.”