Skills and Qualifications for Success in London’s Financial Job Market

Working in finance in London is a dream for many. For some, they are able to make it a reality. The prospect might seem remote for young people hoping to go into this prestigious field one day, but it doesn’t have to be. 

There are, of course, distinct skills that you need to have in order to potentially land a position in this field. Let’s take a look at some of the major ones.

Commercial savvy

Perhaps the most important aspect of making it in the finance world is general commercial savvy. What does that mean? Well, of course it helps to have a degree in finance – as we will discuss below – but more broadly you should have a knack for being aware of the larger commercial environment.

This means several things: knowing who your company’s competitors are, who is rising and falling in the market, and also what the overall trends are in your industry. You should have not only particular knowledge of these things but a general feel for the way things are moving and how you can help your company get ahead. It is people who are really hungry to learn about the competition in their industry that end up making it the biggest.

Math skills

As mentioned above, of course it is important that you be good with numbers if you want to work in this field. Numeracy in general is what it’s all about. This includes the ability to work with graphs and numbers in general, the ability to predict future growth in your business, and the implications that particular growth levels have for potential business decisions.

Regardless of whether you are sitting in a cubicle all day, or even looking for part time finance jobs remote, the ability to work with numbers is essential.

The ability to work individually and in a team

Of course, a lot of working in finance involves the ability to sit in your cubicle and crunch numbers on our own. But it also involves teamwork. This means several things:

• Negotiation skills. Being able to negotiate means having a sharp eye for human behavior and what exactly it takes to get others to agree on a deal.
• Influence. This is a similar skill – once you reach a higher-level position, you should be able to influence others in a positive way and impart your skills and enthusiasm.
• Understanding of different roles. Regardless of where you fit in on a particular team, you should know your place. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you should never speak up in a meeting if you are in a junior position, but that you should develop a keen understanding of how people’s jobs complement one another and what is necessary to put forward a strong team effort.

Excellent communication skills

This might seem like more of a qualification for a PR job, but not necessarily. Working in finance requires communication skills on different levels. This includes the following:

1. The ability to listen carefully, not only to a colleague’s or client’s speech itself, but also to the underlying message. This goes along with negotiation skills. If a client is trying to apply subtle pressure or influence you in a particular way, you should be attuned to how to spot this.
2. The ability to get a larger message across to a whole team. This means more than individual speeches, but it can involve your whole general means of communication.
3. The manner and frequency in which you send out messages. Too little can make people forget about you; too much can overwhelm your colleagues. You need to find the right amount.

You could be looking at an amazing career

If you think that you are a good fit for a job like this, it could be a dream come true for you. Working in finance isn’t easy by any means. You need to be tough, smart, and extremely driven in order to succeed. You should be prepared to deal with major obstacles and have the determination to make it through them.

If you can do all these things, start looking into degree programs for finance. It could end up being the best decision you ever made.