Portfolio Management

Does any know much about/work in portfolio managment? I have a finance masters and am working in a different arena of finance and think that this looks like an interesting area to branch into. There seems to be a couple of jobs in this area, however I'm unsure what exactly a PM does on a day to day basis, although i like the increased client interaction part.

Ana said:

Does any know much about/work in portfolio managment? I have a finance masters and am working in a different arena of finance and think that this looks like an interesting area to branch into. There seems to be a couple of jobs in this area, however I'm unsure what exactly a PM does on a day to day basis, although i like the increased client interaction part.

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To be honest, portfolio management covers a wide range of sins!! Its a popular title these days. I would go by the specific job description rather than the job title.

Broadly a PM manages client funds in the capital markets according to whatever criteria/investment restrictions that are set by the clients/trustees.

Many PMs start off as analysts or traders. There is quite a lot of this activity going on in Dublin but it is a much covetted job, not least of all because of the financial rewards that a successful PM can enjoy. Come to think of it, the unsuccessful ones tend to do pretty well too.

client interaction can be enjoyable part of any job but being a PM is all about performance. You are measured on a daily/weekly/monthly/quarterly and annual basis against your given investment benchmark and against your peers. It can be a very stressful job as years of good performance can be undone by a few poor decisions. Just try meeting clients after you have lost a lot of their money.

As the previous poster mentioned, you would need to provide more information here for this site to be of use to you.

The CFA is a very relevant qualification for this role so maybe look into that

Thanks for all the responses. I hadn't heard too much about the CFA but understand its a 2-3 year programme? I'd heard about the QFA through the bankers institute. They are also doing a stockbroking certificate would this be useful?


One such PM job had the following job spec:

Key Responsibilities:

• Under the supervision of Senior Portfolio Manager and Portfolio Managers, reviewing existing client relationships, in line with Investment Strategy, to evaluate revenue potential and analyse whether the relationships are categorised correctly and therefore managed appropriately;
• Consistently auditing documentation of new/existing accounts and following up on any areas which require updating in line with Compliance and Regulatory requirements;
• Ensuring the administration of new account openings are in line with Compliance and Regulatory requirements;
• Identifying top priority prospects, proactively pursue leads and close sales, as guided by Senior Portfolio Manager/Portfolio Manager/Director;
• Assisting in the creation of relationship plans for each client relating to commission growth, fee growth, portfolio performance and funds under management;
• Managing all MIS relating to client relationships;
• Working with closely with Senior Portfolio Managers/Portfolio Managers/Directors, with responsibility for reviewing quarterly Valuations and highlighting and rectifying discrepancies;
• Reviewing client relationships to assess cross-selling opportunities for tax, pensions, life products, etc;
• Pursuing leads and co-ordinating sales effort with Davy's colleagues;
• Manage personal development to ensure achievement of highest industry standards; recognized externally and internally;
• In discussion with Portfolio Manager / Senior Portfolio Manager / Director, develop a personal development plan relevant to role and responsibilities;
• Participation in ad hoc projects as required for example; involvement in UAT of new system releases, co-ordinating administrative duties, attendance at roadshows, undertaking of administrative /reporting duties, team administrative responsibilities, management of private client accounts etc.

Would there still be a good bit of admin stuff in this job or is that true in any job in finance?

This does not sound like a PM's job description as I understand it. The job decscirption that you posted sounds more like client services. All jobs have an admin element but a true PM manages client monies in the stock / bond / currency / and commodity markets. This job sounds like the liasion between the PM and the client. It also sounds as if it is a quasi-IFA role given that you are expected to cross sell pension & life products.

The CFA is a long and difficult course. To boot, it is highly oriented towards the American market (particularly the regulatory side). The stockbroking diploma might be a quicker way to familiarise yourself with this part of the industry before undertaking the CFA.

Thanks for the input.

My main problem is I'm in a particular area that I want to get out of so I'm sort of swayed by anything that seems more interesting which isn't the best position to be in.


I'd definitely need to do a lot more research into this.

I understand your situation. When unhappy in your own job every other job seems more interesting by comparison. Take your time and talk to as many people as possible across as many job types as possible. Good luck.