Career in the Capital Market – Possibility or Challenge

Starting and building a career in the capital market has never been free from criticism. A common belief among many walks of people stereotypes careers in the capital market. So many are not even aware of the scopes and avenues that the capital market can offer in terms of one’s career. However, over time there have been significant improvements in terms of scopes of career opportunity in the capital market. Increase in the effort of research & development, service, operations, communication, training, analysis and more has opened windows of opportunities for anyone planning to build a career in the capital market. There are many components that contribute to making a career in the capital market very promising. Before we jump on to the discussion, let us clarify that we are not referring to building a career as a trader or broker, rather we will focus on the wholesome scope and opportunity the entire capital market brings. Let’s know more about a career in the capital market whether it is a possibility or challenge.

1.                Growing Vacancies:

The capital market is booming with opportunities. There are more organizations joining to share the pie than there were a couple of years back. As a result, the scope of work and vacancies are growing with time. There are firms and organizations such as broker houses, financial organizations, training organizations, technical support and many more that are making the capital market better than before every day.  With the upcoming services and scope of work, there is a growing number of vacancies. The amount of vacancies that are being created gives opportunities to fresh graduates as well as working professionals to start and grow their career in the capital market.

In our country, career choice is very much confined within a few specific options. However, the number of unemployed individuals are always on the rise. This vouches for the fact to embrace employment opportunities that are not traditional. The world is moving at its pace and we are in dire need to cope with the changes and upgrades. Career opportunities in the capital market are thought of as an ideal option in many countries. We do not need to go far, our neighboring country India has a surge of interested individuals who will love to start and build their career in the different areas of the capital market.

So, to begin with, the very first reason we consider a career in the capital market to be promising is because of the growing number of vacancies the organizations are offering.

 

2.                Scope of Growth:

Career is often compared with ladder. Meaning a start of a career is about developing oneself in a professional setting and gradually moving forward on the career track. A career with a solid track or growth opportunity is not attractive to many. If we analyze the different scopes the capital market has to offer, we can see there is a chance of growth as well. The area of work is not stagnant or stuck, rather it offers an opportunity to learn, develop and grow oneself in their career. This might not be common with many other structured financial organizations such as Banks where the timeline of growth is very long and a few of the departments do not offer an open-ended scope of career growth.

However, the majority of the career opportunities that are related to the capital market have some sort of chance and leeway that individuals can utilize to grow their career and build it down the line. The job seekers of our country have an inherited tendency of job hopping for a better financial gain. Meaning an individual will start working somewhere and switch the job a year later once they find a job that pays better than the previous one. This is ideally a mistake that will prevent oneself from developing a career. It might be good for the bank account, but not good as a career move. In the case of the capital market it focuses on individuals who are experts in a specific field. This harnesses the practice of not only doing a job but also building a career with a specialized skill set. This too is an indication that a career in the capital market is very much promising for those who want to build a career in the long run.

 

3.       Work Life Balance:

To be honest, due to the recent pandemic the shift towards work from home has rendered many resources to work longer hours. Even though this practice is not acceptable, it will take time to adjust to the culture of working from home as it offers additional flexibility to the resources. Apart from the fact that resources might need to work longer hours, in general the capital market is quite time bound. As a majority of the tasks are related to the stock market which ends at the middle of the day so there are some flexibilities in that as well. Compared to other organizations such as multinational organizations, agencies, local companies, conglomerates etc. jobs in the capital market have better work life balance. Still, some might argue with the idea however it is true that professions in this particular sector gives individuals more scope to maintain work life balance than other sectors.

However, this does not imply there is lesser pressure in this profession. Work pressure is present irrespective of your department, designation and duties. Being effective in most of the career opportunities in the career market requires grit, skillset and endurance. It is not for the ones who want a relaxed job, rather it requires full attention and a lesser margin of error. So, if you are an individual who prefers a balanced working opportunity, you better start looking for the job opportunities available in the capital market.

