A typical job in the financial planning or portfolio management area would require the following skills:

The field of money management involves working on the other side of the fence from the investment banks. That is why this field is known as the "buy side."; Money managers either directly make investments or help others by providing investment advice.

Many investment bankers are "Type A personalities whereas money managers aren't as hard-charging. A mix of Type A and Type B is best

Money managers get to face the challenges of investing. If you like the excitement of selecting investments and can deal with the uncertainty of waiting for the payoff this field is for you.

One of the exciting things about investing is that you get rewarded for knowing how business works. People who understand and enjoy business are among the most likely to succeed in this arena. .

There are many styles and approaches to investing. You can approach the field in a very technical way with heavy reliance on computers or, instead, resort to a common sense, low-tech approach. One of the leading investors of our time, Warren Buffett employs a small staff and spends little time with quantitative models when making investment decisions.

Because it is so hard to break into money management it is advisable to think carefully about your entry strategy. You have to bring something to the table in an interview that others can't. This will either be superior knowledge and understanding or experience. A good place to start is to get experience in investing by working for a public pension fund, a bank trust department or for a mutual fund