What are the job roles and responsibilities of an Trader?

Traders generally fall into one of the following categories:

1. flow traders – buy and sell financial products on behalf of their bank’s clients

2. proprietary traders – trade on behalf of the bank itself

3. sales traders – take instructions from the client and act as intermediaries between the client and the people who execute the trades (flow and proprietary traders).

Responsibilities include:

• collating relevant information and data

• liaising closely with sales staff and inter-dealer brokers

• determining market sentiment via research, valuation and data analysis

• monitoring UK and international market performance

• making prices in specific products

• providing key parties with daily trading information

• informing the sales staff about market movements/prices

• executing trades

• gaining information from sales staff about client issues.

Trading offers high levels of responsibility, good promotional opportunities and impressive financial rewards including generous salaries and large bonuses.

Typical employers of traders

• Financial houses

• Investment banks

• Exchanges such as ICE Futures Europe

• Treasury departments of major companies

Qualifications and training required

You’ll need to be a graduate to enter this career. A good degree in any subject is required, though qualifications in economics, politics, business, financial or numerate subjects can be useful. Relevant experience gained via job shadowing, placements or vacation work (internships) is beneficial.

Key skills for traders

• Confidence

• Numerical skills

• IT skills

• Communication skills

• An interest in financial markets

• Analytical skills

• Interpersonal skills

• Team Working skills.