4.                Structured Job Environment:

Not all jobs come with a structured process and responsibilities. For example, if someone is working in a Bank, they are quite familiar with their day to day tasks. But for many organizations there is no structured set of duties they have to take part in. Many of the times, they spend their office hours firefighting with challenges that come to them on a daily basis. Majority of the roles in the capital market job sector have a structured set of job responsibilities that is easy to follow. It is better for individuals who prefer a structured job environment over a non-structured environment. In terms of career, a structured set of responsibilities are always easier to conduct and keep track of. This is also a factor that contributes to making the career in the capital market a possibility for many.

In contrast, there can be job responsibilities that require a few ad hoc decision making and on the job responsibilities, but the most of the job opportunities that are offered in the capital market are comparatively structured.

5.                Women Friendly

It is needless to say that female resources have a magnitude of contribution to our economy. They have the necessary knowledge, skills and ability to take major responsibilities and outshine their counterparts. It is a matter of pride that the capital market is also very amicable towards the female resources. It provides a platform that nurtures resources, gives opportunities for growth and scope of building a career. The safety and security of the environment is beyond any question. Their skillset, aptitude and communication ability are very much suitable with the requirements of a lot of positions in the capital market. A female will be highly capable of landing a job, ensuring outstanding performance in their career and leading teams to prosperity in the future.

So, women also have a promising future as far as careers in the capital market is concerned. It will provide them with opportunities that they can utilize to the fullest and have a prominent career in the capital market.

If we analyze the factors discussed, we can create a picture about why and how a career in the capital market is a possibility. However, now it is time to draw your attention to a few of the challenges that are faced in the career in the capital market.

1.    Cultural Stigma

As mentioned before, there is still a cultural stigma that paints all the professions in the capital market with the same brush. Many people are still stuck with the limited belief that career in the capital market is confined within a specific set of options. But in reality, the opportunity has propelled into bigger scopes and avenues to explore. So it is high time for individuals to acknowledge the genuine opportunity that the capital market offers and slowly accept it as a celebrated career option to choose. Individuals who have the role of guardians need to consider this sector as well in terms of providing advice and consultation to those who need it.

2.    Lack of Proper Branding

Even though the capital market career opportunity has its bells and whistles, it has to be communicated with the prospects who might be interested to start and build a career in the capital market. This responsibility falls on the shoulder of the firms and organizations that are operating in the capital market. The concept of employee branding can be implemented to showcase the growth opportunity, work environment and possibility of the capital market so that possible candidates can be aware of the opportunity that is waiting for them. The lack of proper branding is a challenge that the sector needs to overcome. By shedding light on the possibilities of the sector it can slowly but surely eradicate the existing cultural stigma towards career in the capital market.

3.    Training and Development

Training and development opportunities are present but organizations need to escalate the frequency and variation of the training programs. The organizations need to craft training and development programs for fresh graduates, working professionals and also for individuals who are changing their career track to join the capital market. Planned training and development programs will help individuals to have better careers in the long run and also enable the organizations to employ resources that are skilled and capable of doing a good job. The training programs can start from a root level and cater to the students and fresh graduates who are likely to end up in a profession in the capital market. Along with that there can be structured on the job training program that will ensure the human resources are developed and capable of performing with excellence.

Throughout the article we have illustrated factors that contribute to the possibility and challenges that are present in the career of the capital market. By amplifying and nurturing the possibilities and eradicating the challenges it will be possible to harness growth and prosperity in this sector.

To summarize, it can be said that there are a lot of potential awaiting career opportunities in the capital market. Utilizing these potentials will result in overall development of the sector and other related aspects as well. However, it is a continuous and long term process. So if we plant the seeds right now, we might enjoy the fruits in the near future. On the other hand, there are remaining challenges that need attention and solution. There will be challenges in the future as well, and we need to develop mechanisms, processes and mindset to tackle these challenges. Overcoming the challenges and amplifying the possibilities will lead us towards a better tomorrow.